WHATWHAT IS A IS A HERO?HERO?

Hero, in the original Greek sense, means a demigod – the offspring of a god and a mortal. But, in a broader sense, a hero is one who stands out from ordinary men as one who embodies the values or ideals of a particular culture.

Because values or ideals change according to place and time, the qualities of a hero change also. Thus, what is admired and imitated in one age or place may be considered unimportant or even perceived as negative in another era or location.

HEROHERO as a as a

CHANGING CONCEPTCHANGING CONCEPT

Heroes contribute to society’s necessary business of reproducing itself and its values. In helping to pattern the relationships among basic beliefs, values, and behaviors that organize social interaction, heroes produce a common social understanding of new social conditions. As values alter, so does our literature, so do our movies, so do the qualities of our mythical heroes.

Recent Hero MythsRecent Hero Myths Take the film The Dark Knight, for instance. It certainly reflects some of the primary political and social concerns of contemporary America. In doing so, it also presents the struggle of values Americans are up against. In the fight for a society to reproduce itself and its values, it must first define its values – determine a vision for what it ultimately wants to achieve. Contemporary America is now undecided. In today’s world, violence is reality. Fear is real. Corruption is constant. Do we, as a society, fight for ideals with truth and authenticity, or do we turn a blind eye to some of the questionable means used on the path to find them? The film presents two heroes to address the duality of our society’s value system.

The Development of Heroes The Development of Heroes Through the YearsThrough the Years

Perseus, the HERO who decapitated Medusa, willing relinquished the powerful weapon and gave it to Athena. His heroic feats also include rescuing Andromeda from a sea creature, defeating numerous archaic monsters ,and providing the founding myths in the cult of the TWELVE OLYMPIANS. He was a warrior, who did what was best for his land.

Greek heroes, coming from a warrior culture, were men of strength and courage. Although “larger than life,” in the sense that they were often half-gods, they were not immortal. But through their superhuman deeds and sufferings here on earth they achieved a type of immortality.

Old English / Anglo-Saxon Period

As with Greek culture, the OLD ENGLISH period honors the warrior hero. Beowulf, from the Old English epic of that name, embodies qualities the Anglo-Saxons held in high esteem: courage, loyalty to king and to fellow warrior, the ability to perform superhuman deeds.

The Medieval Period

King Arthur and his knights embody the ideals of the Medieval Period:

•Courage

•Loyalty to God and to King

•Chivalrous behavior toward women and the helpless.

Renaissance Period

A courtier whose versatility led him to excel in art, literature, diplomacy, warfare, and everything else, is a hero of this period.

Leonardo da Vinci is an example of such an “UNIVERSAL MAN.”

Romantic Period

Lord Byron himself is the paradigm for the British Romantic Hero, most often known as the BYRONIC HERO. Such a hero does not possess “heroic virtue” in the usual sense. He is often isolated, moody, sensitive, and rebellious. However, he also possesses courage and a fascination for others.

The American Pioneer

The early American hero, a pioneer like Daniel Boone perhaps, shows the values of a new country: courage, desire to enter into the unknown, willingness to endure hardships, need to be independent.

A Changing STANDARD:The American Romantic Hero

Consider the American Romantic Hero and how we, as a society, have re-invented the concept of a rebellious outcast who stands for the rights of the individual, who resists conformity, and who finds himself connected to a vision greater than himself. Such a hero is a constant in American culture, but his specific vision changes time-after-time to stay true to the period.

Modern Literature Modern Literature American Romantic HeroesAmerican Romantic Heroes

McMurphy’s sacrifice and Chief’s courage against oppressive authority

Hester Prynne’s refusal to abdicate her personal dignity or to shirk personal responsibility

Even our archetypal literary heroes Even our archetypal literary heroes have changed to fit the times. have changed to fit the times.

Consider the definition of a TRAGIC HEROConsider the definition of a TRAGIC HERO

Aristotle Arthur Miller

Aristotelian Tragic Hero

TRAGIC HEROES ARE:     BORN INTO NOBILITY:

RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN FATE

ENDOWED WITH A TRAGIC FLAW

DOOMED TO MAKE A SERIOUS ERROR IN JUDGEMENT

EVENTUALLY, TRAGIC HEROES   FALL FROM GREAT HEIGHTS OR HIGH ESTEEM

REALIZE THEY HAVE MADE AN IRREVERSIBLE MISTAKE

FACE AND ACCEPT DEATH WITH HONOR

MEET A TRAGIC DEATH

FOR ALL TRAGIC HEROES

THE AUDIENCE IS AFFECTED BY PITY and/or FEAR

Arthur Miller’s Common Man Tragic Hero

Arthur Miller , an American author most known for plays such as Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, argues that a tragic hero need not be of high social standing. He asserts the value in the common man hero. A man with flaws, with meekness. What makes this man a hero is his desire and willingness to fight to maintain his own personal dignity.

There are, however, There are, however, CONSTANTS CONSTANTS

in HERO MYTHS…in HERO MYTHS…

HUMANISM, NATIONALISM, AND INDIVIDUALISM

GOOD VS. EVIL

HERO HUNGER

What motivates the hero myth?What motivates the hero myth?

Humanism, nationalism, and individual or family pride are three suggested indicators of mythical heroes’ characterization.

Humanism speaks of man as the center of all things, of the entire universe.

Nationalism believes that a particular nation or culture is the best.

Finally, each man desires to believe that his family, indeed he himself, embodies all the qualities of a hero.

So, hero myths exalt the individual, the nation, and the entire human race.

Heroes NEED monsters. Heroes NEED monsters. They would not exist without the They would not exist without the

proverbial DRAGON. proverbial DRAGON.

Need to Survive?What do Heroes

Society functions on a constant

battle between good and evil. This battle defines any given society. It doesn’t matter

what the evil is, as long as there is an evil against which to fight, against which to unite.

MONSTERS provide purpose.

Consider 1984’s Emanuel Goldstein, for example

A Society’s ULTIMATE VILLAIN

Hero HungerOur need to feed on Heroes…What they give us…

The Hunger for Heroes

Not everyone can be a hero. That fact is obvious in the very definition of the term.

But, everyone craves a hero. We look for heroes. We push for heroes. We root for heroes. We celebrate heroes.

Without them, we lose faith and hope and promise.

Without them, life is ordinary and without purpose

HEROESProvide inspiration – They remind us what

it means to be good. They show courage against all odds.

They determine tradition and define our roles.

They represent us. They are what we want to be. They show us that there is HOPE. They give us faith in a better future.

STUDENT RESPONSE….HWSTUDENT RESPONSE….HW

Who defines heroic action?

What role do heroes play in society? What void do they fill in the individual?

On what do they feed?

What is their ultimate function?