Definitions of "epic":
http://www.answers.com/epic
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/resources/Literary.Terms.html#Epic
Gilgamesh:
http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgamesh
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/GILG.HTM
Odyssey:
http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/
Be sure to let us know what you decide, and someone here will give you feedback.
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What dominant features of the epic do you see at work in Gilgamesh and The Odyssey?
2 answers
Oedipus is a typical tragic hero in that he is a high-placed person who in many ways brings about his own downfall. The play itself, with its shockingly violent yet logical climax, provides the catharsis (literally "purging" through pity and terror) which Aristotle defined as the essence of tragedy. Also, order is restored at the end, as is usual in tragedy.
Am I on the right track?
Am I on the right track?