...Achilles is an epic hero because he was noble, brave and was admired by the Greeks for his achievements. There are many characteristic traits that make an epic hero; going on a quest/mission, having god-like powers and dying a tragic death are just a few of the many traits. All of which fit Achilles and makes him and epic hero in Greek mythology. Going on a mission is one of the many epic hero traits that fits Achilles. Achilles set out on this mission because Hector had killed his best friend, Patroclus in battle, thinking it was Achilles. " 'I who did not help my comrade in his sore need. I will kill the destroyer of him I loved; then I will accept death when it comes' " (Hamilton 197). The epic hero was determined to kill Hector, and that...
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...An epic hero is defined as a brave and noble character that is admired for great achievements and known for being a warrior (dictionary.com). There have been plenty of heroes over the course of time, but many believe the most popular Anglo- Saxon hero, Beowulf, most perfectly fits into this category and truly defines what it means. At all times, Beowulf is never afraid to put his life on the line for the sake and protection of his people, which helped him gain approval from the people of his area. Throughout the course of the adventure and journey, Beowulf exemplifies what it means to be an epic hero showing loyalty, courage, intelligence, and selflessness in his efforts to save his people and achieve immortality. Beowulf proves that he is a great Anglo-Saxon epic hero through his loyalty. Loyalty was held paramount by...
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...A Tragic Hero vs. an Epic Hero A tragic hero is a character that makes a wrongful decision and at the end pays for it. His choice will cause tragic circumstances. On the other hand, an epic hero is a character that goes through difficulties along his journey, all of which end up making him stronger. Example of a tragic hero is seen in Oedipus de King by Sophocles and an epic hero is seen in the Odyssey by Homer. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the epic hero who goes through so much in order to return home. It takes him 10 years to finally return home and in his adventure he encounters a nymph named Calypso who kidnaps him in her island and doesn’t let him go until she is ordered to do so by Zeus. He is almost killed by the Cyclops’ Polyphemus, but survives by using his cunningness. The greatest attribute of Odysseus is being smart because that is how he survives all the challenges presented and how he gets home safe while many of his men get killed in the act. “Yea, and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, even so I will endure…For already I have suffered full much, and much have I toiled in perils of waves and wars. Let this be added to the tale of those.” (Homer V 18) Epic heroes are differentiated by other kind of heroes because they survive their journey by being smarter, stronger and braver than any other person. Oedipus the King in the other hand is a tragic hero because even when he is smart and strong his story still ends tragically. One of his greatest...
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...Odysseus: Hero or Not In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, Odysseus is a true thinking man’s hero. He faces many obstacles in his journey home from the Trojan War, with a curse from the sea god, Poseidon. Odysseus battles monsters, makes tough decisions, and fights with his integrity to get home, but through what some call “bad luck” and the size of his pride Odysseus finds himself in a pretty difficult predicament. However, like any other heroic tale, in the end he’s able to go home to his wife and son. The question is did he come back as a heroic legend or a selfish punk? Believe it or not, Odysseus is the demanding hero in this poem. Through tough decisions, sacrifices, and his humble attitude…at times; Odysseus shows the reader he is still a human...
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...constituent attributes of a Greek Epic Hero? Explicate with reference to Odysseus and Achilles. The definition of an epic hero is very wide and varied. It includes a lot of attributes and criterions, but for a particular hero to reach the epic stature, it isn’t really necessary to fulfill all the demands and to come up to all the standards. In a very conventional sense, an epic hero is supposed to possess these qualities or is supposed to come up to these standards: 1. Is an important figure from history or legend. 2. Is usually favored by Gods or even partially descended from Gods i.e. semi-divine nature. 3. Takes part in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries and returns home with significant transformation. 4. Illustrates traits, performs deeds and exemplifies certain morals that are valued and held dear by the society/ culture from which the hero comes. 5. Usually embodies cultural and religious beliefs of the people. 6. Has no superpowers, but is smart, brave and has fears too; which he must overcome to protect his friends, family and / or nation. 7. Can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extra-ordinary tasks that most find difficult. 8. Is also a polished speaker who can address councils of chieftains or elders with eloquence and confidence. Literature is replete with examples of epic heroes. Classical Greek literature in particular has produced some of the most famous epic heroes. The epic hero in Greek literature is best...
