...Hero Essay English 9 Mr. Castellano Our next major writing assignment is to write an essay about someone you consider to be a hero. We are doing this essay now because it coincides nicely with our reading of The Odyssey. As we have discussed in class, Odysseus is the archetypal Western hero: brave, strong, clever, quick-thinking, steadfast. The list could go one. My point is that as we read about this ancient and, I believe, still relevant hero I want you to think and write about someone who is a hero to you. This should be a fun assignment. I am sure you have heard all too often that there are no more heroes today, that everyone we look up to is corrupt and will ultimately disillusion us. I whole heartedly disagree. Heroes are everywhere we look: we just need to look. (In a book I read this Summer, one of the characters says, “We find what we look for.”) Heroes can be people we know personally and people we have only heard about. Here are only a few suggestions: Jesus Christ, St. Francis, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, your Mom or Dad, an athlete, coach, teacher, or friend. Again, the list goes on. Just thinking about and planning this essay (as well as writing it, of course) will be a good exercise in recognizing how many heroes you have – how many people strive for high ideals and live virtuous lives. They’re there: look for them. Part of this essay will include what you define as...
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...Definition Essay 06 September 2012 Definition Essay The key principals of heroism are courage, selflessness and a lasting impact. To some people that can mean a person admired for their achievements, to others it could be a renowned warrior. A hero to me is someone who shows great courage and puts others before themself but expects nothing in return. It is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a mythical or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. Often heroes are portrayed as male figures in films and stories usually depicting warrior- like traits. Some dilute heroism when they attribute it to celebrities, giving them hero recognition when in reality they’re job is to entertain. Some illustrious political figures are also admired for their stature, sometimes being thought of as heroes. Many religions hold mere men as demigods or magnates. All of these fail the true definition of heroism in my eyes. Heroes can be described as someone who is able to resist fear. An individual who does a courageous act doesn’t necessarily have to affect society as a whole but can definitely change the lives of those involved. They’re putting themselves at risk, or using their resources purely to help someone else in need. These people may not get media attention, or be praised by hundreds of people, but they have certainly made a lasting impression on people’s lives. A hero, in Greek Mythology or folklore, was originally described as a demigod...
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...Arthur Miller wrote his essay titled “Tragedy and the Common Man” in 1949. This essay explains Miller’s definition of a tragic hero as well as why a common man has as much ability to be the hero of a tragedy as someone of nobility. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953 that dramatizes the Salem witch trials of the late seventeenth century in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the play, the town of Salem falls into hysteria after Reverend Parris finds his daughter, niece, and their friends dancing in the woods with his slave Tituba. The young girls claim they have been bewitched by people in the town to avoid punishment, although, the punishment then comes for the accused regardless of their innocence. A vital character to the...
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...Seth Wilson Barrick English 9/ Period 1 3/13/12 Odysseus Hero Essay We consider heroes as crime fighters like Spiderman, Batman, a soldier, or a cop. Someone who does something courageous. My definition of a hero is someone who does something that no one or a few people would do. Even if it’s something small like quit smoking to save money for rent like my mom did, or something big. A man named Leonard Skutnik was just walking home from work and witnessed a plane crash straight into the ice covered waters of the Polomac River, an as people watched the passengers start being rescued they noticed one woman start to drown, and that’s when Leonard jumped into the freezing water...
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...Kayla Romine Mr. Kaplan English 12 P.4 25 October 2011 Heroes Essay “Hero” is one of the thousands of words a person is capable of looking up in the dictionary and the definition is not exactly described what it is stated as. Many Americans believe that the definition they are capable of getting out of the dictionary is the most correct and reliable definition. However, that is not the case because everyone in the world as their own definition of a hero. On the website of The My Hero Project by Ashley from Fredericksburg it is stated, “ When asked "What is a hero?," Christopher Reeve replied that he used to believe a hero was someone who commits a courageous action without considering the consequences. Now he believes that ‘A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.’ ” A hero does not have a specific definition that could be set in stone for each individual to comprehend. As in the Iliad with Achilles and in the epic of Beowulf, both were heroes in different ways. Whether it be them being main characters or being a male. Beowulf's’ heroic strengths and weaknesses versus the strengths and weaknesses of Achilles’ will be further described. Although the characteristics between the two are widely different, they are both fueled by pride and glory. The only reason Achilles goes to Troy is to enhance his own glory. On the other hand, Beowulf is not as persistent, but the value of glory in his society implies...
