Heroes - King Arthur & Hamlet

A hero has a purpose, he lives to achieve that purpose to defend what he thinks is right. He is greatly motivated and really stands by his beliefs and core values. He would even give his own life just to protect these beliefs. He is determined to overcome whatever obstacles he may come across. This bravery comes from a drive to do what he believes is right and just. According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, he is “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities” and adds, “He is one who shows great courage.”
We come across different kinds of heroes in each story we read. Each hero character is unique, but somehow people relate to that character and become one with it. As the hero is the center of each story, one also sees himself as a hero in his own life story.
Hamlet is a vengeful hero. He had a clear mission and that was to avenge his father’s death. He was determined to seek justice and searched for ways to stand by his belief. His very strong drive to prove Claudius was guilty led to a series of unfortunate events that resulted to death. Yes, he achieved purpose, his vengeance, but to what good? A great tragedy resulted from his acts; people were hurt and they ultimately died. Along the way, trust was also destroyed, the lies grew out of proportion and each character had an agenda. The lies and betrayal worsened as the story matured, more pain was caused. King Arthur, on the other hand was a wise and honorable man. In his quest for freedom, equality and peace he assembled the Knights of the Round Table. He valued fairness and that is why even himself as a king was not above anybody at the round table. He was also a forgiving man; King Arthur forgave Lancelot and Guinevere for their illicit affair. As the story progressed, we witness King Arthur being more determined to set things right. He was angry when he discovered Lancelot and Guinevere, he placed Excalibur in between Guinevere and Lancelot and that led to the success of Morgana’s plot of