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Different definitions of the term hero
Different definitions of the term hero
Characteristics of a hero
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“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom,” (brainyquote.com). What does it take to be considered a hero? Dictionary.reference.com describes a hero as, “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds or noble qualities.” This definition of hero does not complete itself. A hero must not only have courage and ability to perform a brave deed; he must also exude strength and humility. Like Bob Dylan expressed in the quote before, a hero must take responsibility and understand that freedom comes at a price. A true hero does not flaunt his accomplishments. Rather, he downplays his courage and points the glory to God. This ability to turn the aim of the spotlight away from oneself, whether to God or not, shows the true measure of a man’s strength. Bilbo Baggins, the main character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s, The Hobbit, does not fit this definition of a hero. Without the magic ring, Bilbo would never have attempted the deeds he accomplished. Baggins required prodding before doing anything. In addition, he was also dishonest.
Bilbo should not be considered a hero because, without the magic ring, he never would have attempted the things he accomplished. After being persuaded against his will to join the dwarves on an adventure, Bilbo discovers the ring. Not knowing its power of invisibility, Bilbo picks the magic ring up. Only when he finds himself in a tense situation, Bilbo uses the ring’s ability as a cheap escape. For example, when Gollum confronts Bilbo, he has no wish to contend with violence. As an alternative, Gollum proposes a riddle game. When Bilbo asks him, “What have I got in my pocket?” Gollum knows that he has been beaten. This question was inappropr...
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...s brave deeds. When one takes into consideration the fact that Bilbo’s reasons for accomplishing these feats were wrong, they should realize the fact that Bilbo was indeed not a hero. His bravery was false because it was provided by the magic ring. The dwarves would be the most affected by Bilbo’s false heroism because he was the savior for them. His actions aided the dwarves but they would have aided the dwarves more had the reasoning behind them been true. All of these reasons point to the fact that Bilbo Baggins should not be considered a hero.
Works Cited
"Hero." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. .
"Hero." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. .
"The Hobbit." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. .
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For example, Bilbo fits the role of the hero, because he sacrificed and helped all the characters along the journey. Stated in the amazing book, The Hobbit, the author wrote, “It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous thing that happened afterwards were are nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait” (Tolkien, J.R.R., The Hobbit, page #233). Bilbo had basically sacrificed himself, so all of the other characters and himself could get through the journey safely. Their hero, Bilbo became braver each and every day while he tried to help and support them. Written in the fantastic book, The Hobbit, the author has written, “‘I have no idea at the moment-if you mean about removing the treasure. That obviously depends entirely on Smaug. Getting rid of dragons is not all in my line, but I will do my best to think about it. Personally I have no hopes at all, and wish I was safe back at home’” (Tolkien, J.R.R., The Hobbit, page
A hero is a person who is praised or admired for their phenomenal work done in a certain situation. Bilbo Baggins is considered to be a hero in the book The Hobbit, written by J. R. R. Tolkien. Although Bilbo is considered a hero in this book, he does everything unwillingly. In the movie, however, Bilbo is seen as an epic hero because of the way certain things are portrayed differing from the book. For example, the arrival of the dwarves at Bilbo’s home is different in the book than it is in the movie. Even though this scene does not have a major change involved with it, it loses a connection with the arrival at Beorn’s later on in the movie. Changes in the movie that affected the type of hero Biblo Baggins include the beginning of the journey,
Bilbo Baggins, having a diminutive stature but, a heart bigger than than Hobbittown. People may begin to wonder would Bilbo be considered a hero? Being heroic is portraying qualities that are helpful, selfless, and brave. Bilbo possessed these character traits in The Hobbit. Gandalf exclaimed that there is more to Bilbo than meets the eye, I feel like that statement is true because Bilbo has went through many heroic events that he could have easily backed down from. In The Hobbit, while still wearing the ring Bilbo “beats the creature off with his hands-it was trying to poison him to keep him quiet as small spiders do to flies-until he remembered his sword and drew it out to cut his legs loose. After that it was his turn to attack” (154) This shows how courageous Bilbo was when he could have gotten eaten alive, I think what changed in Bilbo was when he came in contact with the spiders, he be...
What is a hero? Merriam Webster defines a hero as being a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities. What are those noble qualities? They are bravery, selflessness, and strength. Two heroes, Beowulf and Sir Gawain, exemplify these traits while the "hero" Arcita fails to do so.
...s. Bilbo is the one that gives the precious Arkenstone to Bard to help stop a war from starting. If it was not for Bilbo’s courage, Thorin would still be fighting for the Arkenstone and might have also been hurt. Bilbo also helps the dwarves by being a good leader and helping them find a way out of Smaug’s lair. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not have the audacity to try finding a way out of Smaug’s cave. Bilbo, like a real hero, always makes sure that he finishes the task he sets out to do. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not be able to finish all the tasks that they want to finish. Bilbo is also the reason why the dwarves are still alive. Bilbo saves the dwarves from many different disasters. The disasters range from the spiders to Smaug. Through good or bad, Bilbo has been able to show the characteristics that a real hero should be able to show.
