...wrestles with concept of good and evil, represented by the opponents Beowulf and Grendel, and often mentions the role of religion in the hero’s success and the competitor's failure. Those who do not adhere to basic christian ethics do not show the same epic traits of heroes such as Beowulf and do not receive the same aid from God that those with obvious devotion receive. Religion defines who and what is considered good and evil. God shows his thanks to those who support him by aiding them in heroic deeds, and those without devotion to Him receive no assistance. The heroes of Beowulf all have...
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...that is not faithful to his wife. This man is to be compared to a Tragic Hero. A hero that makes a bad judgement that leads to his/hers demise, This comparison would be reasonable for this character, but I would not say that he was a hero since day one but more he develop into a hero towards the end, but the real question is John Proctor a tragic hero? In the beginning John Proctor was cheating on his wife with a young girl named Abigail. Abigail is mischievous young girl of 16 who dance in the forest and drank blood of a chicken in order to kill John’s wife, Elizabeth Proctor. John had an affair with this girl, a girl who tried to use magic to kill his wife. Thous he broke one of the most important christian rule of “Adultery, John” (Miller 64). A rule that he could not remember when he was ask to say the Commandments later in the book. In which shows his none heroism. John’s wife put the pieces together and figured out that she was being cheated on “She doesn’t want friction, and yet she must: You come so late I thought you’d gone to Salem this afternoon.”(Miller 49) This shows that she still tried to keep their relationship going and doesn't want to believe the bad in him. John on the other...
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...medieval periods. Heroes are symbolic to the beliefs, culture, and nation in which they live. The classical hero and medieval hero will be the focus of this essay. Three great heroes from the early classic to medieval periods are Beowulf, Achilles, and Sir Gawain. The paper will look at the similarities and differences of literary heroes in order to discover how heroes changed over time. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are romantic heroes full of bravery, loyalty, humility, courage, and virtue. Beowulf and Sir Gawain were both involved in battles of great magnitude and admired for their super human strength. Both of them battle with the intent to bring honor to the King: Sir Gawain to honor King Arthur and Beowulf to honor Hrothgar. The battles they fight are against good and evil, “Grendel is a shepherd of evil” and the Green Knight represents pre- Christian tribal paganism. The custom of the time period was to keep their word and honor the one who helped them rise to knighthood. Beowulf kept his word as seen in the poem as he returns from the adventures and presents all his gifts to Hygelac as a sign of loyalty (line 2145). Sir Gawain keeps his word with Lord Bertilak, by agreeing to exchange their winnings at the end of each day (Sir Gawain 1105-1113). Beowulf and Sir Gawain differ as heroes in several ways. First, Sir Gawain is an Arthurian Hero and as such holds to a Christian faith while Beowulf holds to the pagan history of Britain. Sir Gawain draws strength from his devotion to...
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...Strength, Power, Heroism, and Courage. These are among the central themes that encompass the epic of Beowulf and allow the reader to take an intimate look at Anglo-Saxon society. Beowulf, the hero of this story, is the focal point, demonstrating his phenomenal super human abilities throughout the epic as he conquers and kills anything dangerous or beastly in his path. Although Beowulf is viewed as a superhero, Hrothgar, does not hesitate to present Beowulf with the best advice that he can muster. Hrothgar’s guidance is essential in outlining the basic and most vital themes of the epic. He warns Beowulf about overweening, resenting tradition, and dishonoring customs, among many other points. As seen in this passage, the themes of wyrd, paganism, and heroism are clearly distinct in Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf through the harrowing adventures retold. The concept of wyrd, or a sense of inevitable doom, is a central theme in Beowulf, demonstrated by the constant reminder that the destruction of events or people will most definitely occur. When Hrothgar bestows his advice upon Beowulf, it is stated that “ancestral possessions/ and the goods he hoarded are inherited by another/ who lets them go with a liberal hand”, which clearly exemplifies a belief in ultimate ruin (ll 1756-7). Despite the honor that one must earn in order to receive such goods, once one dies it no longer has any meaning, showing how gloomy the Anglo-Saxon society was in it’s outlook about death. Additionally,...
