Defining a Hero Essay - 2179 Words

To the world today, a hero is someone distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, or strength; but really, anyone can be a hero. A hero can vary from someone as well-known as George Washington to someone as unheard of as anyone’s very own mother. Someone who has done a good deed for someone else is hero. The biggest heroes are the ones in well-known books and plays, such as Odysseus from The Odyssey, or have made a huge difference in the history of this world, like Mahatma Gandhi. Siddhartha Gautama is a hero, but not in the same way Odysseus or Gandhi are. Although these three influential people went through different journeys in order to accomplish different things, they are all heroes in their own way and have been through the same†¦show more content†¦At the conclusion of his journey, Odysseus is a better person, having conquered his own mental restraints, and he returns home to use his new self-understanding of being a better king, husband, father, and son. O n the other hand, the journey of Siddhartha Gautama was spiritual, and he also met with several obstacles and crises. He had a family and had never seen the sickly, elderly, or dead before, and when he did, he immediately began to try to discover how to overcome suffering. The journey of Mahatma Gandhi was also spiritual. He was very faithful to God and his own country, even after facing so many troubles. He freed India from the British without the use of violence. Odysseus faced several obstacles and went through many tests on his way home from the Trojan War. Odysseus’ first obstacle—the Island of the Cicones—was because of his greed. He stopped here to raid it for supplies, and him and his men looted a lot of goods and split it amongst themselves. In spite of this, they were greedy, which compelled them to stay in town and collect every last bit they can; however, the Cicones attacked on horseback and killed 72 of Odysseus’ men. From this obstacle, he learns not to be greedy in victory. One of his most difficult trials was when he encountered the Island of the Cyclopes. He and his men found a Cyclops’ cave; however, they were trapped inside of it by Polyphemus, the Cyclops. (Necessary) ïÆ'   Odysseus could notShow MoreRelatedDefining the Tragic Hero Essay632 Words   |  3 PagesA tragic hero is the main character in a tragedy story. He is the main theme. He is the source behind the main issues of the plot and some major points maybe cleared by observing his actions and nature. The tragic hero is always larger than life, a person of action whose decisions determine the fate of others. He is a man who is superior then the average person, a character of noble stature and greatness. Though the tragic hero is pre-eminently great, he is not perfect. 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