CRWR3001 The Epic

From The Odyssey to Viking Age sagas, One Thousand and One Nights to Star Wars and Game of Thrones, the epic has fascinated readers and writers for centuries. In this topic, students will engage with epic stories – ancient and new – to explore their enduring popularity. We will consider a range of media and texts and analyse key aspects of the epic form, including: heroes, voyages to distant lands, sweeping casts of characters, mythic and memorable tones. Students will reflect upon significant themes and elements of the genre when constructing imaginative works of their own.

This topic aims to provide students with the opportunity to create a single piece of prose fiction that engages with concepts, themes, and structures of epic literature. Students will research and read selected examples of epic literature and draw on this as inspiration for their own fiction.

1. Appraise epic and other literary texts through clear and effective oral and written communication
2. Consider appropriate responses to literary texts through the production of literary essays and creative pieces
3. Debate the relevance of the cultural and historical context of literature to their reading of literature; with peers and experts from the field