|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
What makes a character heroic? Many say that a person has to be brave, courageous, strong, and even noble to qualify as a hero. The Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines a hero as “a man of courage and nobility famed for his military achievements: an illustrious warrior.” Is that what a hero truly is? Does he need only strength and courage? Does a hero not need a mind? Anyone can be strong and brave, but does that mean he is a hero? And most important of all, does a hero necessarily have to be a man? The answer is “no.” The most important trait of a hero is his or her cleverness. Being clever is perceived in two different ways which is primarily associated with the difference in gender. Odysseus, in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, and Medea, in Euripides’ tragedy, Medea both portray the heroic trait of cleverness; however, Medea’s cleverness is viewed as evil rather than heroic. Odysseus may qualify for any characteristic of a hero that one may have in mind, but the most obvious is his sharp intellect. Odysseus’ great intellectual capacity gets him out of even the most life threatening situations. His cleverness is shown from the point he defeated the Trojans in Troy and then throughout the great journey to get back home to Ithaca. One may believe Odysseus to be clever because of the way he is able to trick people. For example, the Greeks fought with the Trojans for ten years without success until Odysseus came up with a sneaky plan. He ordered the Greeks to build a huge wooden horse in which they could hide and once they were inside the walls of Troy, they would defeat the Trojans. Odysseus plan was successful but was it really clever? Yes, I believe he was clever but if you think it from a Trojan’s viewpoint, he may be considered deceitful and evil. Instead of fighting, he tricked his way into the walls of Troy. This viewpoint of the Greeks and Trojans shows a difference in how his cleverness is perceived. Odysseus remains as a hero because for the Greeks he has won victory for his nation, but he primarily does this to go back home so he can be with his love, Penelope. In Medea, Medea is a character whose heart is torn to pieces because her husband, Jason, is unfaithful to her. In the beginning, Medea, like Odysseus, wanted to be with her love, Jason, but to be with him, Medea does some hideous acts. Even the Nurse says, “And her land, and her home betrayed when she came away with/A man who now is determined to dishonor her/I am afraid she may think of some dreadful thing/For her heart is violent”(32-8, 643). The nurse knows of Medea’s evil-mind because of the actions she performed to help Jason escape after he took the Golden fleece. She kills her brother before she leaves Colchis, so her father’s concentration could go on his son while she fled away with Jason. It was a clever idea, but it was a horrible way for her to be with her lover. She betrays her father and homeland. Odysseus also kills people to get back home, but he kills his enemies and not his family members, which makes him a hero.
Approximate Word count = 2160
Approximate Pages = 8.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|