The Epic Hero
Characteristics of an Epic Hero in the Iliad:
1. protected by the gods and goddesses 2. they characterize superior qualities of human nature 3. they are the leaders of their nations 4. they are all from a famous (or infamous) lineage 5. they are obsessed with gaining honor, glory, and fame |
Examples of Epic Heroes:Here are some examples of specific Epic Heroes which characterize a particular quality. Don't forget that all of the Epic Heroes characterize all five of the qualities listed.
1. Paris: Since Paris chooses Aphrodite as the "Fairest", Aphrodite protects him. Apollo also aids Paris during the war.
2. Odysseus: Extremely cunning, smart, strong, and brave He is the most resourceful leader and demonstrates that through all of his schemes. 3. Hector: Although King Priam rules Troy, Hector, as the eldest son, leads the Trojans into war. All of the warriors respect Hector as the War Leader. 4. Agamemnon and Menelaus; the brothers Agamemnon and Menelaus come from a very infamous bloodline. Their great-grandfather Tantalus was the son of Zeus and wanted to test the gods's omniscience (whether they truly know everything). So, he cut up his son, Pelops, into many pieces and fed it to the gods in a soup. One of the goddesses, Demeter was distracted and bit into his son's shoulder. The gods were disgusted and sent him to be forever in the Underworld. They also pieced Pelops back up so that their bloodline will continue. 5. Achilles: Obsessed with gaining eternal fame even though his mother, Thetis, foretold that he would not survive the war if he went to fight. Achilles would rather die and be remembered forever then live and be unknown. |
|
|