Epics
EpicsIn order to be considered an epic, there are certain qualifications and standards that a piece of literature must meet. The themes and motifs incorporated in these stories are universal and the plot lines are both historical and entertaining. These epics are long poems that were originally expressed orally and later transcended into written works. The Old Testament, The Illiad, and The Odyssey are all classical works of literature that are considered epics today.
The Old Testament is considered an epic because of its contribution as a religious work of literature. The collection of stories in The Old Testament have served as the basis for many religions in many different cultures. They each contain heroes and villains and encompass tales of adventure and fantasy. Unlike the Greeks, this Hebrew epic is monotheistic in content and belief. To fulfill yet another quality of an epic, intervention by God does frequently occur.
While the Hebrews were responsible for the production of The Old Testament, the Greeks employed the works of Homer. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are the most famous of the Greek epics. These epic poems tell the story of the Trojan War and the events and famous people surrounding the war. Throughout the Iliad, the universality of the poem is evident as concepts of war and man vs. man conflicts are expressed...
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