The Evolution of the Hero

Since long ago, people carried an image of what it means to be a hero. It is evident in some great books one might even say. As in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Antigone, and The Iliad, heroism is displayed and exalted, but what does being a hero mean? Overarchingly, in regards to these works, the heroes earn their titles as heroes by notably doing what is right when the time is right, with humane purpose, and an everlasting message. However, Gilgamesh, Antigone, and Akhilleus, being different in their purposes, everlasting messages, type of heroism as whole, can not compare in regards to heroic status.

Today in society there are many individuals who can be described as heroic because of their courageous actions towards helping others. People who do not believe in heroes today do not see the change happening around the world for the benefits of future generations. However, in reality many individuals are risking their own lives to fight for what they believe in and for the change they wish to see in this world. Alfred de Vigny asserts that there are no heroes in this world, but even ancient stories like Beowulf provide examples of heroes who risk their lives to save others while we do still have heroes during modern-day times.

Throughout history the traditional heroic elements have changed because of our society. Although elements of a hero have changed there are also certain characteristics of a hero that stays the same, such as a hero’s character and courage. This can be seen through Beowulf , “ The Epic and the Epic Hero,”and the movie “The 13th Warrior.”

We have all had someone whom we have considered our hero. We call them our hero because they have exhibited certain characteristics that make us feel safe or protected in harmful situations. A few books demonstrate heroic characteristics masterfully through their characters. Beowulf portrays a strong, self-sacrificing hero. Canterbury Tales shows us a wise and caring hero. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight displays a flawed, loyal hero. These three men give us some of the attributes it takes to be considered a hero. These books tell us that to be a hero, you have to sacrifice, have wisdom, and loyalty.

The trait of heroism is something that has changed over thousands of years. Today’s heros have different traits than those heroes of the Trojan War. However, a few have survived the test of time. Many of modern day heroes, as well as past heroes, do hold these long enduring traits, like Nelson Mandela, Marcus Luttrell, Louis Zamperini, and the fictional Iron Man. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey by Homer, portrays the traits necessary to be dubbed a hero. One is a hero if he or she shows leadership, bravery, resilience, and creativity throughout their actions.

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.

During both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the hero figure remained an important character for authors, but it was shown in different ways. While it was still important in both times, the definition of hero changed. During the Middle Ages a hero was someone who possessed bravery, fortitude, and loyalty. This changed during the era of the Renaissance where the hero was someone who possessed values of a Protestant: fidelity, hope, and charity. These ideas of a hero can be seen through Beowulf and the Redcrosse Knight. Though there are differences in the definition of a hero, there are similarities in the ways in which the two characters are portrayed fulfilling their heroic duties.

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.

Heroic attributes can be found in the most unexpected places, and in the most normal people. From catastrophes to history to science fiction, heroes are present in all types of life. In order for someone to be a hero, they don't need a costume or a special name, they simply need attributes such as courage, selflessness, and

Throughout this semester, we mainly discussed the hero’s journey and characteristics as an ancient tale, such as in Beowulf and Grendel. But as we also saw, the hero’s potential is present in everyone with no regard of times. As such, when studying modern stories, we can see that aspects of hero’s journey are still a major theme. In The Matrix, Neo, an average hacker, who might not be seen as a hero in the first place will soon show all characteristics to become one. As a result we would study in this paper how The Matrix as a modern tale with aspects of the hero’s journey, heroes’ archetypes as well as mythical themes, can be considered as a modern example of a hero’s tale.

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 prevalent in everyone’s life. Whether someone’s hero is a living person or a fabled character from a movie, everybody has come into contact with some sort of hero. In fact, the concept of heroes has existed for hundreds of years, dating all the way back to Ancient Greece. Over time, heroes have drastically changed. As society has evolved, our heroes have evolved with it. Their goals and motivations have changed to coincide with the views of modern society. Modern day heroes have less selfish motives, better qualities, and are portrayed differently than ancient heroes.

The Romantic Period was a unique period. Unlike many major philosophical and ideological periods, this movement both complemented and contrasted its predecessor, The Enlightenment. In terms of similarities, Romanticism shared a healthy skepticism of many deeply rooted structures within society such as religion and the distribution of wealth. However, the Romantic Period can be seen as an opposing response to the Enlightenment. Whereas the Enlightenment was based upon reason, the ideals of Romanticism were entrenched in emotion and imagination. The emphasis on a more abstract way of thinking spurned a turn towards nature as a source of inspiration as it was seen as a purer state of bring. Additionally, this turn towards the outdoors was prompted by industrialization and mass urbanization, movements that were unfolding during the same period. Some of the major figures to come out of this era were Edgar Allan Poe, H.G. Wells, Charles Darwin, John Keats, and William Blake.

Romanticism was a philosophical and literary movement in the middle to late seventeen hundreds. It surfaced as a reaction to the Enlightenment Ideas

Romanticism was a movement in art and literature that started in the late 18th century and continued throughout the 19th century in Europe and America. The movement rebelled against classicism. The basic idea in Romanticism is that reason cannot explain everything. This in contrast to the Age of Enlightenment, which focused more on scientific and rational thinking, Romantics searched for deeper appeals, emotional directness of personal experience and visionary relationship to imagination and aspiration. Romantics favoured more natural, emotional and personal artistic themes. Some of the most notable writers of Romanticism were Mary Shelley, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Victor Hugo, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Friedrich von Schiller.