Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The definition of a hero
Definition of a hero
Definition of a hero
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The definition of a hero
To the greek, a hero may be defined as, somebody who does something dangerous to help somebody else. To the Urban Dictionary a hero is “a person or character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage, bravery or self-sacrifice.” Two people, Perseus and Theseus, (who also happen to be two of the most known heroes to to the greeks) fit these descriptions perfectly. Perseus and Theseus acquire the traits needed of an amazing hero. The characteristics which they portrayed are, intelligence, courage, and help from the gods. They use these characteristic similarly and differently throughout their life and these next few paragraphs. First of all, Theseus and Perseus, show their intelligence by tricking
These two stories are so different from each other they just have two things for each section that are the same. Heroes Every Child Should Know is a more interesting story of how to kill Medusa. Perseus the poem isn't that good because it just has a part of what how to kill Medusa it is just that he had a shield and just chopped her head off. So the rest of the paragraphs are just to say the similarities and differences. Perseus is different by many things the characters, settings, event, and the theme.
A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.
Opposed to that of common thought, superman is not the only type of character that fits the heroic persona. Although “superheroes” typically come to mind when one thinks of a hero, there are many other ordinary people capable of extraordinary things. A hero is a person who takes the initiative to set out on a journey of internal growth. During this symbolic journey, one truly finds himself and betters the lives of other mentally and physically. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus takes the path of heroism, resulting in the reborn spirit of a selfless, modest hero. During the process, Odysseus is faced with many challenges that he must overcome in order to earn the noble title. Odysseus proves himself to be a well-deserving hero because he is intelligent with his decisions, he displays cleverness, and he rids himself of hubris.
The hero is the man who fights for what he loves. A hero is someone who rises above circumstance to take back what is his or hers. A hero is a man who was favored by the gods. All of these qualities and more can be found in both Odysseus and Telemachus. Odysseus and Telemachus both showed many manifestations of a hero throughout the Odyssey. It was a journey of change and growth for both men. Out of this journey they returned with much wisdom and personal gain. Odysseus and Telemachus have truly walked the path of the hero’s journey.
Great Heroes are known to do magnificent actions helping and saving others. The greek mythology heroes are no different. Interestingly there are many heroes that seem completely different but prove to be very similar. Heracles and Jason tasked with different labors and regarded differently both prove similar by both being extravagant heros and are unquestionably brave.
A person will typically think a hero as one who is equipped with great strength or ability. But a hero is more than just being brave or strong. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus goes through many challenges and is faced with his biggest weakness: his hubris or excessive pride. Though, Odysseus earns the title of a hero because he exhibits courage, utilizes cunning, and overcomes his hubris.
Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.
There are many great heroes and their stories are always fascinating. Whether they are fictional or not, a hero is someone that is strong, selfless, and is always willing to do things for the better of society and its people. Both Beowulf and Perseus were great fictional heroes. They both had glorious quests where they were faced with some ethical decision that tested their morality. They always accomplished their goals and made somewhat ethical decisions that aided people in need. Both of them, glorified and all, had some form of strength that was either a tool or just pure strength. Perseus had courage, strength, and valor, which was strengthened by moral guidance and some help from his siblings, which happened to be gods and goddesses. Beowulf
In Homer’s The Odyssey, the main figure Odysseus has excessive pride, a lack of faith, and selfish intentions, which prevent him from earning the title of hero. These mannerisms are just several examples of his multiple derogatory traits. They completely overpower the few positive attributes Odysseus possesses. The numerous negative behaviors that he displays are not those of a hero. Being chivalrous, determined, growing, or courageous in any way can make a hero. Helping others is an essential and main part of being a true hero. Even the smallest selfless act can make one a hero in another’s eyes. Heroes are discovered in every way possible, from pop culture to social interaction to the pages of a poem – just not this one.
The epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, centers around the main protagonist Odysseus and his long journey back home. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, returns home after defeating the Trojans in a ten year war. On his way back, he angers Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus’ actions, Poseidon refuses to let Odysseus reach home, and Odysseus and his crew are forced to go through a series of obstacles throughout the epic. Through this adversity, Odysseus must show his heroic attributions in order to survive. Homer portrays Odysseus as a hero by giving him characteristics such as: craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.
What is a hero? We would like to think that a hero is someone who has achieved some fantastic goal or status, or maybe someone who has accomplished a great task. Heroes find themselves in situations of great pressure and act with nobility and grace. Though the main character of Virgil's Aeneid, Aeneas, is such a person, it is not by his own doing. He encounters situations in which death is near, in which love, hate, peace, and war come together to cause both good and evil. In these positions he conducts himself with honor, by going along with what the gods want. Only then goes on to pave the way for the Roman Empire. His deeds, actions, and leadership would never have come to be if it were not for the gods. The gods took special interest in Aeneas, causing him misfortune in some cases, giving him assistance in others. On the whole, the gods constantly provide perfect opportunities for Aeneas to display his heroism. Without them, Aeneas would not be the hero he is. This gift does not come without a price, though; he must endure the things heroes endure to become what they are. Despite his accomplishments and the glory associated with his life, Aeneas only achieves the status of hero through divine intervention, and this god-given position causes him just as much grief as it does splendor.
Theseus first displays his heroic nature when he was seven years old. Hercules came home and took of his lion’s skin. Convincing as it looks, Theseus friends ran away. “Theseus quickly grabbed an axe and fiercely attacked it” (244). Theseus was ready to risk his life at the age of seven. Theseus friends were terrified but Theseus showed them that he was fearless. Many thrive to obtain the characteristic of fearless and are willing to do anything to achieve the title. Perseus announces that he has no family wealth for the king but Perseus can offer his service. “I would even kill the terrible Gorgon Medusa”(200). Perseus behead the mortal Gorgon with one slice of his sharp sickle. Perseus risked his life just to prove his loyalty and courage. Theseus is a number of heroic things such as strong, selfless etc. Most importantly he is fearless and continuously is able to display it through his actions. Theseus courageously and fearlessly volunteered himself to kill the Minotaur just like how he killed Marathon. This shows that he’s not afraid to kill anyone. He was admired by many, including the Athenians due to his courage and honour. Theseus was known to defeat extremely difficult
The Ancient Greeks were tough, intelligent people that focused on advancement. But there were always certain qualities that set the “heroes” apart from everyone else. For the most part, the description of an ideal hero is universal. They are tough, strong in both mental and physical health. Typically, they are much stronger than the “regular” people. They are of a noble birth or at least earn their rank through their efforts. Finally, fight for their honor and to protect their legacy.
The word “hero” has several definitions. In Greek mythology, a hero was originally a demigod. A hero can be the principle character in a play, movie, novel, or poem. A hero can even simply mean someone who is discerned by outstanding courage, dignity, or power. Even though there a many different types of heroes, they have all been through a journey with many obstacles that they had to overcome. The journey of a hero is one huge cycle, starting at the home of the hero and ending at the same place, the home. There are two very important stages of journey cycle—the road of trials and crisis/salvation. The road of trials stage is basically the obstacles the potential hero had to overcome. The crisis/salvation stage is the disaster that occurred and how the hero was saved from it. Odysseus faced many obstacles, and there were many crises that he underwent. The journey of Odysseus was mythological. He left his homeland of Ithaca to go fight in the Tro...
As Perseus and his mom Danae drifted ashore in a new kingdom, they stayed there for a long time, as Perseus grew up. However, subsequently King Polydectes, the king of the island wanted to marry Perseus’ mother Danae, but she did not want to marry him. The fact that she didn’t wan to, the king wished to get rid of Perseus for awhile so he could force Danae to marry him. So when the king sent Perseus of on a journey, he commanded to kill the monster Medusa, the only mortal one, and bring back her head. Though everything else was monstrous other than her face, whoever dared to look into her face ended up being turned into stone. Thus, Perseus had a hard task, he asked Athena and Hermes for help. The two of them, together with the spirits,