Heroes

1. Heroes

2. Types of Heroes • Epic (Odysseus) • Tragic (Romeo, Hamlet) • Conventional (Harry Potter)

3. Epic Hero • A figure of heroic stature, having national or international importance • Great historical or legendary significance • Action consists of deeds of great valor or requiring superhuman courage • Triumphs in the end with the “good” overcoming the “evil”

4. Tragic Hero • A figure of noble stature who has a greatness about him or her • Not eminently good or just, but faces misfortune brought about by some error or tragic flaw (hamartia) • A pre-eminently great, but not perfect, figure -- combined with strength, there is usually a weakness • Encounters a downfall (tragedy) – partially his/her own fault and the result of his/her own free choice rather than the result of pure accident, villainy or some overriding malignant fate • Downfall fills the reader with some empathy or pity; some discovery or gain in self-knowledge is evidenced; the hero may be defeated, but he/she has dared greatly and gains an understanding in defeat

5. Conventional Hero • Usually ruggedly handsome or beguilingly beautiful • Figure faced with significant obstacles that he/she finally overcomes to achieve a goal • May have vices, but none that the reader would not mind having • Reader can, in his/her imagination, identify himself/herself with the hero and can relate to the adventures and triumphs

6. Hamlet as Tragic Hero • Begins with noblest motivations (to punish his father’s murderer) • Does not survive to see the full outcome of his actions • What is his tragic fall?

7. Hero’s Journey • The Mundane World: where he doesn’t want to be • The Call to Adventure: there’s something else out there… • Crossing the Threshold: hero crosses into new world from old • Path of Trials: meets new people, learns new skills, overcomes challenges • Master of Two Worlds: Returns to old world a changed person