...Durham, Carolyn A.. "Medea: Hero or Heroine?" Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 8.1 (1984): 54-59. JSTOR. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. . In her writing “Medea: Hero or Heroine,” Carolyn Durham analyzes Euripides’ “The Medea” through the lens of feminist criticism. Her main argument is that women protagonists are always “societal facts” as opposed to “tragic heroes.” She utilizes the character Medea as an example of this claim, stating “the treatment of Medea in the play of Euripides suggests that the limitations associated with women somehow never seem to be those inherent in being human.” The bulk of Durham’s feminist criticism deals with how Medea is depicted before and after Jason leaves her for a new wife. She claims Euripides “uses Medea to illustrate by contrast the Greek ideal of moderation,” but does so by describing her as a “treacherous...
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...heroes and heroines alike bring forth many important and equally fascinating comparisons with real life heroes and heroines throughout history. Heroes and heroines follow a very strict and well defined, predetermined path. These strict paths can be easily referenced at any point during a hero’s journey. The intriguing story of Gilgamesh can be compared in such a manner to real life occurrences of heroism as well as serve, in turn, as a model to follow. The fascinating story of Gilgamesh tells of a hero born of humble beginnings as an underdog leader seen as a tyrant by his own people and through mass paranoia is shunned and put at odds with the gods by means of prayer. Much like the beginnings of all real life heroes and heroines, Gilgamesh shows us that life sometimes, in fact, doesn’t go our way from the beginning. As with any hero and heroine, Gilgamesh cannot undo the hand he is dealt, he must simply prove himself through his actions. The gods responded to the subject’s prayers by means of creating Enkido. Enkido was meant to be Gilgamesh’s arch nemesis; yet through Gilgamesh’s actions over time, Enkido grew to love Gilgamesh as only a brother could. This could only occur if a hero or heroine is worthy of bearing the title given to them by fate. Eventually the kinship developed between Gilgamesh and Enkido would prove itself through the actions of Enkido. Gilgamesh and Enkido fight numerous battles side by side as many real life heroes and heroines do, but...
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... Moreover, these genres and themes can be portrayed through the archetypes, stereotypes and songs throughout the film. The three songs that I will analyze from Aar-Paar are “Babuji Dheere Chalna”, “Sun Sun Sun Sun Zaalima”, and “Ja Ja Ja Ja Bewafa”. In observing the various genres and themes within this film, there are many archetypes and stereotypes. Nikki’s father, Laaji, represents the archetype of a ‘despotic’ father as he bans Kaalu from meeting Nikki. However, he eventually gives-in at the end and accepts Kaalu. On the other hand, Kaalu represents the archetype of a ‘Noble’ hero. He has certain goals in the film such as winning the heroine’s heart and achieving material success to support his future family by owning a taxi. He exemplifies the qualities of a ‘good’ Indian boy as he respects his elders and demonstrates a strong ambition for success. Kaalu also maintains the stereotype of a hero as he is considered to always be good (for example, he strives to prove his innocence by taking Nikki to meet the Jailer), he can fight, sing, and most...
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...The modern day portrayal of women on the screen, in T.V. Serials, Telefilms and in sundry other forms has played an important though shameful, role in the diminishing of respect for women as individuals and the mystique attached to them. The over sexual menaces in most forms of the mass media notably films, play a significant role in not only the creation of inappropriate stereotypes of women in the male mind but also the creation of wholly perverse role models for the pliable minds of teenage girls. The debonair hero on the screen nudges and teases the young heroine, harasses her along with his friends that are till they irrevocably fall in love. The conversion of the heroine into the vamp, the women who uses her sexuality for scandalizing the audience is a case in point. In recent years, in India, there has been a fold of movies starting perhaps with Raj Kapoor’s “Ram Teri Ganga Maili” in which female sexuality has been perversely portrayed. Since then a krishma Kapoor or a shilpa Shirodkar or a Puja Bedi has had no inhibition in terms of exposing and catering to the perverse tastes of the male audience. In the West, such portrayal goes back to many decades. A marlyn Monroe or a Brigitte Bardot were the sex symbols of a generation almost three decades back. They played the role of women slaved to their sexual instincts, and whose sense of self-worth arose only from their degree of sexual satisfaction. The myth became the reality in the male mind and women became only and...
