The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

Many epic conventions seem to be in this one on closer examination. There are roman/greek like creatures such as centaurs and giants, and an animal godlike being who is like Christ. This reminds me of the mention of the various Greek and Roman gods in epics like Paradise Lost. It also seems to reflect Lewis' own education culturally and his deep spiritual beliefs. Thinking of this in terms of epic is interesting to think about and many elements are certainly there.

Gladiator

This movie seems to reflect some epic themes. It's almost like a lost bit of Virgyl. The arming scenes are reminiscent of Aristea. The hero also has Pietas and pays tributes to the gods and dreams of Elysian fields. Glory in the tradition of Iliad seems present in killing, but the hero seems to be moving beyond that and has more of a love like Achilles did for Helen, fileo (I think that's it).

Voltaire

Voltaire's satyrical epic is very interesting in that he subverts much of the conventions to reflect perhaps his cynicism about his own time. I wonder how heroic his characters are in the end and how much of the epic tradition is reflected in the rest of his work?

Star Wars: Heir to the Empire

The comparison with The Chimaera from Heir to The Empire with the past Chimaera's was a very good comparison. The mythical monster that represents sort of evil, but chaotic seemed to fit Grand Admiral Thrawn well. (I've read the book) He's the empire (evil) but still kind of a wild card (chaotic). The different portrayals of the Chimaera were also helpful in understanding it's place in Epic literature.

Sundiata

The power of song and poetry is evident in this selection from the poem. The sorcerer or presence of a magic indicates some form of theology. The presence of kings and rulers is another hallmark of epic tradition. A war is inevitable in the last sentence. This is a quite interesting piece that reminds me of the Kalevala, where words are used to fight in this selection, instead of swords as usual. I'm quite intrigued by this and want to read more.

Descent of Alette

It's poetry, and I'm assuming it's been read by the author, so this at least has oral tradition in it. Kind of lost on what else is epic about it.

Descent into Blindness
Totally lost on how this is epic...

Dante's Inferno

Certainly this is a deviation from the normal epics, yet it remains largely true to much of the conventions. The descent through hell mirrors the descent to the underworld which dates back to the epic of Gilgamesh. The long poetic form also contributes to its sense of epic. It also does have an oral tradition, being the pre-written scripture passed for generations among Jews, the old testament. In this sense, Dante takes the scripture, and probably much folklore based on hell (Virgil, even) and compiles it into his own epic. Fascinating stuff.

It was fascinating seeing our old friends Dido, Celpatra, Helen, Achiiles and Paris swooping around down there in hell! EPIC!

The Matrix

Reading (viewing) the Matrix as an epic is quite fun, especially in the context of the first movie. The wounding scene of Neo is particularly reminiscent of older epics, as is the prophecy about, “The One”. What is The Matrix compiled from, however? What is the source material? Certainly, it isn't an oral tradition. William Gibson's Neuromancer, as well as cyberpunk culture, internet chat rooms and games, underground and subversive scenes, are these the stuff of the oral tradition of The Matrix?

Return of the King: Chapter VI The Battle of Pelennor Fields

There are many epic elements in this reading. Aristea is very prominent in many forms including taunting of the victim, arming, the return of the hero and more. Also, the battle scenes that were so consistent with The Iliad and the Aeneid are back, although they seem to be less the focus, and it is not about the glory of how many are killed. It seems very epic and that Tolkien paid tribute to these past epics.

It is interesting how Tolkien turns a few conventions on their head, such as having a female hero defeating one of the main villains. This was a very enjoyable read and I think LoTR is one of the closest things we have to a modern epic, with the exception of it being community generated. In a sense it is, since it incorporates so much of previous epics, but Tolkien is the main imaginator and compiler. The tension still exists, I guess, as it always has since the Iliad.

Omeros Book VII

"His wound healed slowly. He discovered the small joys that lay in a life patterned like those on the quilt and he would speak to her in his normal voice." 309

The cultural wounds that the people of the island has received will heal slowly, like the wound, yet they will find new life and joy amidst their lives and time that heals. I think this is what Walcott is saying.

Omeros Book VI

"of fake African masks for a fake Achilles rattled with the seeds that came from other men's minds." (228) Walcott seems to be speaking once again from the point of view of the colonized who lack a tie to their original culture and have had to deal with the external ideas coming from around the conquerers.

Omeros Book V

"Their condition the same, without manacles. The chains were subtler, but they were still hammered out of the white-hot forge." 210

Again Walcott comments on the state of the people of the island that now work in ways and conditions not that far removed from the worse conditions not long ago.

Omeros Book IV

Once again, Walcott mixes up the styles and interjects a poem about a house. I like the way that he changes up the form of the novel/poem/epic/postmodern whatever you want to call it. More references to things like, "cablevision" feel strangely out of place in an epic. Maybe in 1000 years they will be as quaint as the references we see in older epics. Is an epic only an epic after a certain amount of time? Certainly, epics must undergo an aging process like fine wine.

Omeros Book III

on p.137 I thought there were some interesting features where the writing looks like a play. Afolabe asks Achille what his name means, but both have forgotten.

"you nameless son are only the ghost of a name"

indeed, Achilles is a name long removed from its origins. Likewise, the character himself feels long removed from his origins.

Omeros Book II

So much irony here, vessels named Marlborough....

p. 107 has a monologue that speaks about, "a cruise back to slavery in liners like hotels you cannot sit inside" speaking about the tourism industry. It's bittersweet, the slaves are, "free" but only work in jobs that are for serving upper classes.

In God We Troust is another play on words that shows the culture within culture.

Omeros Book I

This book felt unconventional and jarring to me in many ways having been through the past epics we've read. It's kind of ironic, since this is more modern than anything else so far. The poetry and laid back atmosphere, the loosely connected narratives, all contribute to this feeling very different from everything else. I'm not enjoying it very much because I have a hard time understanding what's going on. I appreciate the references to past epics, but feel like they're there just to pay tribute, or sort of mock. That's ok, and it serves a purpose. I'm just having a hard time getting used to this style. It's weird seeing Coca Cola in an epic (16).