Unlikely Hero
The theme of an unlikely hero is a well used theme because, the outcome is unexpected and keeps you on your toes. A Biblical example of these would be David and Goliath. A myth example would be the story of Hercules. an example of a film that has an unlikely hero would be Wall-e, and a personal life example would be random acts of kindness from a stranger. This is a universal theme, because it is an interesting story, unexpected, and if the hero is unlikely, maybe just maybe they could be a hero as well.
1st Samuel 17, is where the story of David and Goliath comes from. In this story Goliath from the Philistine army challenged the Israelites to a one-on-one battle. Seeing as that Goliath was almost seven feet tall, nobody wanted to battle him. One unlikely Israelite offered to fight the giant, his name was David. David ended up killing Goliath with ease, and winning the one-on-one challenge for the Israelites. This well known Bible story is a good example of an
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unlikely hero. The odds were ultimately against David. David was a young shepherd boy, who was inexperienced. Goaliath was and experienced soldier, and as it says in the Bible it looked like he had the upper hand, “Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span” (New American Standard Bible, 1st Samuel 17:4-7). Not only was he huge, he also had the armor on to fight. “He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him” (New American Standard Bible, 1st Samuel 17:4-7). Even though David was a lot younger and inexperienced, through prayer, he accomplished what was needed. People relate to this story because they are just like David, nothing extraordinary, yet can do great things through prayer. Another example of an unlikely hero is seen in Greek mythology.
In the Greek Myths there was a man named Hercules. “The goddess Hera, determined to make trouble for Hercules, made him lose his mind. In a confused and angry state, he killed his own wife and children” (Crane, Gregory R.). He lost everything and needed to get back on his feet. “He prayed to the god Apollo for guidance, and the god's oracle told him he would have to serve Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years, in punishment for the murders. As part of his sentence, Hercules had to perform twelve Labors, feats so difficult that they seemed impossible” (Crane, Gregory R.). He accomplished all of these twelve tasks, and became one of the greatest heroes in Greek Mythology. This is a good example of an unlikely hero, because of the things Hercules had to go through, and how he came out the other end stronger. This gives hope to everyone because if people try their hardest they can achieve great
things. The next example of an unlikely hero, would be the Disney movie Wall-e. Wall-e was the only robot left living on the earth, and he went up into a spaceship that had the human population. Then he ended up bringing the human population back to the destroyed Earth, and saving the world. (IMDb.com) He saved the whole world from having to survive on the spaceship. “I don't want to survive, I want to live” (Captin, Wall-e). He is a great example of an unlikely hero because, he wasn’t anyone special, but he saved the world. The last example of an unlikely hero would be the time I was with a friend, and my friend was having a rough night. She was crying, and this girl that we had never met before came up to us. She asked my friend if she needed a hug, and kept talking to us. She was really sweet to two girls she had never met before. She is an example of an unlikely hero because even though she didn't know us, and had no clue what was wrong she still came over. She brightened my friend and my day, by showing a random act of kindness. As shown the theme of an unlikely hero is a very common theme that people it is a very unexpected outcome. It gives hope to everyone that they might too be able to be a hero. the stories of David and Goliath, Hercules, Wall-e, and a random act of kindness are all unlikely, and unexpected, yet they make for a great plot.
Some people are born to be heroes. Some people may be forgotten heroes. Some people are born not to be heroes at all. In ways they are similar and in some ways they are different. John Campbell’s Hero’s Journey Monomyth shows the certain stages that a hero would traditionally go through to be qualified as a hero. Elie Wiesel is not a monomyth hero, because he does not follow the correct steps and does not hit enough steps to be considered a monomythic hero.
David and Goliath is the story of a young shepherd whom lacking of any kind of combat training, managed to overcome a giant, who was sophisticated in combat tactics, just using his wit. In modern times, that act is used as an analogy to compare people who against all odds overcome a difficult situation in their lives.
The dictionary defines hero in mythology and legend as, "a man who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and born of divine or royal blood. He is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life." In addition, I believe a hero is one to be looked up to and emulated. What is interesting about epic heroes is that their great deeds and exploits all have to do with defeating themselves, so with help from the gods they can truly become heroic. They can only defeat themselves with the help of the gods.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
When telling a story, it is necessary for there to be a main character which is usually a hero. They try to find themselves or fulfill a task in order to be true to who they are. While they are trying to find who they are or fulfill a task to stay true they conquer obstacles that are standing in the way for them to succeed. Some heroes succeed some fail. Odysseus from the Odyssey is a good example of a hero who fulfills his tasks in order to be true to who he is by having a quest or a mission to get back home after the Trojan war to his dear wife and family. He has obstacles trying to return and reclaim his home, Ithaca. The obstacles are, being held hostage by a Cyclops, Poseidon making the ocean difficult for Odysseus and his men, being held hostage by two goddesses, and when he arrives home he is faced with the suitors who try to take Penelope as their wife and taking everything from their home.
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)
The story of David and Goliath can be thought of as a timeless tale of
People are heroes in different ways for different reasons. American soldiers are heroes because they fight boldly for their country. Corrie Ten Boom is also a hero because she took risks and saved hundreds of Jews. Abraham Lincoln is another example of a hero because he fought for what he thought was right and helped free all slaves. Similarly, Odysseus, the main character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, possesses all of these characteristics and many more, making him a true epic hero.
...teristics and literary devices. The general archetypical description of a hero follows an outline of a muscular figure and super abilities. Yet on the contrary, in myths, heroes may not possess any of those traits. Whether the so-called hero is learning their lesson, overcoming struggle or even descending into darkness, all heroes share some similar and almost identical characteristics. A vast majority of all mythological heroes share the same basic idea which, helps audiences identify whether or not the character is indeed a hero or not. From story to myth or fairytale to drama, the hero is one character who changes the plot entirely. Whether that hero may be saving a burning building, or discovering who they are themselves, our heroes all give us hopes and dreams that one day even our worth will be recognized by ourselves and others as our admirable hero’s are.
According to google.com a hero is someone who “is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievments, or noble equalities.” (google.com). For example, superman , superman is an all time american classic modern hero who is admired for his courage and for saving earth multiple times from super villains. Another example of a hero is Beowulf. Beowulf was created around 1000 AD and was known far and wide throughout the lands for his selflessness,bravery, and courage .
The writing style of an author plays a giant role in expressing certain details and letting the reader become more drawn into the piece of literature. In the story summary David and Goliath, which we get from the first book of Samuel chapter seventeen verses one through fifty eight. This popular bible story expresses how a young and weak teenage boy named David can take down a giant with name of Goliath with faith in God. The use of different elements used throughout the summary such as diction, imagery, and language gives off hopeful feel because the main point of the story is for the reader to understand that anything is possible with God.
Hercules the great hero and the son of the great god Zeus, was the most famous of all the Greek mythological heroes. Hercules was known for his strength, bravery, and adventuresome personality. Hercules like most heroes had a god as their father, and he had a mortal mother named Alcmene. Hercules like most heroes was not an ordinary mortal and a good example was his superhuman strength.
...cal mythology, and modern fictional heroes stories. They encounter unexpected supernatural and unusual events, but they fight until the end. A good example is Theseus fighting with the Minotaur. According to Campbell, the heroes receive help from unexpected sources or rather divine sources when they are about to give up. When they return back home, no one recognizes them. For instance, Odysseus could not be recognized on his return home even by his own wife Penelope.
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.
many different types of figures that can be considered heroic. These heroes can be your every day