2. Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" is considered a Romantic epic poem. What is the definition of an "epic"? Does Spencer's poem appear to you to be an epic? Why, or why not? The word epic in literary terms according to the online Encyclopaedia Britannica is a "long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds." Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" would fit in this category of being an epic poem. In the second paragraph of the title or summary page, it gives background information about Spenser and the poem. It is mentioned "The Faerie Queen" should fill twenty -four books, but only six books were finished. The themes that appear throughout the books are about "politics and religion with the last books portraying King Arthur and the public virtues." Many of the references also makes note of Queen Elisabeth I as well as the conflict between the Roman Catholics and Protestants (Jalic Inc). The first book talks about a knight's battles while he ventures with a fair maiden that is described as; "So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, She was in life and euery vertous lore, And by decent from Royall lynage …show more content…
came..." (Spenser, Canto I) There seemed to be something about the knight that although he would accomplish daring feats against grand beasts like the snake woman and dragon. He was repenting something, "Great pleasure mixt with pittifull regard, That godly King and Queene did passionate, Whiles they his pittifull aduentures heard, That oft they did lament his lucklesse state, And often blame the too importune fate, That heapd on him so many wrathfull wreakes: For neuer gentle knight, as he of late, So tossed was in fortunes cruell freakes; And all the while salt teares bedeawd the hearers cheaks" (Spenser, Canto XII).
Works Cited "epic". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 17 Jun. 2015. . Spenser, Edmund. "The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser: Canto I." The Literature Network: Online Classic Literature, Poems, and Quotes. Essays & Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2015. . Spenser, Edmund. "The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser: Canto XII." The Literature Network: Online Classic Literature, Poems, and Quotes. Essays & Summaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2015.
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Merriam- Webster online dictionary defines an epic hero as, “ A grand and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or effected by grand events.” The same dictionary also defines an epic poem as, “a story told about a hero or exciting events.” The Epic of Gilgamesh is often considered the oldest story on earth; which would make Gilgamesh, the story’s controversial main character, and the world’s oldest epic hero. This epic set a precedent for all epics to follow; it displayed most of the traits that society commonly perceives an epic hero and epic poem should have. The Epic of Gilgamesh exhibits tendencies of an epic poem through its inclusion of an epic hero, multiple gods and goddesses, and it’s vast array of settings across the world. Additionally, Gilgamesh presents attributes of an epic hero through his quest for immortality, his noble birth and his battles with superhuman foes.
Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto 1. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 6th ed. vol. 1.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Phillips, James E. "Renaissance Concepts of Justice and the Structure of The Faerie Queen, Book V," HLQ, (Feb. 1970), 33, 103-120.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Hale, John K. “Spenser’s Faerie Queene, 1. 11. 52 and 53". Explicator. 53.1 (1994): 6-8.
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject. It usually is about
Shakespeare, William. Othello, The Moor of Venice. from Literature and the Writing Process. McMahon, Day, Funk. Prentice-Hall Publishers: New Jersey, 1996. 864-947.
An epic poem is a long narrative poem, normally having to do with a serious subject while covering heroic deeds and events important for a culture or nation. Homer, the author of Iliad and the Odyssey, is perhaps the most famous and notable writer of epics. Inspired directly from the stories that had been passed down orally over the centuries, Homer wrote these epic poems retelling the stories of the last year of the Trojan War and Odysseus’s journey home after the Trojan War. These epics are filled with supernatural events such as gods lending their power to a hero, allowing him to slay row after row of troops and gods going directly onto the battlefield to help turn the tide in a battle. The grandeur of these events are indicative of fictional superhero stories rather than fact. However, if you compare the events depicted in the Iliad to historical facts known from Ancient Greece and current scientific evidence, Homer’s Iliad may have a basis in actual history. Homer’s description of the geography of Ancient Greece, his depiction of godly interference, his depiction of war, and the use of technology can be supported and show that the Trojan War and many of the events that take place in the Iliad were actual historical events or can be justified.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square, 1992. Print. The New Folger Library Shakespeare.
England in Literature: MacBeth Edition: Teacher’s Supplement Chapter 8, “Alice in Wonderland” 144-146. Scott Foresman & Co. 1973.
Shakespeare, William, and Claire McEachern. The First Part of King Henry the Fourth. New York: Penguin, 2000. Print.
An epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero. The main characteristics of an epic as a literary genre is that it is a long poem that tells a story, it contains an epic hero, its hero searches for immortality (but doesn't find it physically, only through fame), gods or other supernatural beings are interested and involved, and it delivers an historical message. The Epic of Gilgamesh is classified as an epic because it fits all the characteristics of an epic as a literary genre.
Faerie Queene, the narrative voice on matters of law is predictably placed in a position of
To be considered and epic, a piece of literature must exhibit quite a few specific, literary techniques. Some of the main criteria points include being a long, narrative poem, having an epic hero, and containing rhythm, alliteration, and imagery. Beowulf can be considered an epic because it contains all of this criteria.