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...Penelope, Epic Heroine During Ancient Greece, when women were seen as property, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife in The Odyssey, stands out as a woman beyond that claim. In Odysseus’ 20 year absence, she reigns over Ithaca, creatively staves off suitors, and raises a son, Telemachus, all while being faithful and devoted to him. Many of these obligations are not unlike what modern women grapple with. However, what sets Penelope apart is that she is accomplishing them at a time when women were seen as property and unable to have reigning duties. "The hero is the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations” (Campbell). Because of Penelope’s success in the face of adversity, she is a true heroine. Although inundated with suitors, she maintains her heroic loyalty to Odysseus in his absence. Contrastingly, her cousin, Clytemnestra, is unfaithful to her husband, Agamemnon, while he is fighting the Trojan War alongside Odysseus. Penelope knows that it is not conventional or acceptable to remain unmarried if one’s husband is considered dead, but her deep love and devotion to Odysseus keeps her inventing new means to avoid marrying any of the suitors. Because she is born to a prince and holds the royalty title, and anyone she marries will become King of Ithaca. For that reason, Penelope does not have to fear the same fate as Andromache, Hector’s wife in The Iliad. Hector was of royal blood, but Andromache was not; therefore, upon his...
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...Sg was a hero (masculine or gender-neutral) or heroine (feminine) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως,hḗrōs) is a person or character in literature who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage or self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good. Historically, the first heros displayed courage or excellence aswarriors. The word's meaning was later extended to include moral excellence. The word can be used as a gender-neutral term for both males and females[1]because it has no gender-specific suffix in English. Stories of heroism may serve as moral examples. In classical antiquity, cults that venerated deified heroes such as Heracles, Perseus, and Achilles played an important role in Ancient Greek religion. Politicians, ancient and modern, have employed hero worship for their own apotheosis (i.e., cult of personality). Stories of the antihero also play a major role in Greek mythology and much of literature. The antihero is a protagonist who lacks the typical characteristics of heroism, such as honor, nobility, bravery, compassion, and fortitude. The favorite type of antihero is an individual who lacks moral character.[2] The concept of a story archetype of the standard "hero's quest" ormonomyth pervasive across all cultures is somewhat controversial. Expounded mainly by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces (published in 1949), it illustrates several uniting themes of hero stories that hold similar ideas of what a hero represents...
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...Heroes, Heroines and Celebrities Characteristics of Heroes and Heroines in Popular Culture The characteristics of heroes in popular culture can differ from the usual defined traits of heroes. A hero is generally defined as a person who is brave, intelligent, strong, moralistic, a martyr, fearless in battle, a fighter for a cause or a combination of all of these factors (Defining Heroes and Villians in Literature, Pop Culture and Current Events). Moral examples also are also what describe someone as a hero or heroine, when their deeds exemplify courage and self-sacrifice. Characteristics of Celebrities Celebrities have notoriety for various reasons and circumstances. Celebrities can be persons who possess a prominent profile due to their professions, such as the entertainment field, or being a public figure, while others are sports figures, or may be known because of reality shows. Some are well known simply because they are wealthy, some are known because of their connections to others, while others are famous for just creating attention in the media. Very often celebrities are automatically stereotyped as being wealthy and living a glamorous life. The Cult of Celebrity People are undeniably obsessed with celebrities, and often follow their every move and statement made on Twitter, Facebook, tabloids and entertainment reporting site for example. Celebrity worship in some ways is a reflection of a need or desire for societies to elevate them to a mythical status and...
