Preview

Hercules: A True Hero

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
851 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hercules: A True Hero
Hercules is a story about a man whose father is Zeus and mother is a mortal whose name is Alcmene. Zeus wife, Hera was mad that Zeus had an affair and so she wanted to cause Hercules harm. From a young age Hercules was very strong. Hera always tried to get rid of him and one day she drove him so crazy that Hercules killed his whole family. He wanted forgiveness because he regretted what he did which is why the king gave Hercules 12 labors to complete in order to become immortal and have forgiveness. Although many may see Hercules as a monster, Hercules is a hero for the simple fact that he was brave and strong, he freed the land from creature, and he survived labors that others would not be able to.
To begin with, I think that Hercules is a
…show more content…
If us humans were ordered to do something like Hercules did we would probably not have done them, for the simple fact that we would not want to risk our lives. An example is if a mortal like us would’ve been sent to kill the hydra we would have probably died instantly because of the poisonous breath, unlike Hercules who defeated it. He thought of how to kill it and it worked now if it would have been me I would have never thought of what he did, “Heracles had the idea to chop off the hydra's heads one at a time and have Iolaus burn the ends so new heads wouldn't grow back.” Another example is if a mortal were to search for the Cerynitian Hind, he/she would have probably gotten frustrated and given up before finding it unlike Hercules who wasted a whole year looking for it until found, “Heracles hunted the hind for an entire year,” which just shows that nothing was impossible for …show more content…
Maybe others will still continue to think of Hercules as a monster because he killed his family, but he made a mistake. He later regretted it which is the reason he completed the 12 labors in order to gain forgiveness. It may have seemed that he was only doing the labors to clear his sins but along the way he helped others. Although Hercules was half mortal and half god only supernatural forces were able to defeat him. Despite the flaw that Hercules was self-centered he is still one of the greatest heroes in Greek

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Disney Hercules Archetype

    • 390 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Disney’s Hercules, while not entirely true to the scripture he was first conceptualized in, is rife with the same heroic traits as his definitive counterpart. Throughout the course of the film, Hercules faces a series of challenges and events which test his strength and ability. Subsequently these events fulfill the majority of his heroic archetype. By Hercules’ masculine nature, divine parent, divine helper, trip to the underworld, and fulfillment of kleos (his immortal quest for glory), Hercules would have been considered a hero in Ancient Greek society despite the archetypical traits left unfulfilled in the film.…

    • 390 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hercules’ father, Zeus, was always known as the greatest of the gods and Zeus was very proud of him. However, he was usually unable to aid his son due to his marriage to Hera, the queen of the gods, and her jealousy. His mother, Alcmene, was said to be the wisest mortal woman to ever live and also the most loyal in partnership to her husband. After she was tricked by Zeus (who was disguised as her husband) to lay with him, she became pregnant with Hercules. She was cursed with difficult childbirth by Hera and never was able to escape the goddess’s hate, though Hercules’ conception was not her fault. In her death, she was buried with Hercules’ wife and children though there was initially a debate about where she should be laid to rest. Both men’s sets of parents were nearly non-existent and shrouded in misfortune.…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hercules is one of the best known Gods and hero ever know in Ancient history. He is very strong and this is one of the reasons why he is so well know. Hercules is also very famous and characters of him come out on movies. Out of all the Gods and Hero's of the Ancient time Hercules is the most well known and most seen on movies all over the world. The reason why people like Hercules so much is because he would save lives and he would win battle's to save the people in his town.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Do you know Hercules?Hercules is one of the best known heroes in Greek and Roman mythology. The name Hercules arrived from Etruscan named Hercle. Hercule means "Glory of Her". Hercules had two step - fathers. His first father is Amphitry and his second step-father is Radamanthes another of Zeus sons. Hercules first wife was Magara daughter of King Creon. Hercules had three sons with Magara. The names of the three sons where Creontidas , Thersimachus , and Deicoon . Hercules is an epic hero because her is self- confident , courageous , and strong.…

    • 407 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hercules Hero's Journey

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Timeless classics throughout the ages are known for their plots and concepts, however these classics tend to follow a similar plot. This monomyth is called the Hero’s Journey, where a similar plot is used every time to create a story proven to be successful. A great example of this would be Disney’s Hercules, a story of the demigod Hercules who loses his powers and must redeem himself by becoming a true hero. With godlike strength, he defeats Hades and proves himself a true hero by being compassionate and chivalrous, and showing anyone can be hero regardless of if they have strength. The plot of Hercules follows the three phases of the Hero’s Journey closely.…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hera wanting to kill Hercules sent two snakes to do the deed. Hercules killed those snakes, being his first step to greatness. What really sent Hercules to who he became all began with the killing of his wife Megara and his three children. Hercules lost his mind and had no recollection of what he had done. He stood there lost on what just happened and saw the terrified people watching the madness that just unleased before them. Having murdered his family he wanted nothing other than to die, but his friend Amphitryon couraged him to live. Living with the guilt he went to an oracle that he needed to be purified by only a terrible penance and told him he must see the king of Mycenae. There he became a slave to Eurytheus who gave him twelve impossible task known as “the labors of Hercules.” Throughout the task, Hera, still upset that Hercules was the son of Zeus tried making the task harder to accomplish, but of course…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Disney Hero's Journey

