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The Definition Of Heroism In Antigone And Socrates

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Heroism in literature is defined as, “a person who combats through feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength, often sacrificing their personal concerns for some greater good.” Antigone and Socrates both exemplified this definition of heroism. Antigone was willing to die for her brother’s honor. Although the laws in Thebes forbade anyone to grieve over her brother Polynices, Antigone went above and beyond to make sure that her family name did not die in vain. When Socrates went on trial, he knew he was the most intelligent man in the room. Knowing this information, he began to pick apart their case and clearly stated that if he was proven guilty that he was willing to die. Socrates genuinely believed that his teachings were not corrupting the
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The real tragic hero character is Antigone the reason being is because she does something against Creon’s law for what she believes is right. The law she is breaking is to bury her brother with the respect he deserves. She serves a role of showing courage, love, and leadership towards herself and others today. This is true because in the story she states these reasons why she is right and why she will stop at nothing to bury her brother.

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Heroism is bravery, honor, courage, and daring. People who are believed to be a heroe usually serve as someone who defeated or made an impact on someone or something. Throughout the epic, Beowulf shows heroism by going to willingly defeat Grendel. This was Beowulf's choice to go, "there was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on eart, highborn and powerful" (196-198).

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Antigone is an admirable character, for her steady and unwavering determination is something to applaud her on. But this same exact character trait is responsible for her inevitable death. Antigone is a prime example of a tragic hero. A tragic hero is typically a man or woman with an outstanding quality or characteristic, which eventually leads them to their downfall. Antigone’s stubbornness and unrelenting attitude lead her to disobey King Creon, which in turn, leads to her solemn and unfortunate fate.

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A Hero for the Ages. Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist and a professor at Stanford University once said, “To be a hero is when you step across the line and are willing to make a sacrifice. Heroes always take risks. Heroes always are deviant. Heroes always do something that most people don’t.”

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In every piece of literature, there are multiple kinds of characters. In Greek literature, the tragic hero often makes an appearance. Sometimes, there is more than one. A tragic hero is one whose tragic flaw leads to the suffering of others and their downfall. In Antigone, a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles, there are two characters who could be considered tragic heroes.

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When one is caught committing a crime, there will always be a consequence if found guilty. Socrates had his own multitude of ideas and questions that he could have just kept to himself or written down somewhere. Instead, he decided to carelessly flaunt his ideas to everyone in sight. He must have known that this would have repercussions. When Socrates says, “A man who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if he is to survive for even a short time” (Plato, 32), he is right.

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Melanie Janania Ms. Petrosino English 9 CPA 12 January 2023 Has an action ever been done with such determination the action was considered a heroic act? Has a character been brave enough to save people by successfully acting on a heroic act? Heroism can be demonstrated with both “Courage,” a poem produced by Anna Sexton, and “The Odyssey,” a tale told by Homer. “Courage” can be described as being inclusive and considering actions everyone embarked. “The Odyssey” is a tale of an epic hero who faces challenges when faced with eagerness to arrive home.

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As defined by Aristotle, a tragic hero is one who is not entirely good or evil. They are an individual who experiences a “reversal of fortune through a fault of character or an uncontrollable accident” (Boucquey). He or she undergoes a dramatic change from happiness to misery (Boucqyey). In Sophocles’ Antigone, Creon is the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero should contain four traits: goodness, appropriateness, lifelike, and consistency, which Creon most prominently displays.

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He has an altruistic soul that urges him to defeat the evil even if at the expense of his life. Particularly, the concept of the hero goes back to ancient Greek as a dual meaning. First, a hero as a term stands for a divine being who lives a mortal life, deserving to become a God after doing great deeds. Second, the hero is brave, warrior, ready to give his life in order to gain immortal glory and continues to live in the memory of his descents (Stevanovic 7). Classical literature is widely acknowledged as having prominent heroes who appear in ancient epic poetries.

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Albert Einstein is known for being one of the most knowledgeable individuals of the twentieth century. From his beginning as a child with a learning disability to a brilliant scientist, he shocked the world with his improbable concepts of time and space. But Einstein was not just a man who created revolutionary theories. Beyond his witty personality, he was a being who stressed the need to redress the inhumanities that human nature has put upon his people. Through his book Out of My Later Years, Einstein expressed his ideologies on his theories and his views on human injustice towards the Jews.

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Therefore, Socrates was willing to die if it meant that his actions would still be

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In Apology, Socrates faces possible execution as he stands trial in front of his fellow Athenian men. This jury of men must decide whether Socrates has acted impiously against the gods and if he has corrupted the youth of Athens. Socrates claims in his defense that he wants to live a private life, away from public affairs and teachings in Athens. He instead wants to focus on self-examination and learning truths from those in Athens through inquiry. Socrates argues that "a [man] who really fights for justice must lead a private, not a public, life if [he] is to survive for even a short time" (32a).

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In Sophocles’ Antigone, Antigone and Creon both have qualities of a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s definition. Aristotle believes a tragic hero is a decent human, but falls due to a weakness in one’s character. In the plot, Antigone decides to bury her brother, which defies the laws of Creon, the dictator of Thebes. Antigone believes she must hold her family values and the gods’ beliefs with utmost respect. Antigone refuses to deny her crime, so she is sentenced to be death by Creon.

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Antigone is the Best Tragic Hero Antigone is the leading tragic hero because her flaws show how she is stubborn and consistent. When someone is consistent it is easier for the reader to predict the characters doing. Antigone is being stubborn and wanting to bury Polyneices. She states here, “ Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way.

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