Between Heracles And Theseus Essay Examples

The essential quality of Greek Hero is that his deeds are passed down through the generations. This is not just his extraordinary performances or his handsomeness or esteemed birth, or the tragedy he suffered—I’m talking about all of it.
What makes a Greek hero a Hero is that we still remember him. That everything he caused, withstood, betrayed, and honored, is what we are all still talking about. If not, this alleged hero would be forgotten, lost amongst a population of other no-names otherwise known as Regular People. In that manner, he may as well been a coward. The idea of “singing his praises” is a Greek Hero’s preservation. It keeps him still alive and influential amongst the dead. When a Greek Hero dies, his efforts do not belong sorely to him because his triumphs are blanketed over a community he may or may not have served.
Keeping songs, scrolls, stories, and tales about a Greek Hero is a widespread concept. Of course, depending on location or family, one hero may be more pronounced than another. Heracles, given how popular his imagery is used, would be the greatest Greek Hero. If not because I readily knew who he was compared to Theseus, then because how popular the strong-man is used in mainstream culture.
The difference between Heracles and Theseus is their purpose. To me, it is most important in knowing why certain heroes did what. The motivation for Heracles is not similar to the provocation of Theseus. As a wandering hero, Hercules was very committed to glory and being renowned, he had strength to protect him and immortality as his end-goal. Even when resolving the insanity that induced him to murder his own family, Immortality was his reward, instead of regaining his destroyed home. If anything, Heracles was very opposed to being made a fool of and gritted his teeth with pride and anger to achieve. Before middle-age Theseus’ convictions were to with people, consciously serving his kingdom. Yes, Theseus notably had physical strength but he was well rounded by his intellect. His decisions were often grounded, as a hero and a practicing king; his adventures were more about saving others than protecting himself. The respected responsibilities of young Theseus are what set him apart from Heracles. While Heracles was publicly accepted after tragedy, Theseus was shunned in his own time and disregarded by kingdom he loved. Between them, Theseus acted as a figure of the people, Heracles acted as a figure for the people.