In classical traditions an epic hero is said to be not only a person of great virtues, but someone who is also capable of deeds beyond any commoner’s capacity. An epic hero is humble about anything and everything with their name to it no matter the enormity of such things. In the Western television miniseries Lonesome Dove, contrary to the belief that Agustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call are both epic heroes, only Gus is able to prove himself as one. Since it’s also established by classical traditions that no two heroes can “battle the same foe”, who in this case is Blue Duck, only one epic hero can exist. Gus and Call are BOTH two of the greatest Texas Rangers to exist and although Call does seem like a very “capable” man, Gus is the one who …show more content…
When Peach leaves after demanding Sheriff July Johnson to go down to Texas and arrest Jake, Roscoe becomes worried about this trip and informs July about Will and Call, “Them friends of Jake Spoon’s. They’re two of the most famous Texas Rangers ever lived, did you know that?”. July nods at Roscoe in agreement; the names of Will and Call weren’t even mentioned and both knew exactly who they were and what they had done in their past. This is part of what makes Gus an epic hero, his national heroism; in order to be an epic hero a person “must first be recognized in his home country as a great and heroic person”. In Gus’s case he is known for killing off many Indians and establishing himself as one of the most successful Texas Rangers to exist. After spending many years fighting Indians and bandits it comes as no surprise that Gus has acquired great combat skills which he showcases in two important scenes of the miniseries. In episode 2 of Lonesome Dove when Gus goes looking for Lorena who has been kidnapped by Blue Duck, he finds himself ambushed by Monkey John, Dog Face, and the band of Kiowa. Although Gus is caught off guard, he quickly jumps on his horse and …show more content…
The fact that Gus goes back to rescue Lorena even though he was almost killed by Monkey John, Dog Face, and the band of Kiowa, already shows how much courage he has, not typical of any commoner. What really proves him to be capable of great deeds is when he successfully saves Lorena from the group. In this scene of episode 3 he is with July Johnson, Roscoe, Joe and Janey when he discovers Blue Duck’s camp along the Canadian River. Gus intends to go down to save Lorena not before July insists that he would be joining him. Gus doesn’t like this idea and would rather for him to stay behind and take care of his group, he tells July “I’d rather you stay with your party, Mister Johnson. You’ve got these two young people to think about”. Gus feels strongly about killing Blue Duck and saving Lorena so he doesn’t want anyone else to suffer because of what HE wants to do. Even though July does end up joining Gus in saving Lorena, Gus takes care of the whole situation by himself in a very short time by killing everyone in his sight. He leaves July in awe as he tells Gus “You killed the whole bunch. I didn’t even shoot”, with this he proves himself capable of deeds out of the reach of any commoner. This is probably the most important characteristic of an epic hero; another trait which Call does not possess. The only big “deed” which could be said