Here are some thoughts on heroes based on the reading: Heroes are defined by the societies and cultures that create them. What is considered heroic changes over time based on shifting values and ideals. Heroes embody the best of a culture and play an important role in reproducing a society's values across generations by inspiring emulation. On an individual level, heroes fill our psychological need for hope, purpose, and role models. They represent the idealized version of ourselves that we strive to emulate. They also provide a sense of unity against a common threat or struggle. Hero myths feed on the human hunger for meaning, hope, and inspiration. They allow us to vicariously experience overcoming challenges through courageous and self-

1. WHATWHAT IS AIS 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.

2. HEROHERO
as aas 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.

3. 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.

4. The Development of HeroesThe Development of Heroes
Through the YearsThrough the Years

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.”

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Modern LiteratureModern 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

13. Even our archetypal literary heroesEven 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. There are, however,There are, however,
CONSTANTSCONSTANTS
in HERO MYTHS…in HERO MYTHS…
HUMANISM, NATIONALISM, AND INDIVIDUALISM
GOOD VS. EVIL
HERO HUNGER

17. 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.

18. Heroes NEED monsters.Heroes NEED monsters.
They would not exist without theThey would not exist without the
proverbial DRAGON.proverbial DRAGON.
Need to Survive?What do Heroes

19. 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.

20. Consider 1984’s Emanuel
Goldstein, for example
A Society’s
ULTIMATE VILLAIN

21. Hero Hunger
Our need to feed on Heroes…What they give us…

22. 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

23. HEROES
Provide 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.

24. 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?