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...Drama Essay “Othello, the Moor of Venice” Jami Bruno Liberty University In the drama “Othello, the Moor of Venice”, written by Shakespeare around 1604, we find Othello in a downfall that was fed by a villain named Iago. Othello soon becomes the tragic hero of this story. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is “someone who is a noble soul, from high estates, and has a downfall in the result of his hamartia or tragic flaw” (Kennedy, & Gioia, 2007). Othello is easily persuaded with bad advice, that his wife is being unfaithful and is in love with another man. Othello being insecure, is crushed when he is fooled into believing that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. With anger and jealousy in his heart he finds himself causing a downfall in the result of his own tragic flaw. Desdemona continues to stay faithful to her husband even as her husband accuses her of being in love with another man. She is a sweet, kind and intelligent woman who is truly devoted to loving Othello. Heartbroken to find her husband has turned against her and plans to kill her, she tries to defend herself with the truth. She is unable to dismiss the lies told to her husband by the villainous Iago. Iago’s hate for the Moor stems from several different directions. He plays the main reason Othello has a tragic flaw. Fueled by his own jealousy, Iago has started a rumor about Othello’s wife and Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant. Emilia is the wife of Iago and Desdemona’s maid. She is submissive...
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...To What Extent is Eddie Carbone the Tragic hero of the Play ? ‘A view from the bridge’, an intriguing play written by a graduated journalist named Arthur Miller. Miller was born in New York, 1915. He started to write plays while he was at University of Michigan, and even carried on after graduating. Miller grew up in Brooklyn; this was where the play was set. As Miller was trying to make a name for himself, he worked at a shipyard for two years. He heard stories form his Italian friends he works alongside about how some men coming over to work illegally and being betrayed. This is where ‘A View from the Bridge’ was first inspired. Tragedy: it is a dramatic event where the main character is tested in certain circumstances in which the characters real form becomes unmasked. Aristotle was a famous Greek philosopher and writer, who defined the word tragedy. He said it should represent ‘terrible and piteous’ and lead the audience to experience ‘catharsis’ or feel sorrow. Miller used this technique to create a modern equivalent of a Greek tragedy. In addition, Aristotle also said that every tragedy must have a tragic hero; the protagonist of the play. Aristotle also talks about how a “Tragic Hero” This essay will be exploring how Eddie could be the “Tragic Hero” of the play – “A View from the Bridge”. Aristotle’s definition of a “Tragic Hero” should be good at the beginning but not entirely as this unrealistic. The character should be “appropriate” – meaning men should be manly...
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...term "heroism" has been applied to those who have braved physical danger to defend a cause or protect others. Byt one of the most feared dangers people face is that of disapproval by their family, peers, or community. Sometimes acting courageously requires someone to speak out at the risk of such rejection. We should consider those who do so true heroes. Should heroes be defined as people who say what they think when we ourselves lack the courage to say it? Plan and write an essay blah blah blah, etc. A hero can be anyone- someone who fights crime, one who stands up for another, and maybe even one who silently defends. In my opinion, and Im sure many would agree, a hero is one who defends, protects, and stands up for what he/she believes in. Whether they have braved physical danger or not, heroes come in all different types, include those who protect with words over actions. Therefore, a hero should also be defined as one who says what he/she thinks when others lack the courage. One of the finest examples of this is the ever famous black woman Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus in the times of racial segregation. Parks did what many other blacks were unable to do and stood up for her beliefs , that a black woman is no different than a white woman. She was spurned by the entire community of whites, yet she stuck to her beliefs and brought about change. To this day, she is hailed as a hero, even though she did not brave physical...
