Epic Hero Research Paper

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Epic Hero The Greeks really knew how to tell an interesting and unusual story. Those wonderful stories are now known as myths or epic poems. An epic poem is just a blank page without an epic hero that saves to day. A fantastic epic hero displays kairos, the traits of a true leader, and bravery. An epic is a lengthy poetic story that centers on an “epic” hero by telling the tale of the heroes life and often an interesting quest. Torquato Tasso describes an epic poem as a (heroic poem) as a “noble action” that is told as a story for peoples delight (Joy). Way back when, epic poems were used for many things; whether it is for entertainment or to explain a moral. According to Bowra an epic involves a journey that might be “especially violent” which might give people “special pleasure” when they watch or read about it (Joy). Bowra explains an epic as violent tale while…show more content…
Achilles mother Thetis, a Nereid, had been warned by a seer that Achilles would have a short life; as a preventative measure she dipped him in the river Styx when Achilles was a baby as a preventative measure which would have caused him to be invincible, had she not been so careless and checked that all of his foot had been coated (Hamilton 202). With this invincibility Achilles could be a strong warrior and a kairos leader to the Myrmidons, soldiers that were created from ants by Zeus (Hamilton 310). People looked up to Achilles as a leader and roll model because he realized the good and bad things that come from people’s hearts. Achilles states this well in Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, “evil is in all men’s lot, but yet we must keep our courage” (Hamilton 200). It takes a strong leader to admit that everyone may be in it to save themselves and nothing else. This may be a struggle to keep everything running smooth, but it is essential of a good leader to realize that everyone has a breaking

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