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...Every person has someone that they can always count on. I have two heroes because these two people couldn't have been heroes if they didn't have each other. My hero is my father and my heroine is my mother. When I was about three, my mother was diagnosed with a heart problem. It was a devastating time for the whole family. It was also deeply upsetting seeing my mother attached to all different kinds of tubes with fluids running through them. But seeing my dad give her the support she needed cheered me up a bit, and it gave my mother strength and courage which I began to see in her. Unfortunately, she did not make it. Raising two children on your own is extremely hard work, and I understand that. The quality that makes my father a hero though, is his courage. He is determined to carry on with his life and not let what happened ruin his life and ours. He has taken care of us and has been a single parent now for more than eleven years, so he is very special to us. He has been a great influence in our lives, and we make sure he knows how much we care about him every day. My definition of a hero or heroine is someone very special. They are someone who has qualities not everyone has. My mother's illness opened my eyes and made me realize that my parents showed qualities not many people have. Sometimes we take the people we love the most for granted but thinking about all the things my father has done for me just makes me love him even more and although some times we don’t get along...
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...wallbanger for me because the hero in this book is truly hard to tolerate and the heroine's "growing affection" for him comes off like increasing desperation on her part to emulate her martyr-prone romance heroine sisters. On one hand, I try to be patient with this book. I've read bad boy heroes who push the limits of acceptable behavior, enjoy these books, and there's that. But Marcus North isn't a bad boy as much as he comes off like a snarling caricature, the illegitimate son of the Tasmanian Devil and Wild E Coyote, with absolutely no redeeming feature whatsoever where I am concerned to commend him to anyone other than women who write love letters to men on the death row. Marcus isn't abusive, physically, but his actions are so offensive to me because he acts like a ten-year old boy denied his candies. His actions are completely self-absorbed. In fact, I don't remember encountering any hero as self-absorbed from start to finish like our Viscount Draker here. Regina Tremaine is our heroine and she has a secret. Maybe I shouldn't reveal the nature of this secret, so I'll just say that she has a valid excuse to hope that Marcus' sister Louisa be the wife to her brother. Marcus believes that her brother has shady reasons to court Louisa, so he opposes the relationship. Being a heroine, Regina naturally confronts Marcus in his place (with a chaperone that she leaves behind in the carriage, of course, because this is the Amanda Quick Law that every romance heroine aspiring for greatness...
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...Shakespeare’s prodigious narrative abilities. While Shylock evolves as the overwhelmingly noteworthy figure, my favorite character remains the mesmeric heroine of the play, Portia. Her personality and grace, her astuteness and her affable sense of hilarity makes her the most likable individual in the play. In short, she embodies the virtues, typical of many other Shakespearean heroines. As the most eligible bachelorette of Belmont, the tales of her beauty reach our ears even before we meet her in the play. However, despite her attractiveness, she does not have the arrogance that comes with it. We see her bound by her father’s will into making the most imperative decision of her life, the choice of her husband. She is imposed to entertain repugnant strangers, as her potential husband. However, despite her discontent, she plays a hospitable host and maintains her elegance right through the ordeal. In addition, her looks are matched only by the intellect she possesses. In the fourth act, she emerges as the hero of the play where she dresses as a man and changes the dynamics of the play. She snatches an improbable revival, where not only does she rescues Antonio, but pays back the vengeful Jew Shylock. Through the act, she displays sheer intellect and discernment. However, beauty and brains would still fall modest of an ideal heroine if she does not exemplify the sense of humor required to go with it. Nevertheless, Portia exhibits a breathtaking hilarity where she pulls of a joke...
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...Ramsay was always seen as a necessary yet unimportant character, however he is in fact the opposite, as demonstrated in the definition of fifth business; “Those roles which, being neither hero nor heroine, confidante nor villain, but which were nonetheless essential to bring about the recognition or the denouements organized according to the old style; the player who acted these parts was often referred to as Fifth Business” (Robertson Davies, 7). Contrary to how Robertson Davies portrays Dunstan Ramsay’s character in the novel Fifth Business, Dunstan is in fact much more than how he was represented. Dunstan is the opposite of how he is portrayed, as he is considered to be ‘fifth business’ in the novel, not a hero, nor confidante, nor villain when in actuality he is all three of those things. In the novel, Robertson Davies portrays Dunstan’s character as though he is fifth business, when in actuality he is the opposite. Davies describes fifth business as someone who is not a hero, nor confidante, nor villain. However, Dunstan proves himself to be a very heroic character in the novel. Dunstan’s heroism is demonstrated in his decision to risk his life...