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...Crime Fiction: The Hard-boiled Detective In Raymond Chandler’s essay ”The Simple Art of Murder” (1944) he introduces the world to his personal definition of a true hero in a new branch of crime-fiction. The essay circulates around a new type of crime story, having the real world as its steppingstone. Contrary to the typical British so-called Golden Age Detective Fiction, this sort of crime story reflects itself in the real world, a decentred world. A world that undermines basic predicates, such as order, stability, causality and resolution. Writers who occupy themselves writing these stories strive against describing a centerless world, in order to capture reality and put it straight to paper. He describes it as, “…not a very fragrant world… but continues”…it is the world you live in.” (p. 197) Chandler singles out Dashiell Hammet as the one person who actually rescued crime fiction by bringing it back to the people, in a renewed version, that embodies life in the hard-boiled world. According to Chandler, the hero, solving crimes in a ruthless city containing only people with a perverse satisfaction of being corrupt, must be a man of certain character: “He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man.” (p. 197), saying that the detective, if necessary has to have the ability to identify himself with anyone, and simultaneously also be able to elevate himself from the general population, in order to create distance from the violence-torn local society. With...
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...Which Play is More Tragic: Hamlet or Agamemnon In my opinion, the play Hamlet is more tragic than Agamemnon. They are both tragedies as they both fulfill Aristotle’s definition of tragedy as they both depict the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment, which produces suffering and insight on the part of the protagonist and arousing pity and fear on the part of the audience. They also have all the elements of Greek tragedy such as hubris, catharsis, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and hamartia (“Ancient Greek Tragedy”). The most important reason that Hamlet is more tragic, in my opinion, is because the protagonist, Hamlet, is an integral part of the play and his character is much more developed. In Agamemnon , the protagonist, Agamemnon, is a secondary character to his wife who, in my opinion is the main character. Hamlet is a tragic hero, as is Agamemnon, following Aristotle’s criteria for the elements of a tragic hero. For example, they both evoke the audience’s pity and fear, have a major flaw of character and are destined to fall in some way (“Tragedy in Drama”). However, because Hamlet is the main character, we see, hear and understand more of his character. When Hamlet delivers his many dramatic soliloquies about mortality, betrayal, and the futility of life, he shows us his tortured world and the anguish, grief, and uncertainty which eventually takes over his life, leading to his death (“Hamlet Tone”). As the reader, I felt so much sympathy...
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...Beowulf Essay To be a hero in Anglo-Saxon literature and culture one must be a warrior. In the Anglo- Saxon culture a hero had to be intelligent, valorous, prideful and most importantly strong. Fighting for glory and fighting for his people until death was the duty of a hero. The hero had to be willing to face these odds and Beowulf portrayed this. Beowulf is the perfect example of an epic hero because of his prideful actions and willingness to take on fighting the strongest monster and the other hard deeds. "The seafarers used to say, I remember, who took our gifts to the great people in token of friendship-that is fighting man in his hands grasp had the strength of thirty other men. I am thinking that the Holy God, as a grace to us Danes in the West, has directed him here against Grendel’s oppression. Thus good man shall be offered treasures in return for his courage. " (Line 377) Strength is essential to be being an Anglo-Saxon hero. In these lines we can see Beowulf has massive strength if he has strength of thirty men in his arms. "I have not in my life set eyes on a man with more might in his frame than this helmed lord. He's no hall fellow dressed in fine armor, or his face belies him; he has a head of a hero." ( Lines 247) It is clear that physical appearance is essential to being a hero because it is important that you look the part. Even if Beowulf was not the greatest warrior it is always best to act and look the part so he could give the people hope. But...
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...tragic character in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, certainly makes several such mistakes; however, the pervasive pattern of his judgemental errors seems to indicate a basic character flaw that precipitates them. Oedipus’ character flaw is ego. This is made evident in the opening lines of the prologue when he states "Here I am myself--you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." (ll. 7-9) His conceit is the root cause of a number of related problems. Among these are recklessness, disrespect, and stubbornness. Oedipus displays an attitude of recklessness and disrespect throughout the play. When he makes his proclamation and no one confesses to the murder of Laius, Oedipus loses patience immediately and rushes into his curse. Later, he displays a short temper to Tiresias: "You, you scum of the earth . . . out with it, once and for all!," (ll. 381, 383) and "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable--what, still alive? Get out--faster, back where you came from--vanish!" (ll. 490-492) If an unwillingness to listen may be considered stubbornness, certainly Oedipus would take advice from no one who would tell him to drop the matter of his identity, among them Tiresias, the shepherd, and even Jocasta. Even after Oedipus thinks he has received a reprieve from the fate he fears when he hears that Polybus is dead, he does not have the sense to keep still. "So! Jocasta, why, why look to the Prophet’s hearth . . . all those prophesies I feared . . . they’re nothing, worthless...
