The better epic hero is hector because he had significant and glorified by the people. Also he was a strong and responsible leader. He led the army to fight the Greeks because he did want to disappoint his father and to have peace for his country. Hector risk his life for his country in the end his life ended in big tragically for the country of Troy because Achilles killed him. Achilles was a epic hero too but, Hector had more character than Achilles because even though he had the same characteristic as Hector.
Alexander Hamilton once said, “There is a certain Enthusiasm in liberty that makes Human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” Beowulf is an epic poem in which the main character Beowulf did acts of service, but he fought for those who couldn’t fight. The overall theme of good versus evil in Beowulf had Beowulf dealing with challenges that no ordinary man would be able to handle unless they were a true epic hero. Throughout the poem Beowulf proves to be an epic hero by his strength, bravery, and sacrifice. Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340).
He led many battles, and fought bravely. He even broke the pact by defending his brother Paris from being killed (Troy). Hector then did the bravest of all deeds. He took on the great Achilles knowing that it was certain death. "I would not die without delivering a stroke" (Homer).
He was married to andromache , with whom he had an infant son, Scamandrius (whom the people of Troy called astyanax). He acted as leader of the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, killing 31,000 Greek fighters. During the European Middle Ages, Hector figures as one of the nine best warriors known, not only for his courage but also for his noble and courtly nature. Indeed, Homer places Hector as peace-loving, thoughtful as well as bold, a good son, husband and father, and without dark motives. they were alike in many ways, were both leaders in their comrade's eyes they both are natural born leaders are skilled with the sword and any deadly weapon that is put into their hands.
Odysseus is a hero because he had help from Athena, a fatal flaw in his character, and he also overcame complications throughout his journey and ended up proving himself to be valiant. Odysseus is a hero because
Heracles, a Greek demigod and son of Zeus, is known far and wide as one of the greatest heroes of Greek mythology due to his awesome accomplishments. However, Heracles is not only defined as a hero through these actions, but by his characteristics as well. In Euripides’ Heracles, his character is truly put to the test. His most prominent traits shown throughout the story are his loving devotion to his family, his kindness as both a friend and son, and his continued determination during horrendous times. Throughout the story written by Euripides, the loving devotion and care for his family can be seen through everything Heracles says and does.
As said by Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”. In relation to Greek mythological heroes, this quote explains that a Greek hero is superior when he repeats his heroic actions and portrays Greek values a multitude of times. Those common values include bravery, in the terms of endurance and fearlessness, and strength, in the way of a tough physique. Two well known heroes, Perseus and Hercules, both display some of those Greek values, but Hercules is the superior hero because he reflects those values more effectively.
The Webster's definition of a hero is “A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities”, this also happens to be one of the qualifications of being an epic hero. There are many things that can be used to compare and contrast Beowulf as an epic hero and a modern day hero, but you’ll find that the human idea of a hero was primarily the same in 700 CE as it is now although the job descriptions of hero’s have changed. In today’s time a person is usually considered a hero if they help the public good, like a police officer, soldier, firefighter and so on. In Beowulf’s time a person was considered a hero if they were a great warrior. When looking at the characteristics of what makes Beowulf an epic hero and the characteristics
Odyssey Essay Did you know Odysseus let many of his men die in the Odyssey? Well, Odysseus is also known for his brave and heroic acts, but to further understand him, you have to know about his Greek Values. In the Odyssey, Odysseus’ strength and weaknesses of leadership, intelligence, and his selfishness. This reflects the Greek Values of leading others to success, and accomplishment, outsmarting others, and caring for others. In the Odyssey by Homer, one heroic trait that Odysseus shows his preeminence which articulates the Greek cultural value of leading your men to victory.
Because heroes care so much about their pride and glory, they perform an act of hubris before they meet their tragic fate. The term hubris refers to the act of extreme pride in a foolish manner. Lastly, all the Greek heroes are decedents of the gods, whether it be one of the major gods or minor deities. Heroes have some form of divine relative that gives them an advantageous connection during the ancient Greek era. These traits merge together to create a traditional Greek Hero.