In conclusion, it is through Bilbo’s intelligence and courage, and the loyalty he showed to the others around him that establish him as an indubitable hero. Bilbo was able to heroically lead the dwarves and without his contribution in the adventure, it would not have been possible for them to achieve what they did. Bilbo is a small person with a big heart, who was able to make a difference without fighting or using his power to change anything through force. He was able to demonstrate his compassion, innocence, and ethics in his development into a hero. Nevertheless, his heroic deeds did not change whom he is as a person, which contrasts greatly with how a hero is defined today. Overall, Bilbo was a hobbit with courage that contributed into shaping his world into one where honesty, peace, forgiveness, and merry meals make it a better place.
...th heroes take are dangerous and difficult. Bilbo makes many mistakes but in the end he does mature and grow as a person. The hero is willing to put everything above themselves. Comparing Bilbo with Beowulf, it is clear that while Beowulf is an archetypal hero from a hero themed story, Bilbo is arguably more of a hero than him in some ways. Bilbo shows himself to not just a hero in skills and prowess but a hero in character, which Beowulf does not seem to show. Thorin even comments “Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins, who has proved himself a good companion on our long road, and a hobbit full of courage and resource far exceeding his size…” (198). However both heroes have acts of self-sacrifice and courage, while Beowulf uses his physical strength to achieve his heroics, Bilbo’s sense of honour, moral and courage proves himself equal to Beowulf in heroics.
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself,” quoted by Joseph Campbell, a very famous American mythologist, writer, and lecturer. Campbell is correct when his definition of a hero, but there is more aspects to heroes we don’t know about. For instance, heroes make difficult decisions to help others and to make a positive change in people's’ lives. Sacrifice is an essential component to the development of heroes since they must sacrifice things such as comfort to be defined as a hero in the eyes of others. In order to become a hero, personal sacrifices are necessary because he or she pledges to put others before themselves. Also, heroes are the ones held accountable for everyone in a dire situation and have society’s expectations weighing on their back. Personal sacrifice can be seen with Bilbo Baggins, when he sacrifices his relationships with the dwarves to remain at peace with the Lakemen and wood elves. In addition,
George Washington. Aragorn. Beowulf. Captain America. Martin Luther. Han Solo. Wright Brothers. History, books, and movies are full of these types of characters. Whether they led our country to victory or saved a galaxy far far away, these people can be defined as heroes. A hero could be defined as someone who is cunning, shows justice and mercy, and has the courage to take on many challenges. In J. R. R. Tolkien’s renowned book The Hobbit, he fills the pages with many heroes. There is Thorin, King under the mountain, who has come to reclaim his home. There is Bard, a bowman, who kills the chiefest and greatest dragon Smaug. There are the mighty eagles, who rescue the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf moments before their death. And there is also
...y a little fellow, Gandalf hints that even he was impressed by the large role Bilbo played in their journey, adding irony to the theme of heroism. Bilbo was the perfect character for Tolkien to express the theme of heroism because he was just the average, everyday character with a kind heart. He wasn’t some wizard or renowned warrior, but a hobbit, a simple hobbit who didn’t ask for heroism. Bilbo would much rather stay in the quite of his own home, but fate would have him do much more, even though Bilbo wouldn’t say so himself, he was indeed…a hero.
It is shown that this story can convey a strong message that all readers should know. That when you believe in yourself that you could accomplish things that were only in your wildest dreams. Bilbo Baggins had been the one to overcome his fear of changing his daily life and become the hero that he should be known for. Even though he starts off as the most non-courageous person in the world into a great hero. He goes one to defeat spiders, goblins, and outsmarts doby into getting the ring.
...ting points of the plot also relied on Bilbo’s courage. If Bilbo did not have such a valuable trait, the story of the Hobbit would’ve been fairly short.
Bilbo assumes that he is an inadequate companion for the adventure, and that idea is apparent as he and the dwarves equally doubt his skills that Gandalf is so confident about. " 'I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for you...There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself. '" (Tolkien 33) The dwarves allow Bilbo to join their company, but they do not completely take Gandalf 's word and have a difficult time becoming accustomed to the hobbit. The party describes him during the journey as being "more trouble than use so far" and wished Gandalf had "chosen someone with more sense" (119). However, once they realize that in spite of how traumatic a situation is for Bilbo, he still finds a way to help them when they can 't defend themselves, and because of that they accept him as a friend and stay loyal to him until the end of the quest and the
On the other hand, when we look at Bilbo Baggins, the picture that we come up with is a small hobbit from a far away and relatively unknown land. He is portrayed as someone that is very insignificant. He is insecure of seemingly on the edge of losing control every step of the way. Where Beowulf would represent they type of hero people will follow into battle, Bilbo Baggins would represent the type of person that stays at home smoking a pipe by the fire. However, this is the reason why we see Bilbo Baggins as a hero.
What makes someone a hero? A hero isn’t a celebrity or someone who can fly, have super speed, or shoot lasers out of their eyes. A hero is just an ordinary citizen that fights to solve a widespread issue in today’s society. A hero is an ordinary individual who rises to the occasion and fights the issues with superhero behavior, without the actual super powers. A hero is someone just similar to everyone else, but when they see a problem they have the bravery to step up and fix it without thinking twice. In the United States, a hero is someone whose character and qualities inspire others to live in life with fulfillment and compassion.