Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Hero?
Heroes are often remembered as those who surmounted great odds and fought against overwhelming odds to achieve a noble cause. Heroes act as the conscience of humanity and the symbol for justice. The word “HERoes” is derived from the Greek root word “hume,” which means “honor.” Heroes are also the protectors of their villages and communities.
A hero is a fictional person, a protagonist, or a prominent main fictional character who, against insurmountable odds and in the face of unbelievable danger, fights adversity through incredible courage, ingenuity, or just plain strength. Just like other historically solely gender-defined terms, such as hero, girl, and villain, hero has been used to describe any gender, although here only refers to girls. Most commonly depicted heroes in popular culture are men. Modern literature most often depictsheroes. In some fairy tales, the princess is sometimes identified as a hero because of her purity or her exceptional beauty; other stories indicate that a prince is the hero because he is the most eligible mate for the fairy princess.
One of the most common characteristics of classical heroes is their exceptional skills and talents. These include skills in sports, arts, war, medicine, and arts. The most famous classical hero, Hector, had an exceptionally good athletic ability, horsemanship, and an unmatched courage that were expressed in his battle with Hector, a Trojan prince. In his play, The Merchant of Venice, Hero Achilles fights and kills the Trojan prince Hector after a lengthy conflict.
In modern times, the most notable characteristic of classical heroes is their exceptional qualities, usually shown in their outstanding skill or talent in a particular area. For example, Alexander the Great was a Macedonian conqueror who conquered vast territories for his country. However, his greatest battle achievements were in the realm of Greek politics where he helped to establish the Greek polis (rule of the city-state of Greece). Another great example of an exceptional athlete is Hercules, who was very skilled in war. In fact, his skills and abilities were so great that when he was being held prisoner by the Greek city-state of Troy, he climbed atop a Hector’s chariot and dashed past the guards to reach safety.
Although many modern heroes are not originally from Greek Mythology, they may still have many attributes of these ancient heroes. They may still have courage and bravery and exhibit a sense of honor and responsibility. Their goals may be to protect the innocent, to do good in the community, and to be the “keeper of gods’ treasure, the virgin Sally.” Sometimes they are depicted as making heroic sacrifices for their friends or loved ones, but most commonly they are depicted as having great success in life despite the hardships they experience. This suggests that although these heroes are not originally Greek, they can be considered true Greeks by virtue of their ability to excel in life despite obstacles.
The word “hero” itself means “one who struggles or works hard.” This definition is almost incomplete without the concept of a hero. Modern use of the word hero usually invokes images of great athletes and other strong individuals, especially those that are depicted as successful in some sport. These typically are not the type of heroes found in Greek mythology. Instead, the modern use of the word hero typically refers to a person who displays an ability that is outside the norm and is able to surmount seemingly insurmountable odds. A modern day hero may be a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer, but they are almost always seen as a normal human being with a set of normal, reasonable, androgynous traits.