EPIC genre: characteristics and examples

One of the most important literary genres of the story is the epic genre, without a doubt. It is one of the first genres that were used and Homer is considered to be the father and forerunner of it. This genre is characterized by being a text in verse that narrates the exploits and adventures of a hero that can be historical or mythological, always in a warlike environment. "The Iliad" or the "Odyssey" are two of the first epic works in our history but there are many more. In a PROFESSOR we are going to show you the characteristics of the epic genre as well as examples that will help you better understand the style of this type of literary text.

Before starting to talk about the characteristics of the epic genre, it is important to make it clear what it is. It is a literary genre that has been considered as the oldest and it is that already in Ancient Greece we find very important epic works that marked a before and after in the history of literature.

The etymology of "epic" comes from the Greek "epikós", a word that refers to a type of

narration in verse that recounted the historical feats that they could be real or be part of the Greek mythological corpus. These events were carried out by a hero who could present himself with powers or with superhuman capacities and who represented the ideal of human.

Origin of the epic genre

To him 7th century BC It is when experts date the emergence of the epic genre, since it was at that time that the first text of this genre appeared: Homer. This Greek poet is considered the father of the epic and created such unforgettable literary works as the Iliadand the Odyssey.

This genre has evolved over the centuries and in the Middle Ages we also find one of the most important epic works in the history of literature: Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

Let's get into the matter now and begin to know what the Epic genre highlights. It is a type of text that has very own elements that make it perfectly distinguishable from other literary genres such as, for example, lyric.

Here we leave you a list with the most important characteristics of this literary genre so that you can learn to detect a text of this type. They are as follows:

Feats of a hero

One of the most prominent elements is that the epic tells about a hero and the feats he accomplished. It is a narrative that can be historical and, therefore, real or a story that can be inspired by the mythology or legendary facts.

The hero who appears in epic works always he is idealized and possesses exceptional traits that embody the ideal man: a brave person, with strong ethics, with exemplary physical features and who is the model of the good citizen. An exalted portrait that was used to instruct the society of the time.

Supernatural elements

Another of the most outstanding characteristics of the epic genre is that it is full of elements supernatural such as, for example, the appearance of mythical characters such as gods, demons, angels, etc. It creates a narrative full of action and moral meanings that were intended to instruct society to ensure optimal coexistence and great civility.

Moral intention

As we have been saying, one of the objectives of this literary genre is to instruct society by teaching virtues that they must imitate. Defects are also condemned and are punished in works with a tragic and irreparable fate so that, thus, society would always want to do good and avoid evil.

Verse narration and elevated language

In epic texts we also find another fundamental characteristic and that is that the narration is expressed in verse. This gives it a high tone and cult of the genre that could only be cultivated by educated and educated people. They are narrative poems where the poet tells a series of events starring a hero.

Historical and cultural legacy

Another of the most outstanding elements of the epic genre is that, today, these texts provide us with very important historical and cultural information. The Greek poets related elements of their tradition, such as myths and legends as well as episodes of history. Thanks to these narrative poems, today we can know a large number of traditions around the world.

War theme

Typically epic works revolve around a war theme. That is, the exploits that are narrated are included within the development of a war or a military conflict. In this environment is where our hero acts and where all the subplots that we find in the poem take place.

Religious presence

We must not forget that in epic poems religion is also very present. In fact, the gods usually play an essential role in the development of the plot and it is ultimately who determines the action of the main character. This is where the moral residue of the work is found since the gods are those who have the ability to judge the actions of men.

Now that we know the main characteristics of the epic genre, it is important that we briefly stop at the subgenres that we can find in this great genre. And it is that it can be classified into the different styles of poems:

• Myth: it is a text that narrates a myth from a culture or tradition. The characters that appear in these texts are supernatural and the works usually talk about such important issues as the origin of the world, of man, etc.
• Legend: it is a narrative that is inspired by real events but that have a large dose of imagination and fictional elements making what is narrated very different from what is actually it happened. Legends often contain supernatural and magical elements as well.
• Fable: it is a type of epic poem where the characters are animals or inanimate beings. The objective of this type of text is to launch a moral, therefore, it has a great didactic intention.
• Sing of deed: it is a type of narrative typical of the Middle Ages and that is written in verse. The protagonist is a hero who embodies values ​​such as honor, love, fidelity, etc.
• Epic: it is an extensive epic narrative that is carried out by an idealized hero and who is the representative of an entire people. El Cantar del Mío Cid or the Divine Comedy are two clear examples of well-known epics from our literary history.

And we finish this lesson by presenting you some examples of the epic genre that will help you better understand what type of text we are facing. Authors such as Homer or Dante are the representatives of this literary genre, however, here we will give you a list with authors and examples of the epic so you can know the most outstanding titles:

• The odyssey of Homer.
• The Iliad of Homer.
• Dante's divine comedy.
• The Aeneid of Virgil.
• The song of Mío Cid.

The epic subgenre is the most used within the epic genre and, therefore, classical authors cultivated extensive narrative poems that had an ideal hero as the protagonist. Here we leave you a fragment of Homer's Iliad so you can see the tone that the creator of this important literary genre used.

Most of them were victims of the impetuous Ares, and the one I esteemed more than all, the one He saved the city and us from danger, you killed him when he defended his country: Hector. For him I now come to the Achaean ships, and I bring with this object an immense ransom. Respect, Achilles, the gods and have mercy on me in remembrance of your father. I am even more worthy of compassion, because I have had the courage to do what no one on earth has done: kiss the hand of his son's killer.