Kvothe Anti Hero Analysis

711 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What defines a hero

Shairwin Mendoza
Violet McKeon
Writing 39B
20 April 2014

On Kvothe: The Anti-Hero
There are heroes in every story: fairy tales, fables, epics, film, video games, etc. and they all have shared many characteristics together, which set the standards of what a traditional hero is supposed to be: courageous, selfless, strong, triumphs over evil, and saves the damsel in distress. “The definition of hero depends on the society in which these characters originate” . Most high fantasy stories take place in medieval times which during those times, “knights ideally embodied the role of the traditional hero… so the traditional hero of these fantasies set in a medieval society became the knight”1. However, in modern authors choose to deviate from the typical hero design in fantasy and center it on an unlikely hero, like Frodo in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, who possesses the opposite attributes of a hero. The Name of the Wind challenges the fantasy genre through its deviation from many typical fantasy elements and Rothfuss does this well through the protagonist, Kvothe. Kvothe has many characteristics of a hero, but deviates from the typical hero design through his mysteriousness, rogue-like actions, cowardice, and selfishness to survive.
In the prologue, Rothfuss decides to introduce the hero of our book as the innkeeper, without naming him, so there is no hero yet revealed. We learn a few things about the innkeeper in this chapter; the descriptions of him were interesting and made him stand out in a subtle way. The man has “true-red hair, red as flame” . Held the “greatest silence of the three” and he is, “a man waiting to die”3. Which are all unnatural and mysterious descriptions of a hero, based on what a hero is supposed to...

... middle of paper ...

...ung boy was getting mugged, he hesitated and thought about the consequences about what would come if he did help. He thought he was safe there and if he did hit one of them they would invade his home. So he decided to not compromise his safety and “set down the tile… and curled…into the shelter” He has cowardly and selfish characteristics which is what makes him an anti-hero because he is lacking the physical and mental characteristics a traditional hero would hold.
Although our hero in The Name of the Wind is lacking qualities, he is still an unscrupulous hero with many names, defined by his dark experiences of his troupe’s death. It is claimed that Kvothe has “stolen princesses… burned down the town of Trebon… expelled from the university at a younger age than most people are allowed in” which make this character even more likeable to the modern fantasy reader.

Show More
Related

  • Essay Comparing Beowulf and The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    Clark, Gorge. “The Hero and the Theme.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur as Heroes

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    The three heroes discussed here, Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur, are heroes for different reasons. Beowulf, our earliest hero, is brave but his motivation is different than then other two. To Sir Gawain personal honor and valor is what is important. King Arthur, Sir Gawain's uncle, is naturally the quintessential king of the medieval period. Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys.

    Read More

  • Growth and Maturation in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Iwein

    2348 Words  | 5 Pages

    Huppé, Bernard F. "The Concept of the Hero in the Early Middle Ages." Concepts of the Hero in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Eds. Norman T. Burns & Christopher J. Reagan. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1975.

    Read More

  • Grendel and Beowulf Heroism

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    A building is ablaze and a crowd of people stare helplessly from the streets, listening to screams coming from within. A single person runs in to rescues whomever he or she can find. Whether or not that person emerges with a child in their arms, empty handed, or not at all, does nothing to alter our society’s perception of their heroism. Today’s society would classify such an action as heroic, regardless of outcome, for one reason: intentions. During Anglo-Saxton times the interpretation of such an act, based on the tale Beowulf, would not be so understanding of what was intended, but rather of the outcome. If one perished and failed in an attempt of such a heroic act words like weakness might arise. It is here that the clash of what a hero is occurs between the Anglo-Saxton tale Beowulf and John Gardner’s Grendel. Beowulf in Beowulf is a hero for he defeats evil and restores order to and for the common people. Unferth in Grendel however is unsuccessful in his campaign against evil, but like the man who emerges empty handed he is by no means any less of a hero. For heroism, as demonstrated in the Anglo-Saxton tale Beowulf, is altered in Gardner’s Grendel to convey the idea that intentions define a hero as opposed to actions.

    Read More

  • Essay on Morality in Dante’s Inferno, Hamlet, The Trial, and Joyce’s The Dead

    2804 Words  | 6 Pages

    Everyone remembers the nasty villains that terrorize the happy people in fairy tales. Indeed, many of these fairy tales are defined by their clearly defined good and bad archetypes, using clichéd physical stereotypes. What is noteworthy is that these fairy tales are predominately either old themselves or based on stories of antiquity. Modern stories and epics do not offer these clear definitions; they force the reader to continually redefine the definitions of morality to the hero that is not fully good and the villain that is not so despicable. From Dante’s Inferno, through the winding mental visions in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, spiraling through the labyrinth in Kafka’s The Trial, and culminating in Joyce’s abstract realization of morality in “The Dead,” authors grapple with this development. In the literary progression to the modern world, the increasing abstraction of evil from its classic archetype to a foreign, supernatural entity without bounds or cure is strongly suggestive of the pugnacious assault on individualism in the face of literature’s dualistic, thematically oligopolistic heritage.

