1. Epic Similes
Objective: Students will create their own epic similes to better understand the temperament of the characters in The Iliad.

2. Relevancy
The purpose of identifying and writing epic similes is to figure out how figurative language reveals human emotion, which will help us build background knowledge for when we begin our poetry unit next quarter.

3. Vocabulary First, repeat the word after me: Temperament
Write the following definition on your handout: Temperament - the usual attitude, mood, or behavior of a person or animal
1.) What is the temperament of each of these dogs?

4. Vocabulary
Directions: Write the answer to the questions first, then pair share with your assigned partner.
Make sure to say the word temperament when you pair share.
2.) What type of temperament would be associated with a soldier?
3.) Using the word temperament, discuss a situation where you had a happy temperament.

5. Epic Simile review
Epic similes, just like the similes you are familiar with, compare two (possibly more) unlike things.
Epic similes are different from similes you are familiar with in that they are much more elaborate and can extend for several lines.
Epic similes are very exaggerated comparisons using like or as.
Epic similes give us insight into the character’s temperament.

6. For example A simile you are familiar with may say:
“Our love is as beautiful as a rose.”
And epic simile will refer to the same comparison like this:
“Our love is as beautiful as when the nightingales sing the song of morning while the light beams in through the window, shining all that is glorious and right with the world.”

7. Formative
Let’s attempt to find what is being compared in a few epic similes from The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Iliad.
Book 22, lines of The Iliad
Like powerful stallions sweeping round the post for trophies, galloping full stretch with some fine prize at stake, a tripod, say, or woman offered up at funeral games for some brave hero fallen – so the two of them whirled three times around the city of Priam, sprinting at top speed while all the gods gazed down, and the father of men and gods broke forth among them now: Unbearable – a man I love, hunted round his own city walls and right before my eyes. My heart grieves for Hector.
_______ 1. What two items are being compared?
a. Achilles and Hector to powerful stallions b. powerful stallions to trophies
c. the gods to Hector d. trophies to a fine prize
Page 20 of The Epic of Gilgamesh- Glorious Shamash heard his prayer and he summoned the great wind, the north wind, the whirlwind, the storm and the icy wind, the tempest and the scorching wind; they came like dragons, like a scorching fire, like a serpent that freezes the heart, a destroying flood and the lightning's fork.
_______ 2. What two items are being compared?
a. Shamash and Dragons b. Shamash and the winds c. The winds to dragons, fire, serpents, floods, and lightning d. The scorching wind to dragons

8. Formative _______ 3. What two items are being compared?
Page 24 of The Epic of Gilgamesh- Then I awoke like a man drained of blood who wanders alone in a waste of rushes; like one whom the bailiff has seized and his heart pounds with terror.
_______ 3. What two items are being compared?
a. blood to terror
b. waste of rushes to a pounding heart
c. a man drained of blood to a bailiff
d. a man drained of blood to a guilty man seized by the bailiff

9. Formative
Book 22, lines of The Iliad
And on that resolve he drew the sharp sword that hung at his side, tempered, massive, and gathering all his force he swooped like a soaring eagle launching down from the dark clouds to earth to snatch some helpless lamb or trembling hare. So Hector swooped now, swinging his sharp sword and Achilles charged too, bursting with rage, barbaric…
_______ 4. What two items are being compared?
a. Hector to an eagle b. a sword to an eagle
c. a sword to Achilles d. Hector to his sword
_______ 5. What does this comparison show about temperament?
a. what is being compared is weak b. what is being compared is powerful c. what is being compared is a god d. what is being compared is a victim
Differentiation – if you have half or more wrong (3 or more) then you will focus on writing one epic simile on your own using the sentence stem to start writing your simile.

10. I Do – (analyze) 1.) Book 4, lines 72-80
Speaking so he stirred up Athena, who was eager before this, and she went in a flash of speed down the pinnacles of Olympus. As when the son of devious-devising Kronos casts down a star, portent to sailors or to widespread armies of peoples glittering, and thickly the sparks of fire break from it, in such likeness Pallas Athena swept flashing earthward and plunged between the two hosts; and amazement seized the beholders, Trojans, breakers of horses, and strong-greaved Achaians.

11. I do continued - (identify)
Athena
is being compared to
a shooting star.
The temperament of Athena
is quick and guiding. 11

12. I do continued - (write)
Where else have we seen Athena?
Create an epic simile describing the situation in which she convinced Achilles to not kill Agamemnon.
You can compare Athena to:
A pesty fly
Loyal dog
A concerned mom
Athena, just like a concerned mom who only wants the best for her son, still picking out his clothes at age 20, speeds to the side of swift-footed Achilles, seizing his sword in hand.

13. We do
3.) Book 1, lines Agamemnon – furious, his dark heart filled to the brim, blazing with anger now, his eyes like searing fire.
Analyze the above epic simile.
Identify what two items are being compared and the temperament of the character being compared. Write this on your foldable.

14. We do
3.) Book 1, lines Agamemnon – furious, his dark heart filled to the brim, blazing with anger now, his eyes like searing fire.
Pair Share – You will have 2 minutes to discuss your answers. In conversation, use the word temperament:
The temperament of (insert name of character) is__________________.

15. We do continued Agamemnon is being compared to a searing fire.
The temperament of Agamemnon is furious and quick-tempered. 15

16. We do continued Where else have we seen Agamemnon?
Create an epic simile describing the situation in which Agamemnon expressed his hate towards Achilles.
What can we compare Agamemnon to:
- (who else would have a rival or feud with someone)
Agamemon, like _________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

17. You do
1.) Identify who the character is being compared and what it is in which he/she is being compared.
2.) Based on the comparison, list 2 traits that describe the character's temperament.

18. 5.) Book 22, lines 5-7
No, he waited Achilles, coming on, gigantic in power. As a snake in the hills, guarding his hole, awaits a man – bloated with poison, deadly hatred seething inside him, glances flashing fire as he coils round his lair...

19. You do continued
Think of the evil rage inside Achilles when you write your own simile.

20. Achilles, like a grounded child, who_______.
You do
5.) Now, write your own epic simile based on the scenario given. Your epic simile should be no less than 2 full lines.
a. Write an epic simile in which Achilles is moping in his tent after he leaves battle.
Achilles, like a grounded child, who_______.