Epic Conventions
According to Webster's Dictionary, an epic is "a narrative poem of some length telling of heroic deeds or events." While this is an accurate definition, there are also several other characteristics that tie them together as a literary format. Virtually all epics demonstrate an invocation of the gods, have a statement of the theme and begin in "medias res." This can be demonstrated in Homer's Iliad, Milton's Paradise Lost, and Dante's Inferno from The Divine Comedy. First of all, most epics begin with an invocation of the gods. The invocation of gods began with early Greek writ
Next, most epics usually have a statement of the theme near the beginning. In doing so, the writers believed the gods were leading them as they wrote their epics. In line 1 of The Iliad, Homer writes, "Rage---Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles. " Dante Alighieri exemplifies this epic convention in Inferno of The Divine Comedy. John Milton demonstrates this epic convention in lines1-5 of book 1 in Paradise Lost. " All three of these traits can be found in Homer's Iliad, Milton's Paradise Lost, and Dante's Inferno from The Divine Comedy. " Clearly, Milton is tell the reader that the story is about man's first sin in the garden of Eden. What better way to open in "medias res" than right in the middle of one's life? The epic follows a very distinct format that can be defined by several conventions: an invocation of the gods, a statement of the theme and begin in "medias res. He is thirty-five when his journey into the Underworld begins. While the "gods" referred to often differ, the invocation is essential to the writers of this literary format. In lines 1-3 of Canto 1 Dante writes, "When I had journeyed half our life's way, I found myself within a shadowed forest, for I had lost the path that does not stray. Finally, epics usually begin in "medias res" or "in the midst of things.
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Acceptance Essays
