Literature Research Paper
In this research paper I decide to choose heroes from the well known Hamlet, The Iliad and Beowulf. From the above works we can be able to see various characters who are viewed as heroes. Hamlet is a hero in the sense that he is patient and brave in the quest to avenge his father’s death in the hands of Claudius, his uncle who inherits the throne after killing the King. Patience is seen in the sense that Hamlet devotes time in avenging his father. Being able to try, let alone succeed, in his plan to take down the King, Claudius, shows immense courage and bravery. He is eventually immortalized as a hero when Fortinbras orders that Hamlet be carried away in a manner befitting a fallen soldier.
Another hero is Beowulf. He is portrayed as an honorable, brave and resilient character. He says that he is helping the King because he had helped out his father, shows how he perceived the King and the gratitude he had in what he did for his father. Being able to volunteer himself and fighting the demon Grendel and later on his mother and defeating them demonstrates how brave he was. Even after he became King he was again on the fore front in fighting the dragon which thereafter he died. After his death the Geats made a funeral pyre for him. This shows how important he was and the impact he had left on the people the kind only heroes have.
Finally, in The Iliad, I choose Achilles as my hero in that his mere presence alone brings confidence in the Achaean camp. When he decided he was not going to help them in the fight, their army was overwhelmed by the Trojan forces. After his change of heart and rejoining in the war, he killed Hector who was a powerful soldier in the Trojan camp. Achilles in this story portrays he is a leader in that the kind of power his presence bore in the war. Obviously he is brave in leading the charge that lead to the death of Hector that won them the war. Only a hero that was Achilles could change the tide of a war like he did.
In all of this works of literature we are able to see common character traits in all of our heroes. The most prominent is bravery which is shared by all of the characters.
Reference:
M. Stokes (2011), Galileo. Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc
J. J. Reston (1994), Galileo: A Life.New York: HarperCollins Publish
C. E. Hummel (1986), The Galileo Connection, Illinois: Inter-VarsityPress
P. Machamer (1998), The Cambridge Companion To Galileo, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
E. Flint & A. Dennis (2004) 1634: The Galileo Affair. New York. Bean Publishing Enteprises..
