Grrek Mythology Heroes
Q) In what ways are Perseus and Heracles typical heroes? In what way are they not typical?
In the realm of Greek myth, it is the focus on heroes rather than of Gods themselves that humanises the myth. Although Gods may operate in the background it is the human traits such as worth, dignity and potential that holds the main focus. The heroes of Greek myth share certain characteristics or experiences. Some of these include a divine parent or ancestor, physical strength, a performance of seemingly “impossible feats” and an encounter with divine powers. Although the hero has his own characteristics, he will typically follow a traditional pattern throughout his life. Both the work of mythographer Lord Raglan and the Russian folkorist Vladimir Propp have identified characteristics of heroes. This paper will look at the characteristics of heroes, then by following the lives of both Perseus and Heracles show how they confirm to the pattern then differ from that of a typical hero.
The Greek heroes’ adventures follow a typical pattern. In the book by Stephen Harris and Gloria Platzner titled Classical Mythology the pattern is broken down for us to follow. The hero is often born in an unusual or unnatural form. While still in infancy, the hero will survive an attempt on his life. The hero can quite often have two fathers, a divine real one and a mortal father figure. He will often face threats from the mortal father figure, which will lead to hostility. On reaching adulthood, the hero will either crave adventure or be sent on a mission that not only acts as a journey of discovery about himself, his society and universe but also to test his powers. In all cases, the hero is not expected to succeed. It is while on this quest that the hero will become isolated and must do battle with monsters or creatures and overcome almost impossible odds. To have success on his mission, the hero will often venture down to the Underworld or visit death in the face. It is here that the
In the realm of Greek myth, it is the focus on heroes rather than of Gods themselves that humanises the myth. Although Gods may operate in the background it is the human traits such as worth, dignity and potential that holds the main focus. The heroes of Greek myth share certain characteristics or experiences. Some of these include a divine parent or ancestor, physical strength, a performance of seemingly “impossible feats” and an encounter with divine powers. Although the hero has his own characteristics, he will typically follow a traditional pattern throughout his life. Both the work of mythographer Lord Raglan and the Russian folkorist Vladimir Propp have identified characteristics of heroes. This paper will look at the characteristics of heroes, then by following the lives of both Perseus and Heracles show how they confirm to the pattern then differ from that of a typical hero.
The Greek heroes’ adventures follow a typical pattern. In the book by Stephen Harris and Gloria Platzner titled Classical Mythology the pattern is broken down for us to follow. The hero is often born in an unusual or unnatural form. While still in infancy, the hero will survive an attempt on his life. The hero can quite often have two fathers, a divine real one and a mortal father figure. He will often face threats from the mortal father figure, which will lead to hostility. On reaching adulthood, the hero will either crave adventure or be sent on a mission that not only acts as a journey of discovery about himself, his society and universe but also to test his powers. In all cases, the hero is not expected to succeed. It is while on this quest that the hero will become isolated and must do battle with monsters or creatures and overcome almost impossible odds. To have success on his mission, the hero will often venture down to the Underworld or visit death in the face. It is here that the
Bibliography: Campbell, J. The Hero With a Thousand Faces. (Cleveland, 1968). Harris, S. L. & Platzner G. Classical Mythology (New York, 2004). http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/persons/p/Perseus.htm accessed 21st August 2006-08-30 http://www.dibonsmith.com/per con.htm accessed 21st August 2006-08-30 http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/bdodge/scaffold/GG/heracles.html accessed 23rd August 2006.