ways in which shrek fits the bill for an epic similar to the iliad or the odyssey

thoodleoo:

• hero has a supernatural lineage (ogre), performs great feats of strength, is virile, and is larger than life
• the setting covers a large scope of the world it is set in (swamp; kingdom; journey to castle to save fiona)
• many of the deeds are concerned with strength and valor
• supernatural forces (dragon, fairytale creatures, lord farquaad) intervene in the hero’s life and cause innumerable troubles for him (for example, the creatures who take up residence in shrek’s swamp are similar to the suitors in the odyssey)
• there are elements of an omniscient third person point-of-view
• while not an invocation, there is an opening narration which sets the scene, and the story is firmly in media res
• the characters are seemingly aware of their position in literature (they are referred to as fairytale creatures; shrek himself begins the movie by reading a story about a princess which relates to his rescue of fiona), similar to when helen refers to the trojan war as a ‘story for men to come’
• the scene in which fairytale creatures are being brought in and named could be construed as a catalog scene, much like the catalog of ships
• use of similes (ogres are like onions)
• the movie begins with reference to the true tenth muse, smash mouth