Analysis of Empress Myeongseong As a Hero

A hero's place in society has remained relatively consistent since the very beginning of time. Throughout the years, people have seen many different versions of larger-than-life heroes, who have completed seemingly impossible tasks and persevered through immense adversity. The common denominator between all of these heroes has always been that each and every one of these beings has put his/her own life in danger and fought great battles in the pursuit of a better life for mankind as a whole.

Poetic Analysis of “Empress Dowager Boogies” Poet Bio Tina Chang was born in 1969 to a Chinese family in Oklahoma City. When she was only a year old, her family moved to New York City. As a child, she was sent to live with relatives in China for two years, where she became immersed in Chinese history and culture. Her fascination with Chinese history inspired her to write several poems, including “Empress Dowager Boogies.”

What defines a hero? Is it how they appear, what they do, or is it in their nature? All throughout history, stories about handsome, strong men accomplishing herculean tasks have retained popularity. The hero saves a maiden, rushes into a burning building, or kills a terrifying monster. Beowulf is a common example, but modern heroes, soldiers, for example, should also be considered. Although Beowulf is fictional and soldiers are real, they both demonstrate bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice.

When one thinks of heroes, names such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Mother Theresa often come to mind. These people had done a lot of favors, courage, helps, and more of things for the people who needed them. The true definition of hero is a man of distinguished valor. Bravery, courage, intrepidity, boldness, daring, and prowess in war are a hero’s characteristics. However a hero is understood to be different to everyone. Upon closer examination, many different qualities than these become apparent. The definition of heroism changes with the context and time. Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of present time and vise versa. A person can be a hero for saving the life of one or of millions.

A hero is a person who is honored by the majority of people around him/her for amazing achievements or features. Each hero has their own unique trait that makes them so heroic and special. Some heroes are honored during every time period, while others are honored at one point in time. Hercules, Perseus, and Theseus were all heroes who were honored in Ancient Greece, but only Perseus and Theseus would be considered heroic today.

A hero can be viewed differently in many eyes. Author and lecturer Joseph Campbell, has correlated a hero as usually being a male, often of lowly birth, but with special powers or a higher birthright, the hero doesn’t know about. Also, the hero parents are often dead, absent, or uncaring, and the hero is judged by the actions he takes and the way he reacts and relates to people. In the opinions of others, a hero is also a person admired for bravery, great achievements, abilities or good qualities and is regarded as a role model. A hero is also, admired for having done something very courageous or having succeeded in something great. In literature, the hero is the main character of a story, play, or movie. In the textbook, The Norton Anthology

There are many different ideas of what a hero is and it has varied throughout history. Today a hero is someone who stands up to the popular power or gives service to helpless people. A hero is simply someone who works at being the best they can as well. In modern day society, some look to Kim Kardashian to be a role model or Bruce Jenner as a symbol of bravery, but the real heroes in modern day society are the servicemen who all the sudden get attention for doing their job in a crisis. People like the New York Fire Department are heroes because of 9/11. The servicemen are a closer match to what heroes looked like through history, but the Kim Kardashian heroes of today present a completely different picture of a hero than history had suggested.

A hero is something that society has formed an idea about the characteristic it should posses from history. Through the stories told from the past a hero is developed through their qualities and characteristics they value. When one views a hero from a different culture they can form an opinion on what matters to that culture. One will notice that through all these different heroes that they all share common features. In ancient Hebrew culture Moses represents a hero and for ancient Greek culture Odysseus represents heroic figures.

“We look not only to public figures, but we look more broadly, across the culture, for the kind of values that we think are important during a time of crisis” (Cannon). The heroes in today’s world are quite different from those of the past and those of the future. Currently, a hero could be anyone you look up to for both the right and wrong reasons, whereas formerly, heroes were people who were looked up to due to their miraculous actions. Along with this, most of our heroes today are unsung and anonymous, unlike in the past. Beowulf was the greatest hero of his time, and so was Achilles. Beowulf was a respectable, brave, and loyal man who is important for the reason that he saved Hrothgar’s kingdom from the monster Grendel, and Grendel’s mother. Achilles on the other hand was fearless, motivated, and a risk taker while fighting in the battle for what he believed in. Both leaders have heroic traits, but they vary

Throughout the history of epic literature, heroes have been an integral part of many different cultures. Some of these heroes are fierce and powerful, renowned for their skill in battle, while some others and clever and cunning, able to talk their way out of any difficult situation. These traits usually emphasize the values of the cultural from which the hero came, and depending on the culture,traits viewed as heroic may drastically differ. Although there exists a plethora of traits any one hero may have, there are three core characteristic that, in my opinion, a hero must have to be considered a hero: the courage to face hardships, the willingness to make major self-sacrifices for the benefit of others, and most importantly, the dedication to do what it takes to reach their goal.

Heroes are those who have gone above what the average person would do to ensure the welfare of others. Natural disasters, terrorism, poverty, and war are some of the many things that destroy and end people’s lives. Throughout history, many people have made a difference. However, as history progresses, what we consider to be socially normal changes along with our definition of a hero. In Ancient Greece, Theseus, Hercules, and Perseus were considered heroes, but today only Theseus and Perseus would be considered heroes because Hercules would be shunned by society.

Throughout history, civilizations have praised some form of idol, whether it might’ve have been their deities, demigods, war generals, or illustrious individuals. Sharing a common icon to celebrate is a compelling factor why people join together in communities, and the practice of hailing heroes has been prominent in most every culture. They appear in various styles of literature, i.e., epics, myths, legends, urban folk, fairy tales, and in other art forms such as sculptures. The English term, heroes, originates from the Ancient Greek term, hērōs, but what does it actually mean, why do we have them? Generally, heroes are role models that the public look up to, serving as a morale booster and simultaneously setting a certain standard for which

Throughout history numerous people have had the label of “hero” on their back, but what determines someone to be a hero? According to the dictionary, a hero is defined as a person who is admired or idolized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In modern day society, categorizing someone as a hero is more uncommon than in the 12th and 13th century, where these heroes emerged as warriors and knights in great battles. These battles are often produced into literature and are commonly seen within epic poems, meaning a long and serious poetic narrative featuring a hero in a variety of significant events. In order to be considered an epic hero, the characters must conquer nearly impossible tasks, resulting in saving the

Heroes are people who sacrifice their own life to save another’s, “hero” is a title given to those who have sacrificed something of their own, just so that another would be happier. A hero should be selfless, whether it be fictional or a hero that affected the world that we live on. Such heroes would be someone like Abraham Lincoln, Abraham was a someone who made history, he was a someone who's actions still affect our lives to this day.

What does make a hero a hero? Is it there looks? Alternatively, maybe is it their personality? However, the question is what are those essential qualities that make one a hero? Different people require different heroes to look up to or try to emulate. However, whoever it may be, they all possess certain qualities. My hero is my mother, for the reason that she is selfless, compassion, and courage. That kind of selflessness can often be premeditated, since concentrating on others' needs often winds up helping one accomplish one’s own goals. However, a heroic leader does so without any anticipation of a return. The display and concern show the care one has for others. This can often apparent itself in strong but gentle actions planned to increase the lives of others. Courage and bravery come to mind first when we think of heroism. However, it is difficult to achieve anything truly heroic unless one is up against overwhelming chances. As Nelson Mandela put it, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it." These minor acts of heroism rarely attract any notice. A true hero is always sympathetic, benevolent and shows a great deal of compassion and sympathy to those poorly or in agony. He or she keeps away judgements; that are oriented to the self and embraces an attitude that serves others.