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...either lying or under the age of 13 years. So when a teenage girl undertakes such an incredible task of courage, one that adults cover in fear of doing, the event takes utmost significance. This is exactly what Malala Yousafzai, a huge inspiration to me and so many other girls did. Being only fourteen years old did not matter to Malala Yousafzai. In a short fourteen years she has won fame for fighting for peace, women’s rights and humanity. She won the National Peace award in Pakistan for all her efforts. In 2009- at only the age of 11- she fought Taliban insurgency that tried to take over her village of Swat. She wanted to set up her own political party which would campaign the right of young Pakistani girls to education. This girl- this heroine- was shot by a member of the Taliban, in the head and neck, and was in a critical condition. The Taliban called her work ‘obscenity’. I call it heroism. They tried to silence this girl forever- they tried, and are still trying, to silence the ideas of freedom, rights and equality forever. But they will not win this war, not while human beings like Malala breathe and fight. An army chief called Malala ‘an icon of courage and hope’. She’s more than that, she’s the dawn of a new generation, the leader of a revolution in which humanity and justice rules over the whole world. On her blog she writes about how she couldn’t go to school anymore and how she always was living in fear for she would get caught going there. The Taliban broke many...
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...Introduction In my essay I am going to be discussing ‘Tragic Ballets ‘and ‘Heroines’. As a child I spent a brief period studying ballet and on a visit to Prague, in February 2013, I enjoyed watching the Russian Ballet perform 'Giselle' at the Prague State Opera House. I have often wondered why so many ballets and the female heroines in them end in tragedy. My essay will discuss the issues that female heroines face and the events that eventually bring them to their fate. I will also discuss the origins and definitions of ‘heroine’ and ‘tragedy’. In order to examine my chosen themes I started my investigation by watching, analysing and comparing the films ‘Black Swan’, ‘The Red Shoes’ and the ballet ‘Giselle’. I read the feminist writings of Marina Warner on the portrayal of women, the Catholic Church and also her book on ‘Joan of Arc. In my essay I will be discussing the themes of love, conquest, devotion, deception, spirituality and how they play a role in altering the lives of the female protagonists in various different situations and offer my own opinions on how the tragedies are formed. I will begin my comparison of the female heroines that I will be discussing, with Giselle. Figure 1'Giselle and Count Albrecht' The Russian Ballet Giselle is a poor peasant’s daughter who falls in love with Count Albrecht. Count Albrecht’s character plays the main part in the protagonist Giselle’s downfall during the ballet, as he breaks her heart when she learns that he is betrothed...
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...Heroes and Celebrities April 27, 2014 Heroes and Celebrity When looking up the definition of hero, I came across some slight variation. I looked up online the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s (n.d) definition an is defined a hero as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability” and an” illustrious warrior, a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, a man that shows great courage, the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work.” The online Oxford Dictionary (n.db) defines a hero as “A person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities: The chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize” Both sources cite the same definitions for heroines as well. The variations between the two online definitions is Merriam-Webster reefer’s to a hero as a mythological figure while Oxford simply refers to a hero as a person. When talking about a celebrity, some may confuse the definition of a celebrity with a hero, but the definition, according to Merriam-Webster is that a celebrity is the state of being famous or celebrated. This is not mention of outstanding achievements, quality of character, or displays of courage or is endowed with strength and abilities. Although the definitions don’t show the similarities, they do exist in our pop culture and the...
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..."Inspiration From Fictional Characters" Black Lotus Mahabubul Quddus Pritom 2014-1-10-017 Raihan Rahman Naim 2014-1-10-187 Gulsaba Binte Kabir Shoshi 2014-1-10-159 Jenat Afsana 2014-2-40-024 ENG 102 English Composition and Communication Skills Israt Jahan Senior Lecturer, Department of English East West University 1st December ,2014 Index Names Pages 1.Abstract................................................................................................................................ 3 2.Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 4 3.What is a fictional Character?............................................................................................... 5 4.Evolvement of fictional characters....................................................................................... 6-7 5.Heroes.................................................................................................................................... 8 6.Villains................................................................................................................................... 9 7.Positive Impression..............................................
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