Compare And Contrast Hercules And Theseus

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Here you see the ever so muscular Hercules, winning every battle against any foe. Next to him, the charming, but deadly Theseus, dependable leader and valiant warrior. And last but certainly not least, the powerful Perseus, lover of his family and adventure. All of these men were considered heroes by the ancient Greeks. They were men of legends and were admired by those who were told of them. Yes, they were loved and admired by all, but would they still be viewed this way today? Do we still have the same ideals for the definition of “hero” as we did before? In the end, Hercules and Theseus would not still be considered heroes, but Perseus would.
The ancient Greeks valued Hercules’s physical strength and bravery. The Greeks valued these traits …show more content…

It is very specifically stated that “intelligence did not figure largely in anything he did and was often conspicuously absent”. He once threatened punishment to the sun when it was too hot, and the waves when they were restless (226 Hamilton). When he was fighting off monsters, he would often lead with his heart instead of his head. There may have been faster ways to complete several of his labors had he used his brain. Perhaps he could have waited for the stag of Artemis, the boar of Mount Erymanthus, and Cerberus of the underworld to fall asleep so he could take them to his cousin Eurystheus, who had assigned the labors in the first place. Instead, he chased each of these creatures around for a long time and took them by force (232-234 Hamilton). Nowadays, we admire people for their ability to use quick wit. A firefighter is nothing without their knowledge of how to put a fire out. They can't use only their strength to do their job and do it well. We also expect people in politics for example, to not let their hearts get in the way of their heads. They need to be able to think first and remain unbiased. Sure, Hercules has the strength and the bravery to fight off monsters, but those wouldn't be the necessary skills to be considered a modern day …show more content…

Thanks to the advice of the Gray Women, he journeyed to the land of the nymphs of the North. He reached the gathering place of the Hyperboreans, where the citizens showed him hospitality and gave him food, along with three gifts that would help him on his journey. This included winged sandals, which he would use to fly to the island; a magic wallet that could expand to any size, for Medusa’s head to be carried in; and a cap of invisibility, she way he would hide from the Gorgons (203 Hamilton). Without these gifts, he surely would’ve died while on his quest. We as a modern day society admire when someone is able to ask for help when they need it instead of try to prove their independence. It shows a sense of maturity and strong communication skills. Another instance of Perseus being up for the challenge is when he saw Princess Andromeda, tied to a rock and about to be eaten by a sea serpent, and he saves her by chopping off the head of the serpent (206 Hamilton). This shows Perseus going the extra mile, even after killing Medusa, but completing another nearly impossible task straight after. He wasn’t afraid to do more than his duty called for. We of course respect this nowadays, feeling that we should do as much good as we can, not only what is expected of

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