Read the following writing prompts, then on a half sheet of paper (hamburger

style) to be turned in, write a thesis statement for each that includes the three
things that would create the Topic Sentences for an essay.
1. Epic heroes are of Noble birth (royalty), capable of deeds of great
strength and courage, great warriors, cunning and clever, and they
face supernatural foes and/or receive supernatural help. After
carefully reading The Odyssey, write a multi-paragraph essay
describing the characteristics of an epic hero and what qualities
of Odysseus specifically qualify him as an epic hero.
2. Robert Burns’s quote, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go
astray,” can be applied to characters in Charles Dickens’s Great
Expectations. How were the expectations and dreams of Pip,
Magwitch, Molly, Mrs. Havisham, and Estella destroyed or changed?
In a detailed essay, discuss the main characters’ expectations for
their lives and how those expectations were changed.
1. Odysseus is one of the most typical of epic
heroes because of his deeds of great strength
and courage, his cunning and cleverness, and
how he faces supernatural foes.
2. Robert Burns’s quotation can be applied to the
expectations for the lives and how those
expectations were changed in the characters of
Pip, Magwitch, and Estella in Great
Expectations.
Your Essay Prompt This Week:
The Odyssey by Homer is a very famous epic
and has been shared for thousands of
years. After carefully reading The Odyssey,
write a multi-paragraph essay describing the
characteristics of an epic and what qualities
of The Odyssey specifically qualify it as an
epic. Use details and examples from the
text to support your analysis.
List the characteristics of an epic
• The hero is outstanding. They might be important (like a king), and
historically or legendarily significant.
• The setting is large. It covers many nations, or the known world.
• The action is made of deeds of great valor or requiring superhuman
courage.
• Supernatural forces—gods, angels, demons—insert themselves in the
action.
• It is written in a very special style (verse as opposed to prose) and uses
epic similes.
• It presents the heroic ideals such as courage, loyalty, honor, sacrifice,
patriotism, hospitality, and kindness.
• An epic gives a clear picture of the social and cultural patterns of the
culture’s life.
 What to accomplish today, in this order:
1. Write your Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences.
2. Write your Outline for the Essay. Follow the guidelines on
the example essay outline. Use the Roman numerals and
capital letters!
3. Use your textbooks to find quotes to use. Make sure to
write the page number for the in-text citations.
4. After you have the Thesis and Body paragraphs finished,
go back and fill in the rest of the Introduction and the
conclusion.