What Makes A Hero Or Hero?

Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” (Brainyquote.com). This means that courage is shown by someone who conquers fear, like how Odysseus in The Odyssey shows courage by facing many obstacles with his crew on their journey back to Ithaca. Odysseus from The Odyssey, by Homer, shows courage throughout his journey. Odysseus is the protagonist from The Odyssey, who was determined to return to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

The word hero is tossed around on a daily basis; whether on the news, in books, or in movies, we hear it all the time. Its common usage begs the question, what exactly is a hero? Are there traits and characteristics one must possess to be classified as heroic? Our interpretation of a hero is ever-changing, constantly influenced by the stories told by the dominant culture, which acts as an invisible hand. Back in the earlier days of storytelling, heroes were more easily identifiable; most heroes were depicted as strong individuals that is capable of doing things others couldn’t, heroes were brave, and they were typically males. However, these days, heroes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and everyone has their own definition of what a

The term “hero” has many different interpretations for different individuals. In his speech “Heroes”, Tim O’Brien tells his audience how he views a hero and redefines the often dramatized term. He defines a hero as one who knows what a person needs and is willing to give that to them without question. O’Brien accomplishes sharing his argument of what a hero is through the use of appealing to Kairos, diction and syntax.

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.

One good example of courage is in Homer's epic poem, “The Odyssey,” when Odysseus enters the Cyclops’ cave. In the epic poem Odysseus and his men enter the Cyclops cave and the text states “We climbed, then, briskly to the cave. But Cyclops had gone afield..." (Homer 157-158). This example demonstrates that Odysseus enters a Cyclops cave and is not fearful. Odysseus enters the cave because he sees treasure and wants to get it for him and his crew. Odysseus chooses to enter the cave even though he knew the cave was the Cyclops home and this demonstrates courage, and this is why the trait should be encouraged. Another good example of courage that sticks out is Newton Knight, who chooses to help slaves even though he lives in the south during the Civil War. In the Biography.com Editors’s article, “Newton Knight,” Knight chooses to stop fighting for the Confederate Army and goes back to his hometown to help slaves, as the text states “They saw themselves as defending the residents of Jones County from the Confederacy” (Biography.com Editors 1). Therefore, this example demonstrates that Knight chooses to fight against the Confederate Army even though he lives in Mississippi. It takes a lot of courage to go up against the Confederate Army even though he lived in the south and almost everyone was against him. It should

“I want to be Batman.” That is a typical response from a preschooler if they are asked what they want to be when they grow up. However, heroes are not always wearing capes. They can simply be an Indian man that changed his mindset into something more inspirational. There is one thing that Superman and a policeman have in common. They are both heroes. No matter how different the fields are, they are brave, helpful, and hardworking. A hero can be someone known for courageous achievements. They are normally men, but can be women too. Heroes come in many different ways. Some characteristics of a hero are someone who has enormous courage, strength, and knowledge. They usually have a big effect on people’s life and are pretty well known. A hero is also known for helping people and not doing it out of revenge. They must have a good heart because they are putting themselves at risk for others. The people need to have trust in him because he is putting their life on the line, so they cannot be evil. A true hero isn’t perfect. They have disagreements and bad days, but the motivation to get back up and help day after day is definitely a true hero. Being a hero is tiring, because being a hero is not a one-time thing, so one cannot just do something good for a day and call themself heroes. Being a hero means loving what you do. It means getting up in the morning, ready to help people in any way possible, everyday. Mohandas Gandhi is a hero because he was helpful, had leadership and

What comes to mind when you think of the word “hero”? Some people would think of a fictional character such as Superman, a comic-book character who has great strength, and can fly. Others might think of a historical figure, such as Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States. While the aforementioned examples are not only noteworthy, but also well-liked for their courageous characteristics, there are many other qualities to being a hero.

A hero can be viewed differently in many eyes. Author and lecturer Joseph Campbell, has correlated a hero as usually being a male, often of lowly birth, but with special powers or a higher birthright, the hero doesn’t know about. Also, the hero parents are often dead, absent, or uncaring, and the hero is judged by the actions he takes and the way he reacts and relates to people. In the opinions of others, a hero is also a person admired for bravery, great achievements, abilities or good qualities and is regarded as a role model. A hero is also, admired for having done something very courageous or having succeeded in something great. In literature, the hero is the main character of a story, play, or movie. In the textbook, The Norton Anthology

Bravery allows heroes to do what’s right and what they believe must happen, no matter the cost. Odysseus clearly exercises this trait in this, “(Odysseus) cheered my men along with battle talk, to keep their courage up… I drew (my stick) from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand… straight forward they sprinted it into his eye (the

Hero;A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Albert Gore Jr. is considered an American hero for his works as an environmentalist. He served his country in the Vietnam War, spoke out against global warming, and broke the barriers between the American people.

The idea of a true hero is varied from person to person, because each viewpoint has a different idea of the personality that makes one a hero. There have been many fiction and non-fiction heroes that show different character traits, which influence people’s definitions of a hero. However, each person’s unique thought about a hero still focuses about one central idea: a hero must prove himself in order to earn his heroic status. This is the cornerstone of all the opinions about heroes because heroes have to show their heroism in order to become who they are in the end. At the beginning they are inexperienced, ordinary people who go on their adventures, and face their fears and weaknesses, but they develop greatly throughout these journeys.

A prevalent assumption most of society hold is that erratic acts of bravery need recognition to glorify the act of a humble hero. We all have different views and attitudes on what defines a hero – but how do you distinguish a true hero from heroic actions? A few traits come to mind when describing typical heroes; courage, selflessness, humility, patience and be caring. Throughout history, heroes have been studied, assembled among the pages of literature. Classical heroes portrayed in pieces by Shakespeare have evolved to amuse modern society’s perception of a hero. Is it true heroes still exist? It has become a realization that heroes are no longer gallant knights embellished in literature. They are the people we view on TV; the immortal characters

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.

There are many heroes, but there are those who sit back and question what or who makes a hero in today’s society. It has never been a set standard for heroes. In this modern world, there are many types of heroes. In today’s media, there is a contrast between million dollar sports figures, glorified celebrities, and the normal people we call heroes. Some heroes receive no recognition and others receive hero status with ease. However, it has yet to be determined whether our meaning of heroes has changed due to this influence. We have known about the

When the word "hero" is spoken, everyone has different thoughts. Some will think of super powers like flying and saving people from villains; while others have a certain person they know or have heard of that come to mind who have done something to make a difference in the lives of others but who is a hero to you? To answer this question you must first ask yourself what a hero is; what comes to your mind when someone says the word. When I am confronted with these questions I always have the same thoughts; smart, strong will power, and someone who stands up for what they believe is right.