Comparison Of Heroism In 'The Hero With A Thousand Faces'

In the novel ‘Heroes’ by Robert Cormier, a young war veteran returns to his hometown, Frenchtown, and seeks out revenge on the man who mentally scarred both him and the girl he loved when they were young. In the novel, Francis Cassavant is the main protagonist who returns from war with horrific wounds and scars. Also, Francis can be described as a character with deeply rooted issues as when he was young he heard the girl he loved get raped by the man who he believed to be a hero. The theme of heroism is something widely discussed in the novel, Francis’ image of heroes have been distorted from seeing all the terrible and cowardly things he, and other people who were referred to as heroes, did. He struggles to see himself as a hero, despite having saved many lives, as he viewed the actions he took to be a so-called hero as cowardly and unworthy of gaining this title.

In the story between Theseus and the Minotaur, King Minos requested that seven boys and seven girls come to Crete from Athens every nine years so his son the Minotaur could feast (Gods, Heroes and Monsters, 4.11.). The Minotaur lived in the center of a very tricky maze called the labyrinth. Theseus didn’t like the idea of sending young children to Crete so he volunteered to go himself and defeat the Minotaur. Theseus says to his father “When it is time to send the next tribute, I will go as one of them and I vow that it is the last time the Minotaur will be fed with the flesh of any of our people (Myths and Legends, 2006)”. The bravery Theseus had to save his people is part of the reason why he is considered a mythological hero. He volunteered himself to defeat the creature not knowing if he was going to make it himself. He was confident and wise but the maze was confusing and anyone who goes in doesn’t necessary come back out. King Minos wasn’t worried because if he were to defeat his son, he wouldn’t find his way back out.

In 1949, Joseph Campbell published his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” It details his theory of the “monomyth,” a theory that illustrates how many heroic mythological stories have similar outlines and archetypes. During his discussion of the second chapter of the monomyth, Campbell says that the monomyth can “serve as a general pattern for men and women” in their everyday lives (121). In many circumstances, comparisons can be made between normal situations throughout life and the monomyth. When a challenge of task is encountered in life, it can be analyzed under the three main stages of the monomyth: the departure, the initiation, and the return.

The Minotaur, meaning Minos bull, was “a monster of dire appearance, having the body of a powerful man and the head of a bull” (Seltman 98). Against his newfound father’s request, Theseus leaves Athens in hopes of returning victorious against the bull-headed beast. In a heroic fashion, Theseus leaps over the next step in Campbell’s hero journey and never refuses his call to adventure. The next step to any hero’s journey is an encounter with a super natural aid, but Theseus’ story takes a moral mentor to gather resources needed for the rest of his journey (Robertson 269). Theseus encounters his unlikely mentor upon arriving to Crete; Minos daughter, Ariadne, instructs Theseus to take a ball of linen with him into the labyrinth in order to trace back his steps after defeating the Minotaur (Martin 129). Crossing the threshold, Theseus ties one end of his ball of linen to the front door and journeys into the unconquerable maze and towards the beast (129). Theseus passes through his first trial of navigating the labyrinth inwards with ease straight into danger. Walking

Heroes have achieved many feats that support the belief of a greater good and expressing valor and selflessness through the ages. There are fictional or real life accounts that have recognized these men and women for their vigor and marked them as heroes due to their events of success and motives of committing the heroic deeds. Yet there are copious amounts of people who have sacrifice themselves for a greater good but they have been lost through time even if their actions were prosperous or doomed in the end with a valiant purpose. They are unsung heroes who committed the actions based on their inner fire of what is right or honorable or rather than the fame they hope to achieve from those acts. The world or a populous may not know of their actions, but the actions and beliefs of an individual or group can entitle them of being hero-like without the necessity of recognition and success. They have lost their lives or a part of themselves to a cause based on righteousness rather than self-gain. They presented selfless heroism rather than the the intention to receive praise from the victories. Sacrifice contributes more to Heroism because the individual invested his or her own determination, valor and accepting the opportunity to risk their self-health (physical or psychological) based on great intentions rather than reaping the accolades of committing good deeds.

