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What Is The Character Of Hercules

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Hercules is considered the greatest Greek hero of all. Unlike Theseus, who was both very strong and thoughtful, Hercules simply is strong. In fact, he is the strongest man who has ever existed, and therefore he considers himself something of a god. Indeed, he is half-god, a son of Zeus. Supremely confident, Hercules showed his brute force from a very early age, when he wrestled a snake that had slithered into his baby cradle. The saddest incident of his life occurs after he has married Princess Megara and had three children with her. Hera, Zeus's jealous wife, cannot forgive her husband for having had Hercules as an illicit son, so she sends Hercules into insanity. One night Hercules goes mad and unwittingly kills his three boys. When he realizes …show more content…

She fails in one of her labors, however; ingenuity beats speed in her final race. The temptation of a beautiful apple slows the woman down (compare Eve in Genesis). Despite this trickery, however, Atalanta is still faster than Hippomenes and all the other men. Still, the lesson here is that a person has been foiled by her own greed; without this important character flaw, the trick would not have worked. The theme of competition also is clear in the story of Atalanta. As in other myths, the competition serves as a narrative climax to the story. Indeed, Atalanta imbues the race with great importance: her romantic future, the lives of her competitors, and her impressive athletic reputation all are on the line. A competition in physical prowess demonstrates who has the most physical virtue and deserves honor in the society. The story also underscores the importance of fate. Although Atalanta's father leaves her for dead in the woods, he cannot keep the she-bear from raising her as one of her own. As we have seen in several other stories (Io and Prometheus, Bellerophon and Pegasus), the relationship between Atalanta and a she-bear marks a strong connection between an animal and a human. Again, this theme suggests a connection between the natural world and the human

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