Epic Poem:
* Scope: Large in scale, covering vast landscapes, extended periods of time, and the lives of heroes and important figures.
* Purpose: To celebrate heroic deeds, explore themes of destiny, fate, and the human condition, and often serve as a national or cultural identity.
* Characters: Often larger-than-life heroes with supernatural abilities, gods, and goddesses, and legendary figures.
* Structure: Extensive, with multiple episodes and subplots, employing a grand, elevated style of language.
* Examples: *The Iliad*, *The Odyssey*, *The Epic of Gilgamesh*, *Beowulf*
Fable:
* Scope: Short and concise, focusing on a single, easily grasped story.
* Purpose: To teach a moral lesson or illustrate a universal truth.
* Characters: Often animals or anthropomorphized creatures, representing human traits or vices.
* Structure: Simple and direct, with clear themes and an identifiable moral at the end.
* Examples: *The Tortoise and the Hare*, *The Boy Who Cried Wolf*, *Aesop's Fables*
Key Differences:
* Length and Scope: Epic poems are long and expansive, while fables are brief and focused.
* Purpose: Epics celebrate heroism and explore complex themes, while fables aim to teach a moral lesson.
* Characters: Epic heroes are often larger-than-life, while fable characters are usually symbolic representations of human traits.
* Style: Epics utilize grand, elevated language, while fables employ simple and direct language.
In essence, epic poems are grand narratives of heroic deeds, while fables are concise stories designed to convey a moral message.