Perseus Archetype
An epic hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to endure overwhelming obstacles. In Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, three heros named Perseus, Theseus, and Hercules exhibit different traits that affect their journey in a positive or negative way. Perseus receives supernatural help, Theseus displays incredible strength, and Hercules has a fatal flaw that will end tragically, these qualities are what classify each as an epic hero.
Spider-Man was created in the 1960s and was created to help nerdy teenage boys feel good about themselves. “Spider-Man was a regular teenage boy until one day he got bit by a radioactive arachnid he did not die of radiation sickness but he acquires the strength and agility of a spider as well as an uncanny spider sense” (Knowles 139). Spider-Man has a lot in common with Gene from A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Gene is a nerdy teenage boy like Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker. Spider-Man can be compared or contrasted to many other heroes such as king, Arthur, Sir Gawain and Beowulf.
A hero is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. In the movie, Odysseus shows that he is a hero by showing off his bravery and courage to defeat several monsters. He showed courage when he faced the Cyclops, when he met Lotus Eaters, and when he went back to Ithaca to see his wife. Odysseus and his men went to the cave to show the Cyclops that they are better than him. The Cyclops got angry when he got back to his cave since Odysseus and his men were eating the Cyclops’ food.
Lesson 11: EWP: Revise Almost all people remember the great lessons that Aesop taught us. If you read “The wolf in sheep’s clothing, And The Hen and the Golden Eggs” you would see that they all made impatient actions which lead to consequences. However,in "First Read: Heroes Every Child Should Know: Perseus", it showed Perseus did not act with impatience so he was able to accomplish his task. This shows that when the characters acted with impatience they had a bad outcome.
Perpetua lived in Carthage, a place conquered by Romans, and was supposed to worship the Roman gods, but instead she was devoted to Christianity. She sacrificed everything, even though she had a nursing baby and a family, because she would rather have died than deny her faith.
Odyssey Argumentative Essay Odysseus is an arrogant egotistical warrior who hardly ever takes the blame for his own actions. Since he does not take responsibility it shows his weaknesses that could be used against him if this were a war. Odysseus’s weaknesses are shown equally in the literature and the movie. In some ways the literature showed it better or explained it better than the movie did. But in some ways the movie outlined his weaknesses than the movie because it is more visual than when you are reading the story.
In these cases as well as others, the villain is humbled by his defeat by the hero as is the case with Odysseus vs the gods. Although Odysseus is considered a hero by most, he is cruel, controlled by his temper, and more similar to a villain than a hero. Odysseus goes through not a hero’s journey, but a villain’s journey. He returns humbled to his home which has been broken while he was away.
He was his mom, Danaes, secret. One day a man, polydectes found out about her and needed to see her, he wanted to marry her. Perseus didn't like this at all, how could his mom marry such a cruel man. She told him she had no need for a husband she has her son. She should not have refused him.
They both fit this because they both basically follow the Hero’s Journey exactly, some parts being left out, but the majority of them are there. They are both called by another person to save their mothers in a way, Perseus being told by the king to kill Medusa and Percy being told by Hades to find the bolt. They both don’t refuse the call and are eager to take their mother back. They each have their own guide that helps them along the way.
To kick us off, Percy was the archetypal hero, the prodigy, because it is something that we people in the present world like to ride along the story of someone who didn’t always used to be awesome, and there is a lot of inventions that have made this easier to make a story off of in present times (Such as a phone that he uses as a mirror). While on the flip side, Perseus was always an amazing hero; hence, the perfect hero status, because back in the old days the “Gods” were looking for people who were all around amazing, and that was easier for them to use for a story because people could relate. Furthermore, Percy modernizes the dramatic event. In Percy, his sub turns into the monster that asked him for the lightning bolt (Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief), and in the old times, a sub would have never existed seeing as there wasn’t even any schools. Finally, both stories used spiritual help to it’s main character , but Percy's modernizes the concept.
Odysseus is an epic hero, who has good and bad qualities, that’s what makes him human. Odysseus is also a good example of an archetype for epic poems. Odysseus is an epic hero because the epic is about him and he has most of the epic traits. For example: “What shall I say first? What shall I keep until the end?
On to the very start of his main adventure. The grandfather of Perseus heard from an oracle that his grandson would kill him. This made him lock his daughter in a tower with only one window. One day Zeus came to the daughter making the room bright and full of life. The grandfather saw light from the window and burst in seeing his daughter with a child
In the story of the Cyclops Homer’s theme is intelligence rules over brute strength. Odysseus uses brilliant wisdom to overpower the might of the Cyclops. Homer shows that with Odysseus’ careful tactics he was able to beat even the mightiest of people. Homer also teaches that if one cannot keep their cool wisdom and strength are nothing.
Hercules and Theseus, two great heroes from mythology, seem to be similar in many ways. Both extremely brave and noble; with a love of danger and adventure mixed with compassion, creates the perfect heroes. Their stories intertwine with one another’s when Hercules has to save Theseus from the chair of forgetfulness in Hades. Theseus saved Hercules when he was distraught with intent to kill himself. In a similar way, they both stood by their friends no matter the cost.
The king of that island would’ve never expected Perseus to win against Medusa, therefore he sent him on the quest -- so Perseus would never return. “Medusa was one of the three horrible Gorgon sisters, so
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