preview

Tragic Heroes Are Shaped By Modern Society

Decent Essays

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes What makes someone a hero? When hearing the word hero, people always imagine different things. Some may think of a superhero such as Spiderman or Batman or even Superman. While some people may imagine a stranger who showed bravery in a time of need or someone who takes their time every day devoting themselves to helping others. However, many people do not imagine the tragic heroes Macbeth and Hamlet. One might think that Superman and Hamlet are opposites and share no characteristic. However, tragic heroes from the Renaissance period and heroes from today's times are similar, no matter how society changes the meaning of the word hero. According to Dictionary.com, the word hero is described as, “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character” (Dictionary. com). A hero, in today’s society, is known as someone who is recognized for bravery and compassion. Heroic traits today are things such as courage, responsibility, dedication, compassion, selflessness, and humility. Heroes are usually looked up to for their actions and have overcome something difficult at some point in their life. Heroes are selfless and caring, and time after time, put others before themselves. Heroes are not defined by their size, anyone can be a hero. In the …show more content…

Tragic heroes can be shaped by religious, political, and scientific views from that time. For example, in one of Hamlet’s soliloquies, he says, “To be, or not to be- that is the question… And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep- No more; and by a sleep to say we end. The undiscover’d country, from whose bourn no traveler returns…” (The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark). When saying this Hamlet is referring to the religion of Medieval times and the belief that one either goes to heaven or hell when they die. The religion during the Renaissance helps shape what Hamlet

Get Access