The Real Heroes in Literature - 1890 Words

What images are associated with the words â€Å"hero†? A muscular Hercules saving the world from Hades? A knight in shining armor bravely riding into combat? Words like bravery, strength, pride, and self-sacrifice are commonly connected with a classic hero. But are those the only characteristics that make someone heroic? A dictionary definition of a hero is â€Å"a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities†; however, this is a very elastic definition and there are many other types and definitions of heroes depending on circumstances. Is there one that is correct? Do all heroes share any common characteristics? According to Orin E. Klapp, a hero is â€Å"a person, real or imaginary, who evokes the†¦show more content†¦Throughout the journey, Bilbo is able to defeat a few enemies, such as when he buys time during the troll incident, and helps the dwarves escape from the spiders; however, Diogo Gonà §alves, points out that â€Å"even when he starts becoming useful for the group†¦ he is humble; Bilbo doesn’t mock on those he defeats, as the classic hero tended to do† (44), rather the mockery is used to defeat the enemies. A clear example is the incident with the spiders, where he angers them by calling them offensive names in order to give the dwarves a chance to escape. Despite all these differences, Bilbo is still accepted as a hero in today’s society and does share some traits with the classic hero. One of the reasons I believe he is accepted in today’s society is because he is easy to relate to, demonstrating pleasure in his domestic lifestyle, but at the same time, possessing a natural curiosity and a desire to enjoy the occasional adventure outside his comfort zone. He also has the admirable quality of loyalty and persistence. Even when â€Å"the dwarves wanted to know why he had ever been brought at all, why he could not stick to his friends and come along with them, and why the wizard had not chosen someone with more sense, and that ‘He has been more trouble than use so far,’ said one† (Tolkien 44), Bilbo still stuck by their side and helped them to the best of his abilities. Just like the Cinderella hero, Bilbo was probably not the dwarves’ first choiceShow MoreRelatedLiterary Vs. Real Life Heroes1618 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"What makes a hero different in literature compared to real life heroes?† The heroes in literature works can be traced back through centuries of stories. A hero is usually seen as the â€Å"good† guy or the savior. They exhibit heroic behaviors. A literary hero can be critiqued into many different forms of literary heroes. Real life heroes are people in everyday life that do nobel exhibits in everyday life that people see as heroic. Both literary and real life heros have some similarities and differencesRead MoreRole and evolution of the hero in literature1472 Words   |  6 Pagesyes, but in literature, it can be controversial. A hero in literature is generally portrayed as a man of action rather than thought. He exceeds ordinary men in skill, strength, and courage and his usual occupations are war and dangerous adventures. Surrounded by noble peers, he is ruled by honor and pride and is ruthless towards his enemies. His responses are generally predictable and his inability to decline a challenge can sometimes get him into trouble. The appearance of heroes in literatureRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pages Heroic stories in English literature have unmatched fame because of the traits that the heroes exude. Both Sir Gawain, from â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† translated by Marie Borroff, and Beowulf, from Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, serve as heroes in different times of Medieval English Literature. Many of the basic principles that describe heroes in Medieval Literature are seen in both of these characters even though they were written in different times. There are distinct similaritiesRead MoreThe Major Works of Thomas Carlyle Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pages The literature of Victorian England is infused with the scientific as well as the humanitarian spirit, the romantic as well as the didactic note. It was essentially an Age of Prose- the direct influence of the growth in science and the questioning spirit -with great progress in critical prose wri ting. 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TheRead MoreThe Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde1317 Words   |  6 Pagesdouble life. However, not all heroes have an alter-ego; for example, mythological heroes like Hercules, or epic heroes like Beowulf. And unfortunately, not all heroes are worthy of recognition. Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde falls under this category. Mr. Gray is a well-liked individual who turns evil and manipulative by the end of the novel. Characters like him should not be idolized. Although there are certain characters in all genres of literature that should not be consideredRead MoreEssay on Hero831 Words   |  4 Pagesdisillusioned to the identity of real hero’s and instead praise celebrities as such. Over time though I gained knowledge and personal insight of what a real hero is. A real hero is a person who is strong and just and stands up for what is right instead of what is popular. But each indivi duals definition of a hero is different and everyone, in a sense, could be someone else’s hero if they had the chance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The hero used to be the one in white. Now he is harder to spot.† Heroes are everywhere; it justRead MoreBeowulf Anti Hero Essay1599 Words   |  7 Pageswas the same Beowulf who risked his life and the life of brecca in a swimming match for no reason but to prove who could swim the the longest. Fights for Money Beowulf he fights for many reasons a couple of these are money, fame, respect and glory. Real heros do not fight for these reasons, Hero’s fight to protect the people they love and those who can not defend themselves. Beowulf does not fight for the reasons a hero does, Beowulf fights for reasons of a mercenary. A mercenary is a warrior for