A Stereotypical Epic Hero - 848 Words

â€Å"Values honor, succeeds in war, excels in skill, accepts challenges, and ultimately achieves a set goal† are all expectations of a stereotypical epic hero (Lombard). Throughout literature, many notable men earned the title of an epic hero, but women remained overlooked and unappreciated. The wife of the great conquer of the Trojan War, Penelope, endures many trials and tribulations as she cares to the kingdom, all the while her husband is presumably deceased. Odysseus faces a tremendously life-changing journey, as he fights the gods for a way home. The entire kingdoms fate lies in the hands and knowledge of Penelope, as the lustful suitors invade her sacred home. Penelope showcased her profound cleverness and wit as she outsmarted the suitors and saved her home until her husband returned. Odysseus sailed from Ithica to fight the Trojan War, but his journey far exceeded the present expectation. Along his fight back to Ithica, he faced many monsters and dangers, but he cont inued to carry on because he longed for the day that would reunite his family. As the years passed, Penelope never once faltered at her oath to love, cherish and remain faithful to her husband (Bastin). â€Å"Do I stay beside my son and keep all things secure †¦or do I follow, at last, the best man who courts me†; Penelope would reach out to her close family to ask for guidance because even a hero knows to seek advice from others (Homer 498). The return of Odysseus would not come for twenty years, but theShow MoreRelatedBeowulf - Profile of an Epic Hero Essay617 Words   |  3 PagesEpic Beowulf A hero, in the traditional sense of the word, is generally a protagonist in a story whose overwhelming power is the only which can defeat the evil of the day. In a classic example of this comes Beowulf, a novel adaptation of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem by Robert Nye. The main character and namesake of the story is Beowulf, an adventurous young hero. When he hears the tales of the monster Grendel that terrorizes the Danish kingdom, he immediately has the urge to lend his assistanceRead Morean analysis of the qualifications of an Epic Hero887 Words   |  4 PagesAn epic hero is someone who goes down in history as being brave, courageous, and obviously heroic. They don’t have to be asked to save the day, and often times, they aren’t even saving their own people. There are several epic poems that come to mind when thinking about European culture and where it came from. These stories are held as sacred to many different people, and will always be studied whenever the topic of government or culture comes up. In these poems, or stories, there is always a heroRead MoreAnalysis Of Grendel And The Epic Of Beowulf 1294 Words   |  6 PagesMerriam Webster defines a hero as a person who is admired for great or brave acts and defines a villain as a character who does bad things. These definitions may not be so indubitable as John Gardner takes a hero and villain to a whole new level in his novel, Grendel. Throughout the years of novels and short stories, heroes and villains have been constructed as strictly good versus evil, but what if there is good in evil and evil in good? Grendel and the epic, Beowulf, revolve around this idea ofRead MoreTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf997 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf is an epic poem that was written in Old English in between the 8th and 11th century. King Hrothgar who rules the Danes, is being tormented by this beast called, Grendel. For some time now, Grendel has been attacking Heorot Hall, a mead-hall, and has been killing off many of the Danish soldiers and sometimes even devouring some. The king didn’t seem able to protect the people in his village from this great demon. Until, one day, Beowulf shows up and actually offers to help King Hrothgar byRead MoreBeowulf : A Medieval Plot Twist867 Words   |  4 Pagesthat modern readers have come to expect of a medieval hero. He is loyal, brave, pious, what stubborn while at the same time he displays traits that represent the anti-hero. He exemplifies both the hero and the anti-hero. Beowulf truly is something for everyone. The epic poem bearing the name of the erstwhile hero is the bellwether for epic poetry; it and Homer?s works are the standards that all epic poems are compared. The epic tale of the hero Beowulf differs for the generic formula taking the medievalRead MoreThe Hero Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh911 Words   |  4 Pagesmodern culture we are used to the stereotypical, sympathetic hero; the Batmans and Supermans who lose their p arents in tragic circumstances and devote their lives to vanquishing evil. That however, is not the way heroes have always been portrayed. When we look at The Epic of Gilgamesh we see the archetype of every hero since, however, we are not overcome with a desire to see Gilgamesh succeed. On the hand, if we fast forward two thousand years and look at a hero from Africa named Sundiata who isRead MoreBeowulf, An Anglo Saxon Epic Poem1316 Words   |  6 PagesBeowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem, contains several rhetorical strategies. The poem follows the life of a noble warrior named Beowulf while he quests to live up to his father’s name. In the poem, Beowulf overcame many obstacles primarily those of which involved battling supernatural creatures. Epic poems were generally written during the Anglo-Saxon era. They are commonly written in an elevated style in order to glorify the deeds of a legendary hero or god. Literary works during the Anglo-Saxon eraRead MoreHeroes : The Green Knight And Oedipus1156 Words   |  5 Pages A hero is seen as a selfless and courageous individual who saves the day. Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, once said â€Å"the hero is the man of self achieved submission.† A hero must also go through the twelve stages which include: call to adventure, assistance/departure, trials, approach, crisis, treasure, result, returning to their ordinary world, new life, resolution and returning to status quo. Heroes such as Beowulf, The Green Knight and Oedipus, are all seen as heroes for different reasonsRead MoreOdyssey Archetype Analysis850 Words   |  4 PagesArchetypes in â€Å"The Odyssey†and Greek culture Homer’s epic poem is one of the most prolific, intriguing adventure stories ever written. His exceptional use of archetypes adds anticipation and excitement throughout the entire poem. This story has a mix of adventure, suspense, love, and loss. All of these features are archetypes that are shown in Homer’s epic poem. Greek culture is also a big part of the archetypes in this poem as well. The 3 archetypes that I chose are some of the most frequently seenRead MoreExamples Of Archetypes In The Odyssey1002 Words   |  5 PagesHomer’s epic poem is one of the most prolific, intriguing adventure stories ever written. His exceptional use of archetypes adds anticipation and excitement throughout the entire poem. This story has a mix of adventure, suspense, love, and loss. All of these features are archetypes that are shown in Homer’s epic poem. Greek culture is a big part of the archetypes in this poem as well. The three archetypes that I chose are some of the most frequently seen archetypes in adventurous stories or poems