Epic Hero

All civilizations have a specific set rules and customs in which they believe defines the perfect person. Often, their example of the perfect person is told in an epic, in which there is a hero. From devastating good looks to superhuman strength, there is always something that separates this character from other people. Often, it is their bloodline, where one of their parents is a god. Sometimes, however, it is what they do and how they present themselves is what defines them. Or, it is how they battle, whether it is physically, mentally, or linguistically. Every culture’s hero is different, but they will have a few similarities between their characters.
Achilles, of the Iliad, is considered an epic hero, due to his goddess mother and his invincibility. His mother is Thetis, “a goddess of the sea and the leader of the fifty Nereides” (Thetis: Nereid Nymph). His father, a human named Peleus. At birth, his mother had a prophecy of Achilles’ death, and trying to prevent it, she dipped him into the River Styx, which granted him invulnerability to all weapons. Years later, Achilles was a hero of the Greek army, and played a huge part of the Trojan War. His fame though, caused his terrible hubris. Often sparring with King Agamemnon, he was strong headed and stubborn. In one argument, King Agamemnon states “Not so quickly, brave as you are, godlike Achilles-trying to cheat me.” (Homer., Fagles, and Knox 81). Although he was often disliked by other strong leaders, they did recognize his background.
Another character that is recognized as an epic hero is Odysseus from The Odyssey, not because of his bloodline, but rather his superior intellect. In The Odyssey, Odysseus has been separated from his family due to the Trojan War, and w...

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