Theseus Hero Characteristics

I can be your hero baby, I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever, you can take my breath away. If only mythological heroes held themselves to that same adorable, yet maybe a bit sappy, standard that Enrique Iglesias had. To be a hero in the time of the Greeks meant that you were a courageous, beautiful, strong man with a flaw that even your best friend could not help you fix. Men in Athens were very strong in character they were strong, clever and courageous; those that held all three traits and went on adventures worthy of a god quickly became heroes. Theseus is the perfect example of a hero. He shows courage, strength, and cleverness while on his many adventures battling the one flaw that keeps him human. During Theseus' very first adventure to sail back to his father King Aegeus, he said that traveling by ship was too easy. He wants to prove himself ". . . and easy safety was certainly not the way to do that" (Hamilton 210). Taking the easy way out was not the courageous thing to do, and if he is to become the hero he is destined to be, he has to be a little more gutsy. He shows off his audaciousness when he kills the Minotaur in Crete. The beast is sleeping when Theseus stumbled upon him ". . . pinning him to the ground; and with his fist. . . he battered the monster to death" (215). The

He is a strong courageous man who, with the help of his friend, can do any mission presented to him. Heroes are often involved in violent, bloodbaths of destruction because to the Greeks that is what was held to he highest standard. Outrageous strength was very important, something Theseus has has from a young age. He is not a bloodthirsty monster, he is just looking to protect his people. He also has a flaw that keeps him grounded, always on his toes, but it never allows him to put his head too high in the clouds. Heroes change as time goes on, but Theseus will never lose his