Marissa Mechling Mrs. Kehl Western Classics Literary Analysis 1 Due: 22 March 2012 Odysseus: Epic Hero or Not? What is a hero you may ask? Merriam-Webster states that a hero is a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one who shows great courage; the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work; the central figure in an event‚ period‚ or
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An epic hero is a hero who has strength‚ courage‚ and a desire to achieve immortality. The hero Beowulf of Geatland‚ son of Higlac‚ is the most epic hero there ever was. His strength was like no other man before him. His courage surpassed all of those who came after him. His burning desire to achieve immortality was greater than all of his peers. On various occasions he demonstrates all of the qualities and proves why his name has survived the course of time. The word strength means having the
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when deciding whether or not a character is an epic hero. The hero must be of noble birth or a high position‚ his actions often display courage and superhuman deeds‚ the setting is vast‚ the hero must be known nationally or internationally for his heroism‚ the hero must have humility‚ and the hero must face a supernatural foe (Characteristics of Epic Heroes) These characteristics match the poem of Beowulf and can be used to show that he is an epic hero. For example‚ In Sean Heaney’s‚ Beowulf: A New
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Shrek as an Epic Hero Although most people find the film “Shrek” to be just a comical film‚ it actually fulfills the requirements needed to prove that Shrek is indeed an epic hero. “Shrek” is a 2001 computer-animated fantasy-comedy film based on William Steig’s fairytale picture book‚ “Shrek!” He has all the characteristics of an epic hero archetype‚ regardless of his hideous and vulgar appearance as an ogre. Shrek is brave‚ loyal‚ and lives up to the standards our society expects and appreciates
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Beowulf as an Epic Hero An epic hero is the central figure who has superior qualities and risks personal danger to pursue a grand quest. Beowulf is a great epic hero because he performs many brave deeds such as risking his life for the greater good of society‚ and is significant and glorified by all people. Beowulf displays all of these heroic characteristics in many situations throughout the poem. Beowulf boasts and boasts about all of his great doings‚ but in the end he proves to everyone that
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Jesus – the Epic Hero Although the Bible’s description of Jesus and his crucifixion has not been changed‚ the perception of the people about Jesus has been changing throughout the ages. The poem “The Dream of the Rood” is good example of a unique view of Jesus and his crucifixion. The poem is referred as “one of the first and most successful treatments of the crucifixion” in Old English poetry (Burrow 123). The poem consists of a mixture of Christian and epic elements and has a very unique style
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heroes was Theseus. Like many heroes Theseus went on a quest and killed a monster and people respected for his braveness. Also‚ like other heroes he had a tragic death. For these reasons Theseus was definitely a epic hero. Theseus was born with high expectations. Theseus is a epic hero because of his quest when he got sent to kill the minotaur. The minoans lived on the island of Crete. One day Prince Theseus was tired of the Minotaur so he set off to kill him. His father begged him not to go but
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Search for “epic hero” in the dictionary‚ and the definition reads: “a brave and noble character in an epic poem‚ admired for great achievements or affected by grand events” (“epic hero”). Scan the page a little further‚ preferably just underneath it‚ and the name Beowulf appears. Beowulf has come to be the embodiment of an epic hero in society for his ability to exhibit not only one‚ but all traits of a hero in the epic proportion. Although Beowulf’s story remains evident‚ the relevance of his heroic
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The Qualities of an Epic Hero The epic poem Beowulf is the earliest surviving masterpiece of English literature. The poem spins a tale of the adventures of Beowulf‚ a Scandinavian warrior of approximately the seventh century. Beowulf is described as the epitome of an epic hero who fights for his people and vanquishes evil with his extraordinary abilities in order to bring peace and justice to others. An epic hero is often characterized by a specific set of traits or qualities that he or she possesses
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Beowulf was an epic story written over 1000 years ago. Stories have to be in a certain form in order to be considered an epic. First of all epics started out just being stories passed from generation to generation to pass the time. However‚ as years went by they were used to show morals‚ teach lessons‚ and still to entertain the audience in even more ways. Beowulf is a perfect example of an epic. In the earlier years it was told just to tell‚ but now it is used to not only tell a story but to teach
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