William Wallace As A Hero From Mel Gibson's Braveheart

What is a hero? A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In the novel October Sky by Homer Hickam, a teenager named Homer “Sonny” Hickam grew up in a coal town in West Virginia where a boy’s usual fate was to end up in the mines. Although his mine-foreman father contemplated him in dismay, Homer still had his eyes on the sky and a love for flying rockets. Throughout the course of the story Homer proves to be heroic by remaining devoted to building the rockets, disregarding his father’s approval and facing the challenge of his stolen belongings.

A hero is somebody who commits an act of remarkably bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character. (Encarta, 2009) Joseph Campbell has come up with eight of his own characteristics of a hero. Joseph Campbell is known as a scholar of mythology. There are several people in our times that are considered a hero. Whether, these heroes are fictional or nonfiction, they all portray some kind of heroic abilities.

     A hero is defined in classical mythology as a man, especially the son of a god and a mortal, who is famous for possessing some extraordinary gift. Beowulf, the title character of an epic poem and Superman, a more modern day hero are both prime examples. Beowulf and Superman exhibit several differences, but they also share some similar qualities.

outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. I'm going to tell you about a book called in the

“ A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown .” When a hero keeps on going and never stop trying that makes them a hero.When a hero puts there life at risk just to save another life, even though it could mean losing their own that makes them a hero. Someone who goes through great challenges but never stops trying is a hero. Ahero is not someone who gives up or someone who is selfish.Heroism is being selflessness, someone who makes sacrifices, and someone who never gives up.

It is vital when approaching the question of whether or not Beowulf can be viewed as a hero to attempt to understand the concept of a ‘hero'. Joseph Campbell, the American theorist, studied mythological characters and texts in great detail and developed the concept of the monomyth (or Hero's Journey) which he suggested all heroes undertook:

Some may believe a hero is a person who fights evil and saves people. In reality, it is more than than that. A hero is someone who fights for what they believe in, they are courageous, fight for the greater good, and above all, would sacrifice their life to save the lives of many. For example, in The Odyssey, a hotshot is shown in the life of Odysseus. While many believe Odysseus was a great figure and leader, he was far from that. He failed his crew, and for one reason only, he was not the chieftain his men needed.

What are Heroes “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” Joseph Campbell.

What is a hero? A hero might not be the flying ,fictitious and fabricated forteller of good that humanity has decided upon. Everyone is the protagonist of their own story therefor a hero could be anyone from any place or time; no matter how strange their circumstances. According to merriam-webster dictionary heroism is an act of great courage. Meaning heroism is facing a great fear while being fully aware of the danger.

“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”(Joseph Campbell). Joseph Campbell showed how important hero’s are by creating the Hero’s Journey and that you can be a hero just through writing and showing it through different characters. A hero shows that you can help other people to make the world better

A hero is someone who is recognized as determined, patient, and most of all, courageous. In I Am Legend by Richard Matheson , Robert Neville is the last man standing after a vampire plague hits and erases the human race. He does whatever possible everyday to try and stay alive, and investigates to try and figure out the cause of the plague, and maybe find hope for the future. In 1984 by George Orwell, Winston Smith is one of the last people in Oceania that isn’t brainwashed by the tyrannical government they are under. He rebels against the government by writing in his diary and having a secret relationship with a woman by the name of Julia. Between

A hero is described as a figure who is recognized for their extraordinary accomplishments. Joseph Campbell says all hero’s follow a certain path. First, they go through a separation, then an initiation. They go through an initiation to show their worth as a hero, then they return and are reintegrated with society after learning a lesson. Hero’s should also be relatable, which is why they often go through crisis and failures. Even though they contrast each other, Rama from the Ramayana and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh have similar archetypes of the hero.

A hero is something that society has formed an idea about the characteristic it should posses from history. Through the stories told from the past a hero is developed through their qualities and characteristics they value. When one views a hero from a different culture they can form an opinion on what matters to that culture. One will notice that through all these different heroes that they all share common features. In ancient Hebrew culture Moses represents a hero and for ancient Greek culture Odysseus represents heroic figures.

Wallace has a very colloquial style to his word choice and presentation of his speech. He has a unique way of making listeners feel comfortable and safe listening to him speak. He appears to talk to the listener’s as if they are having on a one-on-one conversation with each and every person listening. Wallace also works hard to present himself as an equal, no more righteous or smarter than anyone in the audience. He chooses to remind everyone not to “think that I'm giving you moral advice, or that I'm saying you're “supposed to” think this way” (Wallace 12), but to offer advice and new insight into changing our perspective on the world. This comfortable word choice is a unique way for Wallace to make himself more relatable to the graduates and listeners in general.

In the movie, Wallace is introduced to the audience as a common man with very humble beginnings whose father was a farmer. He was in fact not the son of a common farmer but the son of a low-level. Wallace first acted in anger against the English when he was insulted by the son of an English governor and proceeded to strike him dead and he began his military career. His military dream to free Scotland started in May 1297 after the murder of Marion Braidfoot who is the historical basis for the character Murron in Braveheart. Wallace won the battle of Stirling; he was kind of disappointed when he remembered that he had to fight the English king. The English king brought his army north. The English army had infantry and archers as well as over 3000 cavalry. The Scottish army was only half the size and had almost no cavalry. The Scottish army lost, Wallace however went into hiding. The film Braveheart makes the audience believe that Wallace went around killing his enemies in Scotland, there is however no historical evidence for this belief. Politics were beginning to change due to the manipulations of Edward I and even England’s enemies wouldn’t offer Wallace any help. After traveling to France, germane and Rome he returns to Scotland after almost years abroad to find out he was betrayed to the English by a Scottish noble named Sir John Menteith and was turned over to the English for a trial. He was then taken to for trial and execution. The film Braveheart is