An epic is an early form of literature; it’s a long poem in an elevated style. Epics contain a hero and it most likely would always be the main character. Many epics include valorous deeds, supernatural forces, a hero on a quest, and an elevated style. Rabbit Proof Fence is a movie talking about three girls trying to escape the camp and get back home safely. Beowulf is a folk epic written around 600-110 A.D, about him on a quest to fight the dragons and sea monsters. The epic Beowulf and the move Rabbit Proof Fence both contain features of an epic poem. The first element is a hero on a quest. A hero on a quest is the central character in an epic. Often of noble or semi-divine birth, he sets out on a quest, a dangerous journey …show more content…
Elevated style is an epic that contains lofty diction, or word choice, that heightens the importance of the events retold. It may contain catalogs, or lists, of battles, weapons, and royal gifts. In both Rabbit Proof Fence and Beowulf they used different language. In the movie we couldn’t understand what they were saying. In the movie Rabbit Proof Fence they spoke in their own language because they didn’t want them to know they were trying to run away, but they weren’t allowed to. In the movie the women tells them that they can’t speak that jabber here, that they can only speak English. In the book Beowulf, he was talking to the king Hrothgar “Remember him still, and we have come seeking you prime, Haldane son, protector of this people, only in friendship instruct us, watchman, help us with your words!” (Lines 179-182) All in all an epic is an early form of literature that is written around 600-110 A.D. In epics there are four elements that go along in the story, which are a hero on a quest, supernatural forces, valorous deeds and an elevated style. Both Rabbit Proof Fence and Beowulf both use features of an epic. In Rabbit proof fence Molly was a strong girl, helping her sister and her cousin get back home away from the camp. In Beowulf, he would be the brave one to fight the dragons. Everyone loved Beowulf for what he did to protect them. They both were heroes for doing what they