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...All epic heroes have great traits that make them standout from the rest of the people in a story. With the epic hero possessing many traits, it shows why they are the chosen one. In Beowulf, the epic hero is Beowulf. In the story the character Beowulf portrays the trait of being capable of deeds of great strength and courage. He portrays this by killing Grendel, killing Grendel’s mother, and killing the sea monsters. Beowulf characterizes the trait of having strength and courage by killing Grendel. During the colossal fight, Beowulf is able to rip off the shoulder off Grendel, and hangs them up in Geats. A quote from the story to support this is, “A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel, Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering Forced on...
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...Greeks' invocation of the muses is a classic element of epic poetry that the Romans later adopted within their own works. Homer and Virgil both make use of this technique in their epics. The contrast between Homer's quintessential invocation in the Iliad and the opening lines of the Aeneid reveal numerous differences between the two epics. There is clear reference to Homer's work in Virgil's first lines and both openings establish the theme of the epic. However, there are multitudes of elements within the Aeneid's opening that establish the epic as a clearly Roman work while maintaining its declaration as heir to the Greek tradition. Virgil's introduction in the Aeneid goes a step further than Homer's by not only establishing the theme,...
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...Christian Lescznske Professor Larkin ELIT2055-B 31 March 2014 The Hero’s Journey: Comparing and Contrasting Heroes Joseph Campbell was an American psychologist and mythological researcher. In his lifelong research, Campbell discovered many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from around the world. Years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic stages that almost every hero-quest goes through (no matter what culture the myth is a part of). He calls this common structure “the monomyth” (Hero’s Journey). The “hero’s journey” appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of The Hero, who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the family, group, tribe, or civilization. There are twelve steps, or stages, of the typical “Hero’s Journey”. The twelve steps are: The ordinary world, the call to adventure, refusal of the call, meeting with the mentor, crossing the threshold, a test, the approach, the ordeal, the reward, the road back, the resurrection, and the return with the elixir, or reward. As I previously stated, Campbell’s monomyth works best with the traditional form of the quest such as in folk and fairy tales, myths, legends, and other fantasies. However, it can be applied to many different genres or types of stories. A quest does not have to include swords and monsters. It can just as easily occur in the real world. The monomyth is ageless and universal...
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...Princess Diana is one of the most iconic and loved British figures. She was born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, United Kingdom. Born Diana Frances Spencer, the princess grew up in Northamptonshire with her three siblings, Sarah, Jane, and her younger brother, Charles. Princess Diana married Prince Charles of Wales at the age of 22, becoming the Princess of Wales. She tragically died in a car accident while trying to escape the media on August 30, 1997, in Paris, France. Even after her death, Princess Diana continues to impact lives today. She now has a granddaughter, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, named after her. Many people consider Princess Diana to be a hero. However, she can also be considered an epic hero. Princess Diana was an epic hero because throughout her life she...
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...There’s no doubting Bo Jackson is an awe inspiring athlete, making unbelievable plays in both football and baseball. But is he an Epic Hero? I think Bo easily reaches the requirements to make his story an epic, all except two. Nonetheless, Bo very well could be considered an epic hero, since he meets the others. The first requirement is to be capable of great strength and courage. Bo shows his great strength many times in his baseball career, sending many of his hits out to the fans or even to the top of the royals crown. He also shows this in football, flying by the defense or pushing through lines like it was nothing, such as when the massive defender who had it out for Bo hit him with immense strength, but Bo pushes through. That also shows...
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...Beowulf Killed The Three Monsters in The Story Beowulf) Beowulf is an epic poem of a man, who had the strength of 40 men, called Beowulf. He is a Norsemen which were scary, brutal killing men. The tale begins as an oral story, told around campfires and not being written down until several years later. These men live by a code called the Anglo-Saxon code. The code set guidelines on how the Norsemen are supposed to act and behave. This code gave an understanding of the power of a role model, which the men would look to, or in other words, the leader. Beowulf faces three monsters in the poem, and tries to defeat them all. In the epic poem, Beowulf, Beowulf has three motivations for killing the three monsters. In the story, Beowulf, Beowulf’s motivation to kill the first monster, Grendel, was because of duty. Beowulf travels from his country to Harot in order to fight Grendel because his people knew of his ability to fight, therefore, making it his duty to kill the monster. When Beowulf meets Hrothgar, the aging lord of the Dunes, and gives him information about where he comes from and his background. Obligation is another word associated with duty, which made Beowulf...
