Literature Folktales and Epics Terms

Question 1

a short tale, usually anonymous, passed along by word of mouth

Answer 1

Folktale

Question 2

a brief, fanciful stories that present a moral

Answer 2

Fable

Question 3

encompasses a wide range of fictional stories set in an indefinite time and place and containing an element of the fantastic or magical

Answer 3

Fairy Tale

Question 4

stories that explain specific aspects of life or the natural world, usually in terms of supernatural forces of beings

Answer 4

Myths

Question 5

a long, stylized narrative poems celebrating the deeds of a national or ethnic hero of legend

Answer 5

Epics

Question 6

sprang from the practice of oral poetry and told stories of past cultural events or heroes

Answer 6

Traditional Epic

Question 7

devised and written by individual poets in imitation of traditional epics

Answer 7

Literary Epic

Question 8

describe the vehicle of the comparison at considerable length, often more than is strictly necessary

Answer 8

Epic Similes

Question 9

stock phrases that can be inserted to describe a particular person or thing that recurs in the poem

Answer 9

Homeric Epithet

Question 10

recurring character type, plot patterns or images

Answer 10

Archetype

Question 11

imaginary people who perform the action of the plot

Answer 11

Characters

Question 12

the main character at the center of the conflict

Answer 12

Protagonist

Question 13

a character or force who opposes the protagonist

Answer 13

Antagonist

Question 14

those with whom the reader identifies or for whom the reader has favorable feelings

Answer 14

Sympathetic character

Question 15

one with whom the reader cannot identify or for whom the reader has strong feelings of dislike

Answer 15

Unsympathetic character

Question 16

the reasons character behave as they do

Answer 16

Character motivation

Question 17

those that lack complexity, being defined primarily by only one or two characters

Answer 17

Flat character

Question 18

those who are complex in thought and behavior, with personal beliefs and desires that may even at time seem to conflict with each other

Answer 18

Round character

Question 19

remain essentially the same throughout the story

Answer 19

Static character

Question 20

changes as the story progresses

Answer 20

Dynamic character

Question 21

a generally sympathetic character who usually falls into tragedy because of a personal character flaw

Answer 21

Tragic Hero

Question 22

a flaw that the character has

Answer 22

Tragic flaw