As Thomas Paine once said, “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection”. Through most recent generations, the word “heroic” is thrown around to a certain extent. At one time, heroes were naturally born into key figures, glorified through fame. Beowulf's’ nobility provides his key success towards being born into a hero. As for Oedipus, he had also been born into aristocracy by his father's legacy. Today’s concept of heroism is a concern for people in need—an involvement to defend a moral cause, the possibility of personal risk, done without the expectation of a reward. [In the fictional myths of both Oedipus the King and Beowulf, eccentric heroes prove their personal necessities in characterizing the importance of a culture; However, the current society’s tragic hero is one that often combats through the fear of bravery and the greater good of others.]

The Minotaur, half man half bull, lived in Crete. Trapped in a labyrinth, constructed by the great Daedalus, the king of Crete, King Minos, demanded a tribute of seven boys and seven girls from Athens to satisfy the Minotaur’s savage hunger. But one year, Minos was deceived, for a new hero arose, Theseus, son of Aegeus, Prince of Athens. He won over the heart of Minos’s daughter, Ariadne, and used her ball of string to venture into the labyrinth to slay the Minotaur. After a hard-fought grapple within the lair of the minotaur, the beast fell to the sword of Aegeus, which Theseus had smuggled into the maze. Using the string, he found his way back out. The Labyrinth went underground, void of life, never to be seen again.

Through these tales we are taught that the journey is worth as much as the result. These tales relate back to the hero and the importance of the journey leading to growth. A hero must have basic qualities of perseverance and devotion in order to be successful. They should also be open to the transformation that comes with the journey and not limit themselves to one set way as they search for fullness. These stories although from different origins share a similar message which illustrates the universal nature of the hero.

The myth of the Minotaur comes from the Island of Crete. King Minos of Crete was the son of Europa and Zeus, but King Asterion still raised Minos as his own along with his two brothers. To become king after Asterion had passed, Minos prayed to the God Poseidon to provide him with a spectacular white bull to sacrifice to the god. Poseidon granted Mino’s wish, showing the people, he was the rightful ruler over his two brothers. Minos however, did not sacrifice the bull and chosen a lesser one in its place. Poseidon became angry over Mino’s disobedience. Mino’s wife, Pasiphae, was installed with lusting desire for the white bull by Poseidon as revenge. With the help of Daedalus and Icarus, Pasiphae became pregnant by the animal. The name of Minotaur

Joseph Campbell was known for his work in comparative mythology and religion covering many ideas of human experience. In his book The Hero with A Thousand Faces follows the hero’s journey through a motif of adventure and transformation. Campbell says, “Perhaps some of us have to go through dark and devious ways before we can find the river of peace or the highroad to the soul's destination” (Campbell 15). The Hero With a Thousand Faces outlines the adventure of Susanna Kaysen’s autobiography Girl, interrupted. Through the hero's journey Susanna is able to answer the call to fight her own, face the challenges of confinement, and the hardships of her fellow patients, to reach the ultimate boon of finding her own acceptance.

created the minotaur.Minos obliged to send young men and women to be killed by the beast

Minotaur: The Minotaur is a half-bull, and a half-human monster that was born from the union of Minos’s wife, Pasiphae, and the Cretan bull. He lived in the Labyrinth made by the architect, Daedalus, and eat the children that are offered as a sacrifice by Athens.

Throughout the world of literature, heroes or protagonists are often characters created by culture. Through these characters, we discover the faults and the virtuous qualities that this time period had to offer. As the heroes make their way through the journey, the reader learns the culture through the character’s actions and mistakes. For instance, in the early Middle Ages, women were seen as inferior and were not put on a pedestal, unlike their deception during the Late Middle Ages after the advent of chivalry and courtly love. On that note, Sir Gawain and Beowulf both reflect the cultural values and the archetypal patterns found in Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces which are expressed throughout their communities. Even though some of the values such as valor and loyalty carried over from one time period to another, the two cultures experienced a paradigm shift from the way fighting was conducted all the way over to how women were seen and treated.

The Minotaur was one of the most famous creatures of ancient mythology. In this lesson, we'll explore the legend of the Minotaur, and see how this story may have been created.

People have always been fascinated with the tragedy and death of others. Tragedy is the realizing of the ultimate truth of life, and comedy is finding the joys of life. Mythology can stem from both tragedy and comedy.