Sometimes, heroes are recognized through their actions displayed in pressing conditions. Even if a hero does not have a needed skill in the current situation, he can assess it and be able to demonstrate courage, meaning that besides being body-strong, a hero must be mind-strong. In the story The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins is the perfect example of a hero. He helps the band of dwarves trick the nefarious spiders, escape from the magical elves, and finally assign himself the responsibility to talk face-to-face with the dragon Smaug. Although Bilbo had never been on adventure or fought monsters, faced his dilemmas with sensible activity. A hero, like Bilbo Baggins, will show rationality and courage whether he intends to or not. …show more content…
Bilbo intends to display courage this time. Just image an inexperienced small hobbit going into the darkness of the mountain to confront a dragon that had wiped out a whole civilization. Nevertheless, Bilbo shows his courage by going ahead, and his rationality by skillfully talking with the dragon Smaug, as to not make him angry. On page 221, Bilbo, despite being frightened and not wanting to, went ahead to meet the dragon. He even decides carefully what he would say to the dragon during his talk. The author even writes that all of the dwarves consider Bilbo as their leader because of his greater courage. Some people might argue, however, that a hero like Bilbo will not show courage and rationality only when he intends to, like in the cave with Smaug. This is a good point, especially since most actions are made voluntarily, but it is incorrect. From the text, Bilbo acts instantly on impulse without thinking about going and helping save the dwarves from both the spiders and the elves. He displayed courage and quick-thinking without thinking about it. So, a person who is a hero will always display bravery whether he intends to, or even if he does not know that he is showing such