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Literary Heroes: A Character Analysis

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It has been said that “Heroes no longer exist. They have no impact on identity.” This statement could not be any further from truth; heroes play a huge part in our lives and impact everyone in one way or another. A hero is a role model, a leader, someone you aspire to be like, someone who helps others and fights for a higher good. By definition a hero is “a man of distinguished by courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities (Dictionary.com, 2015).” There are three main types of literary heroes archetypal, tragic and anti. These heroes have been shown in the form of characters such as Hamlet and Atticus finch. Literary heroes teach us right from wrong through the words and morals of their stories; whether they inspire …show more content…
This quote by Christopher Reeves perfectly summarises the idealistic archetypal hero. Heroes do not need to be a flying man in a cape but someone who finds the strength to persevere in difficult times. A perfect example of this is the character Atticus Finch from the novel ‘To kill a mocking bird’; his character sees injustice when others don’t and stands for the outcasts of the town who cannot stand for themselves. Just as any super hero Atticus has a villain to fight, in this case it is the racial inequality the town of Maycomb suffers from. The novel is based in southern Alabama in the early 1930’s, this was an extremely racist time especially in a small town like Maycomb. During this time it was extremely difficult to stand up to the constant stream of racism and for a well respect man like Atticus to stand up for a black man’s rights was unheard of and shunned upon. Throughout the novel Atticus instilled the importance of moral education and equality upon both his children and members of the town. Although in the context to the novel he lost his court case defending a black man, Atticus did in fact win his battle as he raised question of equality and justice. Atticus fought for the higher good of equality in a time of racism and this is the perfect example of a hero. Atticus like many heroes before him inspired people to do and see well. Although the novel …show more content…
A tragic hero is a character who is ultimately set for failure; this is generally due to a fatal flaw or decision. Tragic heroes are certainly not role models however they could be considered more important and relevant than any other form of hero. These heroes and their situations can be relatable to readers and their lives; they show that just like these characters we are only human and that we all make mistakes. A tragic hero’s journey can be a reflection of our own lives and it is the moral of their stories that inspire and shape our identity. The character Hamlet is a classic tragic hero as his need for revenge and indecisiveness was ultimately his demise. Throughout the novel just as any archetypal, hamlet sets out to accomplish a noble task which in this case was to avenge his father’s death; however unlike an archetypal hero, Hamlet allowed his indecisiveness and thirst for revenge get the better of him which subsequently lead to his death. Throughout the play Hamlet struggles to make any decision in particular the choice as to whether he should avenge his father’s death. Although his questioning is understandable it was still his fatal flaw as his indecisiveness was a key factor to his death. Ironically it is hamlet’s indecisiveness that highlights the importance of our decisions. Our choices have a great impact on our lives and ultimately

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