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...Heroism of Paradise Lost Heroism can be described in many different ways. People have certain meanings as to what makes a hero, a hero. Some would like to say it’s about putting others before yourself and others would describe it as completing good deeds for their cities. Paradise Lost written by John Milton is an epic that tells the story of Adam and Eve and how they put the human race’s futures at stake for sin and death. Milton displays a good sense, which I support as well, of what a hero truly is. The story takes place in the Garden of Eden, but is referenced as “Paradise.” The battle between Satan and God created the mess that “caused all our woe” (Norton 1943). God asked Adam and Eve for one favor, which was the action of obedience towards God. They each were told not to eat the fruit from a tree. Satan created temptation for Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam, as a sacrifice to Eve, also ate from the Tree afterwards to prove his loyalty to Eve’s love. Now due to their actions the whole world and future human beings of the earth were living in sin for the rest of their lives. However, there was one hero who pardoned all man-kind from their sin and consequences of death. The most heroic character in this epic poem is the Son of God, who sacrificed himself to save God’s creation from death. The definition of heroism in this case represents someone who cares enough about the people that were created, to die for them and show them unconditional...
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...To compare the theme of exiles into nature in Gilgamesh, the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the Mahabharata is to compare how these exiles were brought upon the heroes and the consequences when the hero returns to society. The difference between the Mahabharata and the other three epics, is that the exile of the Kuravas was imposed on them by others. Though Yudhisthira is technically the only one in the family who brought it upon himself by playing the crooked dice game. For the most part, the exile of the Kuravas is not self-imposed. This is very different to the exiles seen in the western epics. In the Iliad, Achilles exiles himself for feeling shamed by Agamemnon, he chooses not to fight and instead have hundreds of his countrymen die. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh chooses to abandon his kingdom for an unplanned amount of time on a search for immortality somewhere in nature because of Enkidu’s death. Both Achilles and Gilgamesh exile themselves because of strong feelings they get. The exile of Odysseus is about brought on by himself, by making Poseidon extra mad, not leaving Calypso’s Island, among other transgressions against the gods....
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...Odysseus, the Epic Hero You think of superheroes like Superman, Batman, or Captain America; they are strong and defeat the villains, while saving other people; or you think of average heroes like firefighters, who save people’s lives who are in trouble. There are also epic heroes, like Odysseus, in “The Odyssey”. Epic heroes are larger than life and undergo a dangerous journey. The hero normally encounters conflicts as he battles forces of nature, gods, and other beings. Epic heroes have the archetypal characteristics like being cunning, courageous, daring, and having strength and knowledge. Odysseus had to fight many dangerous creatures during his 20 year quest back to Ithaca, like the Lotus Eaters, the Sirens, the Cyclops, Charybdis and Scylla while displaying the archetypal traits of an epic hero. When Odysseus faced the Lotus Eaters and the Sirens, he showed the epic hero character trait of intelligence. The Lotus Eaters tried to get Odysseus’ men to eat the sweet lotus flowers which made them want to stay forever and never return back home to Ithaca. Odysseus used his knowledge of the flower, after seeing three of his other men not come back after trying it, and made his men not try it, and continued sailing. If Odysseus did not tell this to his crew, then they would have possibly stayed there forever, the quest...
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...Epic Conventions Epic conventions are things that most epic poems have in common. Structurally, they aren’t necessarily identical, but they share these common characteristics. Alexander Pope, like the true rationalist that he is, also employs these conventions in The Rape of the Lock. However, while he does use them, because the poem is a mock epic, meaning that it is poking fun satirically not only at epics but also at the subject (the “rape” of the hair, as in Belinda’s vanity and the heroine of the poem) and also of the people of the time—the upper class who took sides during the dispute. Be sure to read Pope’s letter to Arabella Fermor in the notes for Canto 1. Some EPIC CONVENTIONS are as follows: 1. In medias res. In Medias Res is Latin for "it begins in the middle of things" and then has flashbacks to explain action leading up to that point.In THE ILIAD, for example, the story begins after the war between the combined forces of Greece and the forces of the walled city of Troy and their allies has been in progress for nearly ten years. 2. Invocation to a muse. The story begins with an invocation(prayer) to a god or gods. The poet, who in those days would have been reciting the epic to an audience, say, at a banquet, began by calling for a blessing--for a god or gods to attend this effort of his. They probably literally believed that the called upon god or muse came into them and, therefore, that it was not the poet who recited, but the god in the poet's body. Poet's, then...
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