What defines a leader?• What are the three most important

roles of leaders?• What are the essential qualities of a

leader (at least 5)?• List at least 5 common labels of

leaders.• List at least 5 specific, famous leaders.

1. Define what it means to be a leader. 2. Name the most important leader/label.

3. State the first general quality of leadership.Provide one specific example which proves that this leader possesses this quality.State the second general quality of leadership.Provide one specific example.State the third general quality of leadership.Provide one specific example.

4. Concluding Sentence: Provide a final thoughtabout your claims.

Leader Paragraph:Who is the most important leader in our society?

• Long narrative poem• Usually about the birth of a nation• Reflects the values, customs and

traditions of the society• Contains exaggerated feats and

accomplishments• Classic tale of good and evil• Hero is legendary

The Epic Poem

• is a great leader strongly identified with a particular people or society (and usually male)

• receives help from friends, servants, or guides

• faces challenges of increasing difficulty

• does great deeds in battle and undertakes an extraordinary and difficult journey, filled with obstacles

• descends into darkness for a final test

• Journey• Help from Supernatural• Usually Male• Accompanied by Friends• Battles become more and more

difficult• One Crucial Battle

The EpicHero

The Epic Journey• is a search for identity

• reflects he desire to do what is right

• signifies the right to the ownership of a kingdom or future

• is a tool to bring order to societal chaos

• exemplifies what is right (social order, morals, and values of the time)

• involves gods or other supernatural beings

Literary Devices• Alliteration – use of same sounds to create good

listening mood• Repetition – certain important stanzas or lines

repeated for effect• Imagery – language that appeals to the senses – sight,

hearing, touch, taste, smell• In Medias Res – Latin for “in the middle of things” –

Story opens in the middle of the conflict and then uses flashbacks to tell what happened earlier

• Figurative Language – All figures of speech – Used to describe one thing in terms of another, not to be understood on a literal level – includes simile, metaphor, personification

• Kenning – a compound word, or a combination of words used to name a person, place, thing, or event (whale-road=sea, shepherd of evil=Grendel)

The Legend

• Beowulf is the oldest English poem, possibly composed between 700 and 750.

• The story was composed and recited orally

• Around 1000, the story was written down in Old English. A fire in 1731 damaged the manuscript before any modern translation.

Beowulf is a thane in Geatland who comes to the aid of the Danes, who have been terrorized for 12 years by Grendel, “a powerful demon.”

• Geatland (Sweden)•

Denmark

Beowulf“bee-wolf” or “bear”

The main character of the story who comes to

the aid of the Danes

The CharactersEcgtheow

“edge-servant”Noble Geat; deceased

Hrothgar“glory-spear”

Danish king; lives in the palace Herot; very generous to his people

HygelacKing of the Geats

Grendel“storm” or “to bellow”

Demon who terrorizes the Danes in the night

terr

orize

s

comes to the aid of

serv

es

son

father

UnferthDanish Thane

serves

criticizes

won

’t fig

ht

BreccaWon swimming

contest

friends

fights

made peace for

calls out

As You Read• Add characters and descriptions to

your character chart.