The Heroic Cycle in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Essay

In my eyes a hero is a person who shows courage, is humble, does not give up, and is someone everybody can relate to. The protagonist in “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because although he is emotional throughout the book and lets his emotions take over his actions, he displays immense courage and perseveres through his journey and hardships.

What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling is a magical story about a boy who set on a heroic journey to save his home. Along the way he shows great heroism, courage, and natural intelligence as he navigates his way through Hogwarts and it’s mystery’s. Harry Potter’s story left a mark in every audience member's heart and a permanent fondness for the magical story in their minds.

How do you define a hero? Some may define a hero with the ability to fly, or run fast; to others a hero may be saving someone who is in dangers; others may define a hero as one who is able to help another in various ways. Harry Potter is a orphan boy who find out he is a wizard and goes to a magic school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While he is at Hogwarts, he develops his supernatural qualities, goes on a journey, and defeats evil. Although Harry Potter is not a Epic hero in the same way as Odysseus, Harry Potter still fulfills the stages of epic hero cycle and proves that he is a hero by overcome obstacles and showing his bravery, and selflessness.

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.

Harry Potter is a fascinating tale of sorcerers, wands, broomsticks, dragons, and magic. The story begins with a young boy named Harry Potter who lives at number four Privit Drive, Surray, England. His journey begins after the death of his parents at the hands of the evil Lord Voldemort. Harry learns of his past and his future as a wizard from Hagrid, the keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He travels to Hogwarts where he learns spells and enchantments, makes new friends, finds enemies, and discovers fantastic secretes. J.K. Rowling weaves a web of impeccable storytelling with this critically acclaimed novel. In the tale of Harry Potter imagery, symbolism, and motif take central focus.

A hero is often thought as someone who saves lives and does admirable acts. This is not always the case as we see in The Count of Monte Cristo, where Edmond Dantes is wrongly accused of a crime and sent to imprisonment for life. He is stripped of his freedom and all he owns and rises to the top with only a goal in mind that he keeps dear to his heart. In The Alchemist, Santiago seeks to find treasure and on his journey, he finds his true love. This is very similar to The Odyssey when Odysseus is on the desperate search for treasure and finds that what he really wants is his wife and his home life. As the reader travels with these heroes through their personal journeys, the reader can start to notice

Many of us 7th graders think of a hero as something that has super powers. That is not always what a hero is, they could be the protagonist in a book. A hero that means a lot to me is Bilbo. Bilbo is the protagonist in the book "The Hobbit". This book is one of my favorite and I really enjoy reading it. The book is a very challenging but enjoyable at the same time. The hero's journey is the path or route that a main character takes in a book to become a savior or hero at the end of the book.

Harry, was a normal boy, until discovering he was a wizard, his parents were wizards, and

Imagine this: a world with never-ending darkness, and only a handful of heroes able to end the murkiness. By definition, a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. The characters of Penelope of Homer’s Odyssey, and Percy Jackson from Rick Riordan’s Mark of Athena. While Penelope may have been one of the heroes of the Odyssey, it is clear that Percy Jackson possess more heroic qualities than Penelope.

The definition of “hero” is someone who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Both stories listed below have one man, the hero, using chivalrous attitude to help their town’s people for the better. Although created from two different time periods, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s journey motif can be easily compared to Beowulf’s, as well as contrasted.

Fantasy appeals to us, to put it crudely, because of the relationship between magic and morality. An alternate world filled with strange and wonderful things, a world defined by imagination, gives us a setting in which to lose ourselves within. J.K. Rowling has done this and has captured the minds and hearts of readers all around the world with her bestselling series “Harry Potter”. As we engage in the engrossing narrative following Harry Potter and his friends, some may be able to relate to the lives of such characters. J.K. Rowling takes an undeniably riveting approach to showcasing the round characterizations throughout her novel "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone" to such a degree that the reader can personally identify with such characters.

Harry’s departure from his old life is evident once he steps on to Platform Nine and Three Quarters to board the Hogwarts Express (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). Leaving his previously known home is not difficult because of the ten years of neglect that occurred in the Dursley household. Harry has only been in two magical places and he already feels more comfortable than ever. Now that he has crossed over to the hidden world of magic, he is ready to embark on his adventure.

A hero can be found in any work of art. They may come out in a story that you just read, your favorite cartoon/movie, or just a random individual. A hero can be described as brave, intelligent, courageous, strong or many other traits in which I won't mention at this very moment. It's not about the actions that someone follows but the moral of those actions that makes them a hero. A hero would show bravery towards danger when someone else is in need, they would show courage and fight for others, and they would come face to face with a problem to resolve it. Heroism is shown in Beowulf, Sir Gawain the Knight, and the Canterbury tales, because of these characteristics.

According to the definition, a hero is one who embodies the values of their society. In the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous author, the character Beowulf is used to convey the value that Anglo-Saxons placed on courage, strength, and loyalty.