...Hero Essay English 9 Mr. Castellano Our next major writing assignment is to write an essay about someone you consider to be a hero. We are doing this essay now because it coincides nicely with our reading of The Odyssey. As we have discussed in class, Odysseus is the archetypal Western hero: brave, strong, clever, quick-thinking, steadfast. The list could go one. My point is that as we read about this ancient and, I believe, still relevant hero I want you to think and write about someone who is a hero to you. This should be a fun assignment. I am sure you have heard all too often that there are no more heroes today, that everyone we look up to is corrupt and will ultimately disillusion us. I whole heartedly disagree. Heroes are everywhere we look: we just need to look. (In a book I read this Summer, one of the characters says, “We find what we look for.”) Heroes can be people we know personally and people we have only heard about. Here are only a few suggestions: Jesus Christ, St. Francis, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, your Mom or Dad, an athlete, coach, teacher, or friend. Again, the list goes on. Just thinking about and planning this essay (as well as writing it, of course) will be a good exercise in recognizing how many heroes you have – how many people strive for high ideals and live virtuous lives. They’re there: look for them. Part of this essay will include what you define as...
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...Definition Essay 06 September 2012 Definition Essay The key principals of heroism are courage, selflessness and a lasting impact. To some people that can mean a person admired for their achievements, to others it could be a renowned warrior. A hero to me is someone who shows great courage and puts others before themself but expects nothing in return. It is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a mythical or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. Often heroes are portrayed as male figures in films and stories usually depicting warrior- like traits. Some dilute heroism when they attribute it to celebrities, giving them hero recognition when in reality they’re job is to entertain. Some illustrious political figures are also admired for their stature, sometimes being thought of as heroes. Many religions hold mere men as demigods or magnates. All of these fail the true definition of heroism in my eyes. Heroes can be described as someone who is able to resist fear. An individual who does a courageous act doesn’t necessarily have to affect society as a whole but can definitely change the lives of those involved. They’re putting themselves at risk, or using their resources purely to help someone else in need. These people may not get media attention, or be praised by hundreds of people, but they have certainly made a lasting impression on people’s lives. A hero, in Greek Mythology or folklore, was originally described as a demigod...
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...Arthur Miller wrote his essay titled “Tragedy and the Common Man” in 1949. This essay explains Miller’s definition of a tragic hero as well as why a common man has as much ability to be the hero of a tragedy as someone of nobility. The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953 that dramatizes the Salem witch trials of the late seventeenth century in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the play, the town of Salem falls into hysteria after Reverend Parris finds his daughter, niece, and their friends dancing in the woods with his slave Tituba. The young girls claim they have been bewitched by people in the town to avoid punishment, although, the punishment then comes for the accused regardless of their innocence. A vital character to the...
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...in books and movies are really that extraordinary? Could these characters truly be more than just an ordinary person? Are we, as real people and not figments of literature, capable of making the same changes we see them make? The answer can simply be a yes. If that is all it takes to sate your curiosity you can stop reading now. If you want to learn how heroism is part of our nature, then I suggest you continue on. I'll be attempting to determine what are the true makings of a hero. By the end you might even discover that we can all be heroes as well. So how might we define a hero? Well, if we were to google the definition of the word, we'll find that a hero is a term for a submarine sandwich. As delicious as that might be, it doesn't help much. The next one tells us that a hero is “the principal character of a play or story”. A little warmer, but a little too broad for our terms here. Dictionary.com gives us our answer. They define a hero as “a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.“ Now that we know what a hero is considered etymologically, how does this apply to ourselves or the people we meet every day? Mark Twain provides an option for heroes in his 1901 essay The United States of Lyncherdom. “Why does it lift no hand or voice in protest? Only because it would be unpopular to do it, I think; each man is afraid of his neighbor's disapproval – a thing which, to the general run of...
