A hero is not always someone with power. A true hero can be a person that inspires you to be better in life. Many heroes simply help other in danger. Police officers, firefighters and even doctors give people strength to overcome problems. What kind of qualities makes a hero? In the play Antigone, the play writer Sophocles had different type of qualities for a hero. The character of Creon is a true tragic hero that wants to be respected by the city. His pride for the city caused pain to his family and himself.
Years and years ago, many qualities could be found in warriors that are still prevalent today both in the present and past world. In “Mulan”, Fa Mulan from China is a very courageous woman. Defending her people and ,ultimately, saving her people despite the fact that she is a woman and could be killed if her secret were ever found out. Chris Mintz, a former 30 year old Army infantryman, threw himself into harms way, taking seven bullets, and surviving the encounter. Beowulf, from Scandinavia, held a great deal of pride without too much arrogance. He withheld his strength, unless necessary, and with time, grew the loyalty, courage, and faith warriors have today.
Beowulf may be considered a hero to some, however in our current time, his selfish intentions and lack of mercy, would lead him to be unfit of this role. Through the different characteristics that make up a hero today, Beowulf is proved to be opposite of those. The changes in time periods have impacted our views and standards, leading us to a different perception of what is a true
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird Jeremy Atticus Finch shows that he is heroic. There are numerous ways he shows this. He keeps calm when in a dangerous situation. Jem also is brave and courageous. Jem puts other first and he protects others. Those are some ways Jem is a hero. There are a lot of definitions of a hero. Jem’s characteristics are similar to the characteristics of a hero. Jem is a hero but he is a different hero then most would expect. Jem is not your normal hero. He is not like Superman or Batman. He is different he does not going around stopping bad guys. He does other stuff such as protect people from dangerous situations.
In conclusion, Beowulf would be considered a great warrior, but not a hero. Although Beowulf accomplished many heroic deeds he never did any of them for the right reasons. Therefore, Beowulf is not a hero, but only a warrior who values renown and rewards. From all this, we know that the perception of a hero from Beowulf’s time differs from our perception today. As we feel that the intentions define a hero while in Beowulf’s time the reputation and accomplishments are what makes a
Heroes put others before themselves and will do anything to ensure that thing’s safety. Many people have either risked their lives or have loss their lives due to trying to save others. An example of this would be the man in the red bandana or Welles Crowther. Crowther was working in the twin towers as planes were crashing into them. Crowther could have ran away from the other people when the planes hit, but he chose not to spare himself, but to save others and sacrifice his own life. In the documentary, The Man in the Red Bandana, which talks about a common hero who gave up his life to save others, it states,” Instinct grabbed him and he immediately tried to save lives.’’ This quote shows how Crowther, by nature, helps people. Also how he
Do you have to be famous to be a hero? Do you have to have billions of dollars to be a hero? Do you have to have superpowers to be a hero? No, you don’t have to have billions of dollars or superpowers to be a hero. Because a hero is someone who suffers from mental and physical danger or pain even though it could be avoided by trying to be helpful, genuine, inspirational, and selfless.
What truly is a hero? How is a hero defined? A standard dictionary would define a hero as, “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” We will examine and compare three “heroes” from a range of classic tales and novels. These include Beowulf from the epic poem Beowulf, Duke Theseus from The Knight’s Tale, and Sir Gawain from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
A typical hero is someone who is known to be very powerful and have unusual traits that no human being can withstand. They use their powers as an advantage to fight any crime and to protect humans from the bad. However, a hero can be characterized in two different ways; an epic hero or an Anglo-Saxon hero. A character name Beowulf can be characterized as an Anglo-Saxon hero more so than an epic hero because of his actions.
The basic traits of being a hero are simple. You must have courage, selflessness, humility, loyalty, patience and care deeply about others. “A hero is a person or main character of a literary work who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength, often sacrificing their own personal concerns for a greater good. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero)”.
In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is seen as a hero of the Geats and the Danes. He saves the Danes from the monster descendant of Cain, Grendel. He also saves the Danes from the atrocity’s mother. He saves the Geats by becoming their king for fifty years and killing the dragon which factored in his ultimate demise. The idea of a hero has existed throughout the ages. In ancient times the idea of someone risking their life to save someone else’s is astonishing. From modern times to tales in ancient epics, the idea of a hero has been passed down through generations. Throughout the story, the characteristics of Beowulf make him a hero. A hero exhibits strength, bravery, honor, and is able to complete tasks with divine intervention; Beowulf embodies
Every past and modern culture over the course of history, has its hero’s. A hero is a person or figure that others look up to and use as forms of protection. Many cherish the hero’s, they make up who we are today. The Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf, and the postmodern hero/hero’s, the soldiers, both show the traits of bravery, selflessness, and loyalty.
What are the most important traits of any hero? One of the most important characteristics of heroes is having honor in helping people. Without having honor you will not be considered a hero and treated just as an ordinary individual. Beowulf shows this when he has returned from a battle with a great monster, and he arrives home with much honor and success. He becomes an honorary king that everyone respects (33). Having honor is the number one trait that you need to be a successful hero. Courage is also a necessary characteristic to become a hero. A hero needs a mentality in which they do not fear anything. In the story, Beowulf states, "I shall meet molten venom in the fire, he breathes so I go forth in mail-shirt and shield" (33). He shows courage that he will go
Philip Zimbardo once stated, “I'm saying to be a hero it means you step across the line and are willing to make a sacrifice, so heroes always are making a sacrifice. Heroes always take a risk. Heroes always deviant. Heroes are always doing something that most people don't and we want to change.” I completely agree with what Mr. Zimbardo said, A hero is someone who will always be willing to make a sacrifice for the greater good. Stories about heroes have been around for much longer than most people realize. For example, one book that could possibly have been made in the 8th Century B.C. was The Odyssey, The Odyssey is a very old story about Odysseus’ struggle to return home after serving in the trojan war. This book is one of the farthest dated
There are many traits possessed by those called heroes. Whether it is in real life or in fiction, in the past, present, and future every hero desires these character: traits intelligence, bravery, and honesty. “Montag picked a single small volume from the floor. Where do we begin? He opened the book halfway and peered at it. We begin by beginning, I guess." Montag from Fahrenheit 451 is a good example of someone who carries those traits. A hero is the best kind of person that someone can be.