What Does It Take to Be Considered a Hero?

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Recommended: different definitions of the term hero

“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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