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages

    When comparing the modern day movie Hercules with the traditional story of Heracles, many changes have been made, and many details have been left out. One example is his reasoning for completing the 12 labors he is given. In our Disney version, he completes these labors in order to prove himself worthy of becoming immortal, so he can become a real God, like his father Zeus. However, he traditionally completed these tasks is to be forgiven for his sin, which was the brutal murder of his wife and children. Although interesting, our modern day society would find it more heroic for a man to accomplish these tasks in order to prove himself worthy, rather than to make up for murdering his own family. Considering Disney is intended for younger audiences, the movie not only simplifies certain story elements, but also changes the actual depiction of the other characters revolved around Hercules. The movie also upgrades his personality into a more intelligent, loving character than he really was. People don’t want to see an unintelligent hero save their city; they want a smart, genuine man to save their…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hercules was brave as he was smart he was the only and the first to kill the Nemean Lion. The Nemean Lion was a very vicious monster in the Greek Mythology that lived in Nemea. It could not be killed with Mortal weapons because…

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The stories of heroes have been at the axis of nearly all cultures throughout history. Each different type of religion or culture has their own heroes or legends, each one of them having their differences to go along with the beliefs at hand. On the other hand, each and every hero also has their similarities, which therefore makes them the hero. The setting, events, and characters in each and every story may change, but the characteristics of the hero remain basically the same. Each person is usually made into a hero in a somewhat similar fashion. For example, many heroes begin as imperfect characters, and then begin some sort of quest which leads to them becoming a leader of what they are doing, and then the character goes through a personal transformation into a legendary hero of their people. Therefore, both Odysseus of the Greeks and Moses of the Jewish can both be considered as heroes to their people. In both cases, the person does not decide to be a hero, but they are instead chosen by a greater force, such as a god, to become the one. Both Moses and Odysseus perform three similar tasks. These are for the person to fulfill a destiny handed down to them by a greater power, undertake a journey where great sacrifices are made on his part to overcome difficult obstacles, and finally complete their legacy through the sharing of their stories for the greater good of the people that believe in the hero. Both Moses and Odysseus can be compared in that neither were perfect heroes, they both experienced some sort of quest, and they both experienced personal limitations along with a transformation.…

    • 1549 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Study Guide

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hercules: most celebrated Greek hero; strong from birth; son of Jupiter; strangled snake in his hand; hated by Juno; lacked self-control; performed astonishing deeds of strength and courage; granted tasks that were meant to cause him suffering but completed all…

    • 546 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus is an epic hero because of all the challenging obstacles he had to overcome. He is strong and brave by never giving up, but rather determined to fulfill his accomplishments as a young and adventurous man. Odysseus was also very cunning, knowing how to create and form the ideal way to sabotage the Trojans. Such a bold hero and great father that seeks to win the 10 year war with the Trojans and succeeds. Although, weaknesses lye in every man as a human necessity and even this 'Hero' has one.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Perseus: A True Hero

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Perseus, is an Olympian god/human. He was remembered for many things, but is remembered for decapitating the head of Medusa. Medusa was the "bad guy" and because Perseus killed her, he is considered a true hero. However, Perseus has done many other hero quality things, such as saving Andromeda. He was a great man…

    • 296 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Heracles is the greatest of the Greek heroes for his courage, strength, and skill to fight against the evil. Although Hercules himself committed one of the most evil deeds by killing his own wife and children, Goddess Hera made him pay for his deeds. Goddess Hera led Hercules sentence to twelve years of penance – a period of hard labor. Unlike the punishment a criminal would get today of either imprisonment or execution, Heracles had to endure the imaginable suffering of the twelve impossible tasks even after regaining his senses. His first labor was to battle a Nemean lion and bring in the skin of the lion. The lion was so huge that his strength and powerful bows were dull compared. He, nonetheless, did not lose his strength and fought the…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Homer depicts Odysseus as the stereotypical epic hero. He was of noble birth, being the king of Ithaca. He was known for being cunning and brave, and traveled to fight against an evil. He fought in the Trojan War to rescue and return Helen to her husband Menelaus, King of Sparta. After the war he became a legend and everyone knew…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    First, however, I would like to start by giving a little bit of background information on the hero known as Hercules. Hercules was born as the son of Zeus and a beautiful mortal woman named Alcmene, in the Greek city of Thebes. Due to his father’s divinity, Hercules was given the gift of extraordinary physical strength and courage. From the beginning, the events of his life were shaped by the wrath of the goddess Hera, who scorned the boy that was a reminder of her husband’s infidelity. As he matured he faced countless tasks and hardships, but through his victories he forever glorified himself in ancient literature. The stories of Hercules had quite a large impact on the early Greeks. Some, such as the ancient Spartans, believed they were descendants of the great hero and strived to be like him on the battlefield and in the gymnasium. Elsewhere, in Thebes, the Cult of Heracles was a religious group that was created which worshiped him as the divine protector of man. The cult constructed many shrines throughout the ancient world and even held festivals in his honor every year (theoi.com). Later on, the…

    • 1705 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics