The Romantic Hero
Throughout history, the ideas and concepts of literature have evolved and become more complex. In early century writings, heroes and heroines were clearly defined protagonists. Typically, these heroes were described as brave, honorable, courageous warrior type characters. Heroes that are from earlier archetypes, such as Beowulf are legendary. Beowulf was a typical hero. He was a strong, brave warrior that fought many terrifying creatures to the death. The Romantic conception of the hero is drastically different. Romantic literature portrays the hero as someone that does not necessarily agree with the normal ideas of a heroic character. The Romantic hero is not a character that saves a town, a distressed lady, or fights evil titans. Romantic heroes are the protagonists of a literary works where there is a great deal of emphasis on that character’s thoughts instead of their deeds.
Three examples of the Romantic hero can be viewed in the writings of Coleridge, Wordsworth, and Maria Edgeworth. All of these literary works are considered Romantic pieces and each has their own hero: Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner, Wordsworth’s “I” in “Tintern Abbey,” and Maria Edgeworth’s Phelim O’Mooney. The Romantic heroes of these literary pieces are unique in their own way, but also share similar characteristics.
Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner is a rather unique Romantic hero. He is described as an old man with a long grey beard and glistening eye. The Mariner tells his story of a voyage at sea that begins with good fortune, but as the voyage progresses he encounters many physical and mental challenges that forever change his perspectives of life-especially his spiritual relationship with God. In lines 601 and following, th...
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...o get back home to his brother who ended up giving him a partnership in his business.
In literature, heroes can come in many forms. They can be portrayed as strong, courageous warriors such as Beowulf, or they may be materialistic Irishman such as Phelim O’Mooney. Romantic literature focuses on the thoughts and ideas of the protagonists instead of their actions. These heroes invoke strong emotional feelings in the reader whereas earlier archetypes such as Beowulf or Odysseus provide excitement. Romanticism provides a more complex and thought provoking perspective of what a “hero” can be.
Works Cited
Greenblatt, Stephen. Cogan university professor of the Humanities Harvard University, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Ninth Edition, Volume D. Coleridge Ancient Mariner, Wordsworth “I” in “Tintern Abbey”, Maria Edgeworth Phelim O’Moone.
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Heroes are found in every work of art. Whether it is in the television shows we watch, the movies we go to see, the poems and stories we learn about, the books we read, there is always someone or something defined as the hero of that piece. Is the hero always the good guy who defeats the evil? Or is it something more, something more meaningful. Not every story line has a good vs. evil and not every story has a defined l hero, but does that mean there is not heroism in those works? Heroism isn’t a list of actions or characteristics that someone or something could have. It is the morals behind every action, the attitude that defines the characteristics of the person; it is the person thinking about others before himself, the courage someone or something has to brace something difficult, the bravery of the hero when it comes face to face with a problem. In the readings Beowulf, Act of Courtly Love and The Wife of Bath from The Canterbury Tales heroism isn’t very present in all three. It shows itself more loudly then in some than others. Heroism is shown in different ways in all three readings.
The perfect image of a true hero is Beowulf. His courage and confidence seems to come naturally. He is the ideal man; he puts others before himself and has amazing physical and mental strength. He is so revered that he can boast about his achievements without seeming vain. “I had greater strength on the sea, more ordeals on the waves as any other man.” (Luizza 69)
A true modern hero is able to set aside fear and act on the matter at hand, which signifies the quality of courage. Being Courageous can set you apart from others, because you are willing to carry out actions that are beneficial for the greater good. Any one can say they are going to do something, but when the claim is backed with actions they truly display courage. Beowulf is the epitome of being courageous. He voluntarily
In many works of Literature, a character comes forth as a hero, only to die because of a character trait known as a tragic flaw; Hamlet from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Okonkwo from Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and Winston Smith from Orwell’s 1984 all exhibit that single trait, which leads, in one way or another, to their deaths. These three tragic heroes are both similar and different in many ways: the way they die, their tragic flaws, and what they learn. All three characters strongly exhibit the traits needed to be classified as a tragic hero.
The definition of a romantic hero is referring to a character that doesn’t follow the established norms, and has been rejected by society. The romantic hero seems to be perfect— better than the average person, but they have a physical flaw. When speaking of a character that fits these descriptions we think of Cyrano De Bergerac. Cyrano is courageous, witty, eloquent, intelligent, and poetic, but his negative point is his nose. Cyrano, because of his nose, he denied himself of love for years, because he was fearful that no one would love him seeing that his nose was so large.
A romantic hero is a person (usually a man) who is there to save the
Heroes have formed an important part of literature since the ancient and medieval times. They represent the dominant values and ideals in a culture that only a few human beings could live up to. While the cultures understood the value of abiding by their virtues and ideals, they were also inherently aware of the challenges and strength of character required to accomplish such a task. Heroes were regarded as the embodiment of this struggle and a true reflection of people who had given it all to achieve the unattainable. In ancient and medieval epics, heroes played the same role of representing the dominant values and beliefs of a culture. As this values and beliefs changed, the character of heroes in the story also changed to embrace the new perspective. Sometimes, the characters represented ideals shared by
Unlike the medieval hero, the moral codes for the romantic hero are eccentric; the heroes get to make their own rules. Romantic heroes also do not have to be loyal to a hierarchy but instead are loyal to a certain project. Self knowledge for a romantic hero is valued above physical strength and endurance (Norman).
When I think of society’s modern heroes today the fictional characters of Batman and Spiderman come to mind because they protect the lives of the people in the communities from the bad guys. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero because he makes the reader feel he is a larger than life character than those of human characteristics. However, Dante’s main character makes the reader feel his emotional roll a coaster and sensitivity as in everyman towards the sinner in the depths of The Inferno. It is interesting how modern heroes show much of the same qualities as
The epic poem Beowulf centers around the hero. From the character of Beowulf, the reader can see the importance of community, orality, and heroism. Beowulf, as a result, is an icon of his ancient Germanic heritage. He is mimetic of the world around him. In addition, he reflects the past?s tradition of heroes; he follows in Shield and Sigemund?s footsteps, mirroring their characteristics and actions. Thus, when Beowulf passes on, both the ancient world and the new world collapse.
Once again, multiple examples had to be given to describe one legendary character. Beowulf is not a pragmatic hero; he is the hero that everyone yearns to be but always falls short. The ultimate hero—Beowulf—is a person who falls into each category of heroism: merciful, courageous, honest, strong, confident, intelligent. If a person in the modern world can slide into at least one genre of heroic deeds, then they have made amazing progress in the rat race. And that’s all people can count in the
A significant theme in Samuel Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," is Christianity, which is portrayed through the Mariner’s epic journey. This text is set between the physical world and the metaphysical (spiritual world), similar to religious teachings found in the Bible. With the use of vivid descriptions and strong language in this ballad, moral lessons appear that connect both man and God in order to discover an innate bond and understanding. Though this tale is overwhelmingly bizarre and dark, the moral lessons taught are in line with central aspects of both the romantic period and the Christian religion. In Coleridge's ballad, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," many Christian ideals are represented throughout the treacherous journey of the Mariner, such as sin, forgiveness, and prayer.
Peters, John G. “Wordsworth’s TINTERN ABBEY” The Explicator(Washington) , Winter 2003, Vol. 61, Iss. 2, pg. 77 : eLibrary. Web 05 Mar 2002
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