"Merriam Webster dictionary defines a hero as 'a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities'."
The qualities of a heroic character, including bravery, courage, and selflessness.
Epic Poetry: The poetry form in which epic heroes and their journey are narrated.
The Archetypal Hero: Characterized by unique traits and qualities that define a hero in literature and mythology.
The Hero's Journey: The path that defines the hero's progression throughout the story, commonly divided into three stages: departure, initiation, and return.
Epic Themes: The universal themes that are often explored in epic literature, such as fate, honor, and glory.
Setting: The geographical and historical contexts in which epic tales are set, such as ancient Greece, medieval Europe or Fantasy realms.
Characters: The major and minor characters that populate the epic story world, including heroes, gods, monsters, and villains.
Symbolism: The use of symbols and metaphorical representations in epic literature.
Epic Structure: The literary structure of epic narratives, typically featuring long and complex plotlines, abundant descriptive passages, and thematic objectives.
Historical Background: Understanding the historical and social contexts in which epic poetry emerged and evolved.
Mythology and Religion: Insights into the mythological and religious beliefs that inspire epic literature and help shape its content.
Language and Style: The language and literary style that define epic poetry and set it apart from other genres.
Global Perspectives: Exploring epic literature across cultures and discovering similarities and differences in traditions and storytelling.
Comparative Analysis: Analyzing epic texts and identifying patterns and themes that recur across works and cultures.
Critical Reception: Examining how different audiences and scholars have interpreted and evaluated epic literature over time.
Contemporary adaptations: Understanding how epic literature continues to inspire and influence modern literature, film, and media.
Epic heroism: This type of heroism is characterized by a protagonist who possesses extraordinary physical and mental qualities that enable him to undertake feats of heroism and courage.
Moral heroism: This type of heroism is defined by a character who consistently acts in accordance with high ethical and moral standards, often standing up against societal pressures to do otherwise.
Tragic heroism: This type of heroism is marked by a protagonist who possesses admirable qualities but is doomed to fail due to a flaw in their character or a tragic circumstance.
Romantic heroism: This type of heroism is romanticized and often focuses on a character's passion, emotion, and devotion to a cause or to another character.
Visionary heroism: This type of heroism is often associated with prophetic or visionary characters who possess insights into the workings of the universe or destiny.
Anti-heroism: This type of heroism challenges traditional notions of heroism by featuring a protagonist who possesses little to no traditional virtuous qualities, but is nonetheless successful or admired in some way.
Demi-god heroism: This type of heroism is marked by characters who possess a combination of divine and mortal qualities, often possessing extraordinary physical abilities or supernatural powers.
Everyman heroism: This type of heroism features an ordinary individual who displays exceptional courage, determination, or moral fortitude when faced with adversity or conflict.
Sacrificial heroism: This type of heroism involves a character who willingly sacrifices their own well-being or safety for the greater good, often to save others, a community or a nation.
Cosmic heroism: This type of heroism involves characters who battle or negotiate with cosmic forces, often involving god-like beings, or over-arching questions about the nature of reality.
Divine heroism: This type of heroism features characters who are directly or indirectly influenced by divine forces or events, agents of the god or the gods.
Spiritual heroism: This type of heroism involves characters who struggle with internal conflicts, often dealing with spiritual or philosophical questions of the meaning and purpose of life.
"The original hero type of classical epics did such things for the sake of glory and honor."
"Post-classical and modern heroes, on the other hand, perform great deeds or selfless acts for the common good instead of the classical goal of wealth, pride, and fame."
"Other terms associated with the concept of hero may include good guy or white hat."
"The hero is the main or revered character in heroic epic poetry celebrated through ancient legends of a people, often striving for military conquest and living by a continually flawed personal honor code."
"The definition of a hero has changed throughout time."
"Examples of heroes range from mythological figures, such as Gilgamesh, Achilles, and Iphigenia..."
"...to historical and modern figures, such as Joan of Arc, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Sophie Scholl, Alvin York, Audie Murphy, and Chuck Yeager."
"...and fictional 'superheroes,' including Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, and Captain America."
"...combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength."
"A hero is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength."
"The antonym of hero is villain."
"...perform great deeds or selfless acts for the common good instead of the classical goal of wealth, pride, and fame."
"The hero is the main or revered character in heroic epic poetry celebrated through ancient legends of a people..."
"...such as Gilgamesh, Achilles, and Iphigenia."
"...a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities."
"The original hero type of classical epics did such things for the sake of glory and honor."
"perform great deeds or selfless acts for the common good instead of the classical goal of wealth, pride, and fame."
"The hero is the main or revered character in heroic epic poetry celebrated through ancient legends of a people, often striving for military conquest and living by a continually flawed personal honor code."
"...a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities."