Prior Knowledge

An epic is--

• an account of a person's life written by another person
• a long narrative poem that tells about the adventures of a hero
• a novel that describes several generations of a family
• a literary work set in a particular historical period and based on true events

A hero is usually a person of high social standing like a great warrior or a _____________. 

•  god
• mortal
• child
• king

An epic hero is a person whose qualities represent those valuable to his or her _____________________. 

• society
• family
• culture
• character

During a story, an epic hero often battles supernatural forces and ________________. 

• gods
• giants
• monsters
• goddesses

When dealing with others, the epic hero is often ______________ and _____________. 

• serious and quiet
• clever and crafty
• fun and adventerous
• brave and strong

Heroes often must struggle to overcome human weaknesses such as pride and temptation because they represent all _______________ throughout the story. 

• heroes
• humans
• gods
• monsters

Because heroes are incredibly strong and courageous, they often seem ____________________ to the readers. 

• like great warriors
• afraid
• god-like
• super-human

Characters who face external conflicts--

• help others resolve their differences
• have only minor problems
• remain unaffected by the central problem in a story
• struggle against other characters or outside forces

What characters say and do--

• creates the setting of a story
• reveals their personalities
• does not contribute to a story's plot
• determines who is telling the story

An author might foreshadow events by--

• vividly describing them
• having characters summarize them
• explaining their significance
• hinting at what will happen later in a story