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...To What Extent is Eddie Carbone the Tragic hero of the Play ? ‘A view from the bridge’, an intriguing play written by a graduated journalist named Arthur Miller. Miller was born in New York, 1915. He started to write plays while he was at University of Michigan, and even carried on after graduating. Miller grew up in Brooklyn; this was where the play was set. As Miller was trying to make a name for himself, he worked at a shipyard for two years. He heard stories form his Italian friends he works alongside about how some men coming over to work illegally and being betrayed. This is where ‘A View from the Bridge’ was first inspired. Tragedy: it is a dramatic event where the main character is tested in certain circumstances in which the characters real form becomes unmasked. Aristotle was a famous Greek philosopher and writer, who defined the word tragedy. He said it should represent ‘terrible and piteous’ and lead the audience to experience ‘catharsis’ or feel sorrow. Miller used this technique to create a modern equivalent of a Greek tragedy. In addition, Aristotle also said that every tragedy must have a tragic hero; the protagonist of the play. Aristotle also talks about how a “Tragic Hero” This essay will be exploring how Eddie could be the “Tragic Hero” of the play – “A View from the Bridge”. Aristotle’s definition of a “Tragic Hero” should be good at the beginning but not entirely as this unrealistic. The character should be “appropriate” – meaning men should be manly...
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...at the risk of such rejection. We should consider those who do so true heroes. Should heroes be defined as people who say what they think when we ourselves lack the courage to say it? Plan and write an essay blah blah blah, etc. A hero can be anyone- someone who fights crime, one who stands up for another, and maybe even one who silently defends. In my opinion, and Im sure many would agree, a hero is one who defends, protects, and stands up for what he/she believes in. Whether they have braved physical danger or not, heroes come in all different types, include those who protect with words over actions. Therefore, a hero should also be defined as one who says what he/she thinks when others lack the courage. One of the finest examples of this is the ever famous black woman Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus in the times of racial segregation. Parks did what many other blacks were unable to do and stood up for her beliefs , that a black woman is no different than a white woman. She was spurned by the entire community of whites, yet she stuck to her beliefs and brought about change. To this day, she is hailed as a hero, even though she did not brave physical danger. Parks stood up for her beliefs when others lacked the courage to do so and is definitely a true American hero. Another example of a hero comes from a renowned piece of American literature, To Kill a Mockingbird . In this story, a lawyer by the name of Atticus Finch...
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...sufferings or emotions that the hero experiences. He has a 'tragic flaw' - this could be a personality trait (like greed, lust, ambition, jealousy, etc.), OR an error in judgement (a bad decision). This 'tragic flaw' leads to his downfall - usually ruins his career, reputation, power, etc. He is enlightened at the end of the story, meaning he realizes where he went wrong, he is humble, and he accepts the consequences . A tragic hero is a character in a work of fiction (often the protagonist) who commits an action or makes a mistake which eventually leads to his or her defeat. The idea of the tragic hero was created in ancient Greek tragedy and defined by Aristotle (and others). Usually, this includes the realization of the error (anagnorisis), which results in catharsis or epiphany. Aristotelian tragic hero Characteristics Aristotle once said that "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." An Aristotelian tragic hero must have four characteristics: Nobility (of a noble birth) or wisdom (by virtue of birth). Hamartia (translated as flaw, mistake, or error, not an Elizabethan tragic flaw). A reversal of fortune(peripetia) brought about because of the hero's Hamartia. The discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero's own actions (anagnorisis). Other common traits Some other common traits characteristic of a tragic hero: Hero must suffer more than he deserves. Hero must be doomed from the start,...
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...considered a classic example of a tragedy. The primary reason it is considered a tragedy is because he dies in the end and is unable to see the full outcome of his actions. However, the reason for his death was his tragic flaw of error in judgment. According to Aristotle a tragic hero must have certain characteristics that make him a tragic hero. For example the definition of a tragic hero is, “A character of noble stature and has greatness. They must occupy a high status position but must also embody nobility and virtue as part of his innate character.” (Litonline) This is exactly the type of person that hamlet portrays to be. Another characteristic of a tragic hero that Hamlet has is his downfall that is his own fault. This is a result of his free choice, which in fact was triggered by some error of judgment or some character flaw that contributed to his lack of perfection. Although Hamlet is depicted as being predominantly great, it is clearly evident at the end that he is not perfect. Although his fall is considered tragic because it resulted in death, his fall is not pure loss. Since there was some increase in awareness, gain in self-knowledge, and discovery on his part, his reason for doing what he did was not a waste of time because it had meaning that other people were able to learn from his errors. Although Hamlet arouses solemn emotion because of his death, tragedy is not meant to leave its audience in a state of depression. Aristotle argues that one function of tragedy...
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...Study smarter with the Course Hero app.Get the App Course Hero logo Study Resources By School By Subject By Standardized Tests By Book Tutors Get Homework Help My Questions About Tutors Become a Tutor Flashcards My Flashcards Find Flashcards Create Flashcards About Flashcards Sharing Upload Documents Create Q&As Balthesar My Dashboard My Account Invite & Earn Logout Sibille_W2.docx - Running Head: FREE SPEECH 1 Free Speech... Home Ashford University POL POL 303 Sibille_W2.docx Download Document1 - 3 of 7 This preview has blurred sections. Upgrade to View Full Document Running Head: FREE SPEECH 1 Free Speech Name: Allana Sibille POL303: The American Constitution Professor: Erin Olsen Telles September 18 th , 2015 Background image of page 1 FREE SPEECH 2 Free Speech According to the United States Bill of Rights, under the First Amendment, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise of thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances (ACLU, 2015). This is the American idea of what free speech is but it is entirely different. A modern misconception of free speech is that it’s not entirely free; state rulings on free speech issues whether stemming from the federal or state constitutions, are not included and they may come out differently (Winkler, 2009). According to Mahaffey...
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...Qualities of an Epic Story in The Notebook What is an epic? An epic, by definition, is the telling of an epic hero’s story through the vast journey and sacrifices he makes. The Notebook would be considered an epic for many reasons. Some may disagree and say it’s just a love story that contains no characteristics, and no proof of being an epic. But in this paper the characteristics of an epic will be explored through facts and examples from the text and from today’s present life and culture. The epic hero, Noah Hamilton in Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook states, “I am no one special, just a common man with common thoughts. I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me. And my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect, I've succeeded as gloriously as anyone who ever lived (The Notebook).” Some examples of the characteristics in The Notebook that proves this is an epic would include vast settings, the story begins in medias res, the characters have epic digressions and that the hero embodies the values of the culture. Because of how the story starts, media res would be considered the first characteristic of an epic that can be noticed in The Notebook. Our story begins at a nursing home in the south where Allie is being looked after due to her dementia. The nurse is in her room, attempting to have Allie come out and go outside for a little while until a mysterious man shows up. Now, we don’t know who this man is that has just entered her room, and we’re not...
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...Aristotle's Ideal Tragic Hero. Oedipus follows all of the rules, with a hamartia, an anagnorisis, and a peripeteia. The audience is introduced to the hamartia, or tragic flaw, of Oedipus early in the play. Oedipus believes he can dodge the oracle given to him at Delphi that he will kill his father and marry his mother. By leaving the city of Corinth and heading to Thebes, Oedipus thinks that he can outsmart the will that the gods have for him. However, the audience knows that one cannot run away from an oracle. The oracle will come true no matter what is done. Therefore, the hamartia of Oedipus is his belief that he can evade his oracle. Oedipus' anagnorisis, recognition, later comes when he is told that it was he who killed the former King Lauis and that he is, in fact, now married to his own mother. The city of Thebes had been searching for King Lauis' murderer in order to drive him out of Thebes to save the city from the plague. With this anagnorisis Oedipus is finally led to his peripeteia, or downfall. First of all, Oedipus is put to shame in front of his entire city because of his incestuous act of marrying his mother. But, more importantly, he realizes that he had not successfully avoided the oracle. In order to try to save himself he blinds himself. If he is not able to see the truth with his own eyes, he should not be able to enjoy the gift of sight. http://personal.monm.edu/ysample/aristotle.htm Oedipus follows ten of the points of Lord Raglan's Hero Pattern: Sophocles'...
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...Hamartia in Oedipus the King According to the Aristotelian characteristics of good tragedy, the tragic character should not fall due to either excessive virtue or excessive wickedness, but due to what Aristotle called hamartia. Hamartia may be interpreted as either a flaw in character or an error in judgement. Oedipus, the tragic character in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, certainly makes several such mistakes; however, the pervasive pattern of his judgemental errors seems to indicate a basic character flaw that precipitates them. Oedipus’ character flaw is ego. This is made evident in the opening lines of the prologue when he states "Here I am myself--you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." (ll. 7-9) His conceit is the root cause of a number of related problems. Among these are recklessness, disrespect, and stubbornness. Oedipus displays an attitude of recklessness and disrespect throughout the play. When he makes his proclamation and no one confesses to the murder of Laius, Oedipus loses patience immediately and rushes into his curse. Later, he displays a short temper to Tiresias: "You, you scum of the earth . . . out with it, once and for all!," (ll. 381, 383) and "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable--what, still alive? Get out--faster, back where you came from--vanish!" (ll. 490-492) If an unwillingness to listen may be considered stubbornness, certainly Oedipus would take advice from no one who would tell him to drop the matter of his...
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...collect this homework in Week One of Term One, 2014. All the best!! Failure to complete the required reading and activities will mean that you will be unprepared to begin the year and giving up time to complete the work afterschool. YEAR 11 ENGLISH UNIT 1 & 2 OUTLINE 2014 UNIT 1 Reading & Responding – Outcome 1 The Kite Runner - Text response essay (800 – 1000 words). Creating & Presenting – Outcome 2 Visual Text ‘Redfern Now’ - One written piece in an imaginative, persuasive or expository style (600 - 800 words) related to the context of Identity and Belonging + 2 hurdle tasks exploring imaginative, persuasive or expository styles. Language Analysis – Outcome 3 You will focus on the use of persuasive language techniques written articles and visual images. You will then produce a language and visual analysis essay. (600 – 800 words) Exam: Reading and Responding and Language Analysis - 2hrs 15mins • A reading and responding essay for The Kite Runner • A language and visual analysis essay on the issue studied in class UNIT 2 Reading & Responding – Outcome 1 The Crucible - Text response essay (800 – 1000 words) Creating & Presenting – Outcome 2 Minimum of Two – One written response in an imaginative, persuasive or expository style to a prompt (600 - 800 words) related to the context of Masculinity in Australia 70%. 1 Oral presentation on the context 30% Using Language to Persuade – Outcome 3 You will study a particular issue in class...
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...crowded during a play. Shakespeare wrote mainly tragedies by the end of the 16th century, including Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth. Aristotle's definition of a tragedy is that a tragedy is an imitation (mimesis) of an action that is morally admirable. Aristotle is a philosopher who wrote about poetry, poetry being epic, drama, and lyric for Aristotle, in his work “Poetics”. He said in his work that a tragedy should be composed by an introduction, a middle part and an ending. According to Aristotle the fable (mythos) is more important than the characters in the play. It is so because the purpose with the tragedy, according to Aristotle, is to make the audience feel pity (eleos) and fear (fobos) and as a result achieve an emotional cleansing(Catharsis). In order to bring those feelings to the audience the tragedy must be complex. The tragedy must involve a peripeteia, meaning that a great person experiences a turning point, a reversal of fortune. This turning point must be caused by a mistake, the tragic hero's mistake (hamartia). This reversal of fortune cannot be prevented but it is an unforeseen result of the mistake the tragic hero makes. The tragic hero must during the play achieve a revelation(anagnorisis) that means that the hero will go from not knowing to knowing, and that could be about anything. All these elements are what makes a tragedy a good tragedy according to Aristotle. In 1963 Gustav Freytag, a...
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...African Americans Heroes Shawn Okelley Taylor COM/150 04/28/2013 Lee Eubanks Who is a Hero? African American heroes have a great impact in our society and are often not recognized for their great achievements. What kind of life did they lead? What was some of the problems they faced? And what did they do to make them well known. So, What does define a Hero and Heroism in today’s society? Black History month has often spoken upon famous African-Americans such as Martin Luther King Jr., Booker T. Washington, Harriet Tubman and George Washington Carver. Those legendary figures are certainly worth celebrating, yet there have been many other African-American men and women who achieved significant milestones for their race, and made significant contributions to society, but get little attention today. Such people as: Hattie McDaniel, Guion Bluford, Edward Bouchet, Fritz Pollard, Oscar Micheaux, Madam C.J. Walker and James “Cool Papa” Bell. Hattie McDaniel was actually the first black person to win an Oscar in 1940. Halle Berry who is well known made headlines in 2002 when she became the first African American to win an Academy Award for best actress, for her role in Monster’s Ball. McDaniel’s Oscar winning performance was as the character Mammy in gone with the Wind she was also regarded as the first Africa American to sing on the radio in the United States. McDaniel has two stars on the Hollywood walk of Fame honoring both her singing and film careers....
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