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...The typical hero of western films, an Indian slaying John Wayne portrayed as being born from the landscape, has no real presence in James Mangold’s film adaption of 3:10 To Yuma. The focus is mainly on Christian Bale’s character Dan Evans who is first introduced in a domestic space as he stumbles out of bed to find his barn being burned down. Instead of shooting down those who have wronged him like Evans son suggests, Evans decides to ride into town in the morning and discuss the situation. This is where he comes across Russel Crowes character, Ben Wade, as he robs a wagon heavily guarded with Pinkerton guards. Wade is seen as a brutal but reasonable figure, especially in comparison to his partner Charlie Prince. As an outlaw, Wade can’t be a traditional hero but in the face of the greedy railroad company that is portrayed in the film as being very cruel as well, Wade is put in a kind of heroic light. Evans goes to great lengths to provide for his family and he risks death by escorting Wade to a prison train with Wade’s barbaric gang on his back for money. However, Evans really could not have achieved what he did without the cooperation of Wade, who seems to hold a certain amount of respect and sympathy for him. In the end with Evan’s death Wade kills all the members of his gang and climbs on the prison train by choice. This can only be explained by his sympathy for Evan and makes Wade a kind of heroic figure, standing up for Evans who has been victimized by the corrupt railroad...
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...A hero is described as someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In the poems of “Beowulf’ and “Head of Humbaba” both have epic heroes, Beowulf and Gilgamesh, but these two heros do not have the same intentions for the battle(s) they fight. “Beowulf” originates from sixth century Denmark and Sweden, Beowulf, from the geats, is from the Sweden and the city of Heorot is in Denmark. Many of the characters in Beowulf are thought to be real although, Beowulf himself might not be. The manuscript was found to be from 1000 A.D, although the author was thought to have written the poem between 700 AD and 750 A.D. is believed to be from Northumbria. “Beowulf” is an example of a literary artwork, told...
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...In Beowulf there are many symbols and elements. The symbols of Herot hall and Grendel represented all that was good, and all that was evil in the story. There are also many Christian elements in this pagan story. These aspects of the poem are important, but not relevant to today's society. In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf is an epic hero. The poem gives the idea of what a hero really is. Many of these ideas have been carried into modern society, and one person fallows these traits of Beowulf. That is the modern hero of Michael Jordan. Beowulf and Michael Jordan had a surprisingly similar journey. The similarities between Beowulf and Michael start with their fathers. Beowulf's father was a great warrior who had earned a reputation as being strong and courageous; however, Beowulf's father was killed and never saw his son do great things. All of these traits of Beowulf's father are similar to that of Michael's dad. Michael's father, James Jordan, was a great professional baseball player who had earned a reputation as a hustle player and a good lead off man. James was killed later in life, and was never able to see his son do great things. Just like Beowulf's father. It is know that both Beowulf and Michael earned reputations when they were young. Beowulf earned his reputation by killing nine sea monsters, all while competing in a swimming race. Beowulf did go on to lose the race, but earned a great deal of respect in his homeland when his people heard the story. Michael earned his...
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...What makes a hero? To be a hero, one must go willingly out of their comfort zone to defend others and show great courage in all circumstances. A hero is a leader, a strong independent being who is not afraid to stand on their own. In the epics, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, the heroes are Sir Gawain and Beowulf. Sir Gawain and Beowulf show these qualities in many ways, even though there are some ways in which they differ, when talking about heroic acts they are very similar. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are strong warriors. In Beowulf, Beowulf was known for fighting monsters and anything that would try to harm his people. He shows his strength and courage when Beowulf went to fight Grendel. For example, “Fastened those claws in his...
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...In the book “American Sniper” Chris Kyle is doing what he feels right, what he wants to do, and what he has to do. Many stress that in the book, Chris Kyle isn’t a hero, and not only the book but in real life as well. Chris Kyle is a hero in many ways, he’s brave, good at what he did, and most of all he fought for The United States of America. Many people are against Chris Kyle and what he did though what he did, he didn’t do for himself, he did it for America. One scene in the book, the opening scene, he has to shoot a women because she ran to the marines with an explosive. He say’s “It was my duty to schoot, and I don’t regret it.” He later on says that “My shots saved several americans, whose lives we clearly worth more than that womens...
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...Christian Lescznske Professor Larkin ELIT2055-B 31 March 2014 The Hero’s Journey: Comparing and Contrasting Heroes Joseph Campbell was an American psychologist and mythological researcher. In his lifelong research, Campbell discovered many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from around the world. Years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic stages that almost every hero-quest goes through (no matter what culture the myth is a part of). He calls this common structure “the monomyth” (Hero’s Journey). The “hero’s journey” appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development. It describes the typical adventure of The Hero, who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the family, group, tribe, or civilization. There are twelve steps, or stages, of the typical “Hero’s Journey”. The twelve steps are: The ordinary world, the call to adventure, refusal of the call, meeting with the mentor, crossing the threshold, a test, the approach, the ordeal, the reward, the road back, the resurrection, and the return with the elixir, or reward. As I previously stated, Campbell’s monomyth works best with the traditional form of the quest such as in folk and fairy tales, myths, legends, and other fantasies. However, it can be applied to many different genres or types of stories. A quest does not have to include swords and monsters. It can just as easily occur in the real world. The monomyth is ageless and universal...
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...What makes someone a hero? It is defined by the dictionary as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Did Christopher Columbus not utilize his courage and nobleness when traveling across the dangerous Atlantic Ocean? Christopher Columbus was a hero because he was courageous and unique, he created a bridge from the old to new world, and he provided his country with material riches. Without his exploration of North America, the world we live in today would be completely different. Columbus originally set out to find a shorter sea route to Asia. Although he did not reach his destination, that does not make him any less courageous. At the time there were no accurate maps and there was the...
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...Eric Blehm’s Fearless is a book describing the life events and character of the hero named Adam Brown, a soldier who was part of SEAL Team Six, one of the most highly skilled military teams ever created. Brown’s life took him through the heart of some of the most terrifying and difficult events, ranging from hardcore drug addiction to being surrounded by terrorists trying desperately to kill him. He became the living definition of the word fearless, a word that many people today take for granted. As Brown demonstrates, to truly be fearless is to be unwaveringly courageous, impeccably focused, and absolutely committed in the face of death itself. Insurmountable courage is an undeniable prerequisite for fearlessness; it is perhaps the most clearly displayed aspect of such a person. Brown reflected this courage in his every action. Describing the nature of Brown’s DEVGRU counter-terrorist raids, his friend and teammate Heath Robinson noted that “When you blow a door open, it is just smoke, a black...
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...Many societies contain heroes that exemplify the greatest aspects of their respective culture. When looking back on past societies, examining their heroes indicates what they valued. Even those from thousands of years ago, like the Ancients Greeks, used heros to share their values. The Greeks saw Homer’s Odysseus as an war hero because of his cunning and great battle skills. His legend still lives on today as people around the world learn about the myths of Odysseus. In more recent times, many people appreciate the work of Malcolm X for his heroic fight against injustice and his tremendous speaking ability. His monumental speeches impact the thoughts and shape the ideals of many activists that advance in the fight for social justice. In Homer’s The Odyssey and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet”, both heroes convey great strength in their battles through Odysseus’s surviving the hurricane sent from Poseidon, Malcolm X’s clear portrayal of the injustices in America, and both heroes willingness while staying persistent and achieve justice. Homer conveys Odysseus’s strength through his survival of the hurricane from Poseidon. For example, while Odysseus struggles to stay alive during the storm, “he’d not forget his craft-- he lunged after...
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...his stepmother, Hera, the all powerful queen of the gods. But wherever there was evil, wherever an innocent would suffer, there would be Hercules.” Hercules from the television series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” has shown to be a witty, smart, selfless man with the willpower of a football player. He has no prejudices, he tries to help anybody, and believes in having a fair government with a justice system that allows people to defend themselves in the court of law. He believes everyone can be a hero, and tries to bring the best out of everyone. Hercules was played by the actor Kevin Sorbo. Kevin Sorbo is 6’3 with a squared jaw, a bulky but buff body, and deep voice that made Kevin Sorbo the ideal Hercules. Kevin Sorbo starred but also directed a lot of the episodes that reflect on why Hercules is who he is. Kevin Sorbo is a chairman for the organization “A World Fit for Kids.” Which teaches teens to become heroes in their own neighborhoods. Also, Kevin Sorbo is a Christian, it shows throughout the series. Hercules didn’t believe in lying, killing, and sex before marriage. Hercules is a demigod in Greece, a demigod is half mortal and half man. Hercules was created by ancient Greek myth. The myth starts out with Zeus having mortal affairs with Alcmene, and Hera, Zeus’ wife, finds out about the affair and is instantly outraged. Turns out the mortal is pregnant, and from Hercules’ birth on, Hera attempts to kill Hercules. Hercules in his teen years joins an academy led by...
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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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