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...An essay on age In this essay I will consider the social, economic and political factors of age. I really, really like age. Given that its influence pervades our society, spasmodically it returns to create a new passion amongst those who study its history. Inevitably age is often misunderstood by those politicaly minded individuals living in the past, who just don't like that sort of thing. With the primary aim of demonstrating my considerable intellect I will now demonstrate the complexity of the many faceted issue that is age. Social Factors Society is a simple word with a very complex definition. Upon Peter Pinkleton-PishPosh's return to Britain he remarked 'class will refelect the inner hero' [1], he must have been referning to age. While deviating from the norm will always cause unrest amongst ones peers, age provides standards by which we may judge our selves. Of paramount importance to any study of age within its context, is understanding the ideals of society. It is intrinsically linked to adolescent inner acclimatisation. Economic Factors Increasingly economic growth and innovation are being attributed to age. We will begin by looking at the Watkis-Teeth-Pulling model, as is standard in this case. Transport Costs age It is apparent from the graph that the influence of age is strong. What is the secret to its strength? Seemingly transport costs will continue to follow age for the foreseeable future. In the light of this free trade must be examined...
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...of an Epic Story in The Notebook What is an epic? An epic, by definition, is the telling of an epic hero’s story through the vast journey and sacrifices he makes. The Notebook would be considered an epic for many reasons. Some may disagree and say it’s just a love story that contains no characteristics, and no proof of being an epic. But in this paper the characteristics of an epic will be explored through facts and examples from the text and from today’s present life and culture. The epic hero, Noah Hamilton in Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook states, “I am no one special, just a common man with common thoughts. I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me. And my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect, I've succeeded as gloriously as anyone who ever lived (The Notebook).” Some examples of the characteristics in The Notebook that proves this is an epic would include vast settings, the story begins in medias res, the characters have epic digressions and that the hero embodies the values of the culture. Because of how the story starts, media res would be considered the first characteristic of an epic that can be noticed in The Notebook. Our story begins at a nursing home in the south where Allie is being looked after due to her dementia. The nurse is in her room, attempting to have Allie come out and go outside for a little while until a mysterious man shows up. Now, we don’t know who this man is that has just entered her room, and we’re not sure why...
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...Aristotle's Ideal Tragic Hero. Oedipus follows all of the rules, with a hamartia, an anagnorisis, and a peripeteia. The audience is introduced to the hamartia, or tragic flaw, of Oedipus early in the play. Oedipus believes he can dodge the oracle given to him at Delphi that he will kill his father and marry his mother. By leaving the city of Corinth and heading to Thebes, Oedipus thinks that he can outsmart the will that the gods have for him. However, the audience knows that one cannot run away from an oracle. The oracle will come true no matter what is done. Therefore, the hamartia of Oedipus is his belief that he can evade his oracle. Oedipus' anagnorisis, recognition, later comes when he is told that it was he who killed the former King Lauis and that he is, in fact, now married to his own mother. The city of Thebes had been searching for King Lauis' murderer in order to drive him out of Thebes to save the city from the plague. With this anagnorisis Oedipus is finally led to his peripeteia, or downfall. First of all, Oedipus is put to shame in front of his entire city because of his incestuous act of marrying his mother. But, more importantly, he realizes that he had not successfully avoided the oracle. In order to try to save himself he blinds himself. If he is not able to see the truth with his own eyes, he should not be able to enjoy the gift of sight. http://personal.monm.edu/ysample/aristotle.htm Oedipus follows ten of the points of Lord Raglan's Hero Pattern: Sophocles'...
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