Heroism

Heroes willfully put their own life in the place of someone else’s. In other words, a hero risks their life for another person because they wish to benefit the society they live in. This creates a more superior society for the

Topic sentence: Grendel’s alienation from society motivates his cruel behavior, but Beowulf’s idolization leads him to be

Those who are not willing to go through hardships, be selfless, courageous and make sacrifices for others aren’t heroes. Throughout the hero's journey, a hero must go through many hardships. Any heroic deed involves danger and sacrifice, and a hero needs courage to overcome the odds they face. To be a hero, one must put other’s needs before their own, and stay true to what they think is right.

According to Umberto Eco, “The real hero is always a hero by mistake….” In other words, one doesn’t act heroic as a lifestyle, but by surprise when the time comes to do so. To be heroic means to put others before you in a desperate time of someone else’s despair. Two works of literature that agree with the critical lens are the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee and the memoir, Night, by Elie Wiesel. Atticus Finch and Elie Wiesel both demonstrate heroic actions unintentionally.

7) Imagine that Grendel has escaped unharmed after fighting Beowulf at Herot. Based on what the poem has taught you about the monster, what do you think Grendel will do next in his war against Beowulf and the Danes? Use reasons and examples from Beowulf to further explain your opinion.

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.]

Being a hero is something everyone is capable of with bravery and intelligence. You don’t have to be a Greek God to be a hero, you can be a simple, average person living in a regular town. Heroism is not your social status and ruling the land, it is the qualities you possess and how you use them. Both the short story “The Hero’s Test” by Alisoun Witting and the short story “The Red-Headed League” by Arthur Conan Doyle shows heroism and how anyone can be a hero.

Heroism: Why Heroes are Important is a short essay by Scott LaBarge. In the essay, LaBarge is the narrator and tells a story his choice of becoming a philosopher. Inspiration came from one of his hero’s, Henry David Thoreau. Through pathos, logos, and ethos; LaBarge reveals what message society should learn. He not only informs the reader, but persuades them to think deeply and research who a hero is by using historical background information, an intended original audience, and emotional appeals to create an effective argument.

Heroism is helping others, even if it puts you at risk. Frederick Douglass was born a slave in the 1800s, but eventually managed to escape to a free state. He had finally escaped the dreaded slavery, but he remembered those who hadn’t escaped, those still toiling in the horrid conditions. He spoke out, at anti-slavery meetings, risking all he had gained for others. “...beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world where none is lonely, none hunted, alien…”(Hayden). Frederick had been denied his freedom and told that he was worse than everybody else. He could still believe in a free world even after all he had been through. Frederick found the strength to not just escape, but to fight back for everyone else’s freedom. However, heroes have

The article, “The Hero’s Journey Defined” is written by Joseph Campbell. “The Hero’s Journey Defined” includes a series of departure, initiation, and return. In these stages of the journey, the participants must illustrate courage, acts of selflessness, and be caring towards others. This article tells to have a main idea of selflessness, selflessness is an act of concern/help of another person rather than helping themselves first. “The Hero’s Journey Defined” explains, for anyone to be announced as a “hero” they must put others before themselves, also it demonstrates that ordinary people can become a hero. Alike selflessness, another main idea is courage. Courage is the ability to have strength to perform tasks that one is afraid

Throughout all of history there has been stories and tales about heroic characters saving their societies, or even the world. Over these eras, the way these heroes have been illustrated has changed and been refined by numerous people. These stories are called Hero’s Journey’s. There are three main types of heroes; Epic Hero, Greek Hero, and Shakespearean Heroes. Over time their stories have been twisted and turned in many ways. All of these heroes have many differences and similarities. The Epic Hero being a great warrior while the Greek Hero is civilized and the Shakespearean Hero is more centered on the wellbeing of their people. This shows the evolution of each of these themes throughout time.

“So there you go--heroes are everyday, common people most of what they do goes unheralded, unappreciated. And that, ironically, is heroism: not to be recognized” If someone can go out of their way to help someone in need, not just for s reward, that person is a hero. A hero can sacrifice something for themselves to help others in need. A hero can fix problems, but they do not need super strength or the ability to fly, they can be a normal person. A hero is someone who keeps fighting for what’s right, any ordinary person can be a hero, heroism is not being selfish, it’s being selfless.

(AG) According to Napoleon I, “True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat.” (TH) In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch proves himself to be a hero.

The quality of heroism can be shown in the everyday life and people. George Bernard Shaw a playwright and a public figure said,“Every reasonable man (and woman) is a potential scoundrel and a potential good citizen. What a man is depends upon his character; what a man does, and what we think of what he does, depends upon his circumstances” (Shaw). When you see your peers they might not look special or have superpowers that can save the whole galaxy from an evil demon. Although they can still show heroism that you might not see or notice. In addition to heroism being in most people it can also be faint. Arthur Ashe who was a inspiration to many from being the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team states,“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost” (Ashe). This quote displays that heroism can be a subtle act that doesn't have to expressed greatly but puts others before yourself. This also shows that heroism does not have to be publicly announced. This quality