    Read More

  • Heroism in Beowulf and Frankenstein

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    The perfect image of a true hero is Beowulf. His courage and confidence seems to come naturally. He is the ideal man; he puts others before himself and has amazing physical and mental strength. He is so revered that he can boast about his achievements without seeming vain. “I had greater strength on the sea, more ordeals on the waves as any other man.” (Luizza 69)

    Read More

  • Beowulf Is Not a Modern Day Hero

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    A hero not only needs to be physically outstanding, but he also needs to have integrity, moral values and needs to act without thinking in his own benefit. Beowulf has many characteristics of a hero but he also has some defects that make me think that he wouldn’t be considered a hero in today´s world. A hero concept evolves with a culture, Beowulf has many things that the Anglo-Saxons viewed as heroism but he misses many things that are important for a modern hero.

    Read More

  • Herois Tradition throughout British Literature

    1877 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout British Literature, there are many instances of heroism. To be considered a hero by others in the time period of 449 to 1625, you must be, “noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose: especially, one who has risked or sacrificed his life” (Morris 618). Four characters in British Literature that portray heroic traits are Beowulf, Sir Gawain, Macbeth, and the Knight of The Canterbury Tales. Beowulf shows himself worthy of the title of being a hero when he leaves his country to help a neighboring country, Denmark and rid them of the long lasting fear of a malicious monster known as Grendel. Sir Gawain is considered a hero by many because of his loyalty to King Arthur. He even risks his life so that King Arthur would live and participates in the Green Knights challenge. Although Macbeth has got a few more faults than other heroes have in British Literature, his name is still synonymous with “hero”. Aristotle says “the tragic hero has to fall from grace … after being on top” (Chui 1). Before the three witches tell Macbeth the false prophecies, Macbeth is in held is high accord, yet afterwards, his ambition tears him down and he does anything it takes gain the role of King. The Knight, from The Canterbury Tales, excels beyond all others when it comes to being a hero. He is the most loyal and is admired by the other characters for his courage, bravery in battle and his exploits in war. He is on a religious pilgrimage not to make money or any other avaricious deed that the other characters are on the pilgrimage for, he is on the pilgrimage to worship God, which is also honored by his peers as being heroic. All four characters mentioned have heroic traits and they all are considered heroes. Although they might gain their title in different ways and for the wrong reasons, they are truly heroes. In British Literature, many stories have been influenced by the heroic traditions of their time period. The characters, although in different stories, all portray the heroic tradition in British Literature.

    Read More

  • The Qualities Of A Hero In The Epic Poem Beowulf

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    A hero is a person that has everything you would look for if you were wanting a great protector and warrior just like this epic Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was first composed oral and later translated and written down by christian monks . This poem many have read it but nobody knew the author it was anonymous . The epic poem really shows the culture of the anglo saxons and what they believed in. That's why in the epic poem Beowulf his character shows and revivals these traits . The real anglo saxon hero traits that Beowulf is showing are generosity faithfulness and courage in the epic poem.

    Read More

  • Beowulf A Hero Essay

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

    1450 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a medieval poem by an unknown author, written in Middle English in the 14th century. This poem is uncanny to most poems about heroism and knightly quests as it doesn’t follow the complete circle seen in other heroism tales. This poem is different to all the rest as it shows human weaknesses as well as strengths which disturbs the myth of the perfect knight, or the faultless hero. The author uses symbolism as a literary device in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to give the plot a deeper and more significant meaning. Symbolism is used to emphasise the difference of this heroism story against others and therefore symbolism is of great importance in this poem. The importance of the following symbols will be discussed in this paper; the pentangle, the colour green, the Green Knight, the exchange of winnings game, the axe and the scar. This paper argues the significance of the use of symbolism as a literary device in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

    Read More

  • Beowulf A True Hero Essay

    467 Words  | 1 Pages

    A true hero is someone who stands up for an idea that has admirable intentions. In the book “Beowulf,” men were considered heroes based on the way they followed the warrior’s code. The warrior’s code included duty, honor, and chivalry. At the beginning of the book, Beowulf seems to have the characteristics of a warrior, but as the story develops Beowulf starts having a different perspective on what a true warrior is.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Is A Hero Essay

    502 Words  | 2 Pages

    When defining a hero, it is classified as a man or women that exhibit bravery, courage, and self-sacrifice in the face of danger. There is also some that believe that a hero protects the weak from those who threaten harm or death. Beowulf is an example of a hero, considering the bravery, and self-sacrifice that is shown when battles arises (Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford, 2004). Although, Beowulf proves to be the hero needed to save Heorot, there are still flaws in his intentions (Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford, 2004). Beowulf changes the ideal of hero in this story considering he makes the same mistakes as the previous kings. ( Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford, 2004).

    Read More

  • The Definition of a Hero

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.

    Read More

  • Being A Hero Essay

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    We’ve all had are moments when we wanted to be a hero, to wear a cape, and help others who felt they needed a helping hand. Being a hero can be so much more than saving someone from a life or death situation. In the ancient Greece modern time, a hero was a woman who was well-known and would obtain a status after a death of a lover. To the Greeks, the urgency of heroes was a mythical thing because it molded the future “heroes” (Kreyche p. 82). This dates to today’s heroes. Every mythical and non-mythical story has its heroes, especially the ones kids have created in books and movies. The definition of heroes has progressively changed throughout the years. Today, our heroes consist of a person having “great courage, especially for a noble purpose” (“heroism”). Throughout the years, heroism has been created to show one’s grateful purpose, their effects of being a hero, and what it took to keep the status of a “hero”.

    Read More

More about Kvothe Anti Hero Analysis

Open Document