The six elements of fantasy epic

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Authors
Waggoner, Dillon
Advisor
Lindberg, Laurie K.
Issue Date
2014-05
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B.?)
Department
Honors College
Other Identifiers
Abstract

Many of the most ancient texts can be placed into the genre we now know as fantasy, and over time that genre has both evolved and flourished. An important subgenre of fantasy, which encompasses important texts both ancient and modern, is fantasy epic. This analysis proposes six hierarchical elements that make up the genre and describes how they function and intermingle within various stories. Furthermore, it compares and contrasts paradigms in ancient and modern examples of fantasy epic, primarily using Homer's The Odyssey and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord a/the Rings.