Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys. The greatest value of Beowulf is his bravery, some may say bravado. There is no doubt that he is a great warrior. Beowulf's heroism belongs to a different time than that of King Arthur or Sir Gawain.
Abraham the father of the nation of Israel has lived such a different live than Odysseus the emblem of heroism but even though throughout Abrahams live he proves over and over again that he is also worthy of being called an Epic Hero. Every great hero is well known for his military tactics. Tactics that not just save people’s live but are genius in idea. Odysseus shows his brilliance when he saves his men from Cyclops or when he comes up with the idea of the Trojan Horse . Abraham had to save his nephew Lot, Genesis describes Abraham as “wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold”, the Bible says that he had donkeys and camel.
Gilgamesh was a famous epic hero for various different reasons. Gilgamesh was a strong powerful leader who was two thirds God and one third human. Throughout the Epic of Gilgamesh he shows intelligence, skills, valor and reverence. One reason he was a hero is how he goes fearlessly into battle. He goes fearlessly into battle when he fights the powerful beast Humbaba, as well as when Ishtar tells Anu to release the mighty bull to trample Gilgamesh.
He defeats the evil spirit, and peace is restored to the culture. In The Illiad heroes were humans, male or female, of the remote past, endowed with superhuman abilities and descended from the immortal gods themselves. The prime example is Akhilleus, more commonly known as Achilles in the English tradition. This, the greatest hero of the Iliad, was the son of Thetis, a sea-goddess known for her broad cosmic powers.In The Aneid ,one of the most significant ways in which Virgil reflects the unique ideals of a Roman hero is through his use of certain parallels. It seems that Virgil is inviting the reader to recourse back to Homer in order to highlight the contrast between Aeneas and Homeric heroes like Thetis in the Illiad.
In the two epics I am familiar with (Beowulf and Odysseus), both “heroes” were originally driven by their own hubris, ego, and self-admiration. Yet, as they progressed throughout the story, they found that they are no longer propelled by themselves and their ideals, rather, the values of the civilization or purer intentions all-together. The interesting thing about epics is the incorporation of the struggle between man and god. In Greek epics, some gods help the hero on his quest, for example, Athena aiding Odysseus on his journey home. Nevertheless, there always stands that one deity who someone just had to piss off.
Every society/culture since the creation of man has created this type of hero to embody the values and mores of that time period. To be thought of as an epic hero the character must be endowed with specific traits. A few of these traits are: having great stature, always larger than life, have traits most valued by that society (i.e. tremendous courage, humility, super human strength.) a quick wit accompanied by extraordinary intelligence and a perspicacity for the journeys he must endure and the adversaries that he will have to thwart.
Amelia Vanden Berghe Honors English December 16, 2009 Odysseus is considered an epic hero in the poem The Odyssey because he exerts the same characteristics as an epic hero. He has to overcome seemingly impossible challenges, he displays great resourcefulness, but most importantly despite the dangerous obstacles he faces he never loses courage and he uses his bravery and knowledge to get him home, where he needs to be. In the beginning of the story he can’t seem to decide whether or not going home is the right choice. Many of the obstacles he faced seemed like the outcome wouldn’t come out in his favor but because he had faith and intelligence the outcomes weren’t as bad as expected. Odysseus suffers from three different
As a hero, the Anglo-Saxons made Beowulf have certain hero characteristics. Today we still have heroes that have the same characteristics because authors took the image of Beowulf and created other super-natural heroes. Beowulf was a warrior and a king that showed great courage and he was admired by his own people and King Hrothgar. Epic heroes are social icons and they are imposing in stature, physically and socially. Their style is grand, yet simple, and they have super-human strength and they also face super-natural forces.
“Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love?” 2. “Do you promise to honour and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?” 3. “Do you take (bride's/groom’s name) to be your lawful wedded wife/husband to have and behold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?” This is an opportunity for the soon-to-be married to demonstrate their commitment to each other, in words and in front of witnesses. The more or less obligatory answer for these questions is ‘yes’ or ‘I do’. What vows are made?
The character Oedipus accommodates the first aspect of the definition of a tragic hero. Oedipus is of noble birth; he is the son of a king and a king himself. Oedipus also shows virtue, nobility, and morality throughout the play. The people of Thebes look towards Oedipus for guidance time and time again, because of these reasons. Oedipus saves the citizens from the totalitarian rule of the Sphinx, by solving the difficult and complicated riddle.