Heroism Essay Example
Heroism Essay Example

Heroism Essay Example

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  • Pages: 11 (2905 words)
  • Published: September 14, 2017
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Justine Dissecting Heroism There lies a world, where the majestic seas are complemented by roaring waves, where the pitfalls of temptations lure people to their graves, where the gods from Olympus holds the fate and life of the people. And here lies a hero, battling through hardships and blood shed, trying to make an indelible mark in history with his triumphant deeds and unquenchable thirst for honor. He lives by the name Odyssey, a man destined to win back his honor stolen by the suitors at his home.

For ten whole years, his body weathered by tribulations and suffering, but inside his heroic heart, he fire of ardent passion burns on and the rock of determination and endurance continue to tower. And, at the other dimension of the world, lies a girl tender from the outside,

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but gifted in the inside. It is her destiny, to find the hidden key lost in the wheels of times, and open the talent and hidden powers inside her soul. As she meets her lifetime comrades, she is obliged to embark a quest to save her mother and safeguard her race's existence.

She lives by the name Clara, a small seed imparted with hope and futures, predestined to bloom into a robust wildflower. These two heroes aptly portrays diverse heroics qualities and symbolize various types of heroism. There are multifarious examples in the "Odyssey' and "The city of bones" that delineate heroism and heroic qualities. The types of heroism differ from their intended purpose. Individual heroism is where the hero fights to make his mark in history, preserve his fame, class and honor for his venerable comrades an

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glorious lineage accentuated in the trials of the Odyssey.

In addition, constituent heroism is when the hero fights for a particular representative group and maintains he status and well-being of the group, which Clara serves to be this type of heroism. Finally, moral heroism can be defined when a hero engages and deals problems with a set of moral principles, and fights for what is morally Just. Certain qualities and characteristics make a true hero. A hero stands up in the face of evil, exerting unyielding commitment on what he believes is the rightful moral conduct in the situation. In the Odyssey, the hardships and bloodshed he endures is a strenuous burden for most ordinary.

However, the powerful Odyssey commands his servile crew embers adroitly through the Lotus eaters, the Sirens, and sea monster Scylla, they are beset with insatiable temptation, fierce nature, and constant lethargy. The heroes know they are in the teeth of opposition, but somehow, an inward force urges him forward to confront the evil force. Odyssey wants to succeed and prays for the gods for spiritual fortification and godlike assistance. Like in moral heroism, only by the faith and unremitting perseverance that they will succeed pushes the heroes forward.

The goddess Athena revels at Odyssey talents, his cunning wit and unquenchable thirst for glory. Athena not only helps him with the shipwreck and Book 5, she also helps his son too, since his son will also follow the steps of Odyssey. Only when the powers of physical and mental powers are present , the hero embodies the features of nobility and spiritual grandeur. Moreover, the hero many know the disparate contrast

between his forces and the odds, but still put his own life at stake to vie the goal he pursues.

Thus, to engage opposition forces, they must wield all intrinsic abilities and exercise their powers to their full extent. A hero needs intellectual acumen to differentiate the best and worst option and apply his resourcefulness to the circumstances, but not immobilizers to the state of indecisiveness. A hero does not squander of his talent. In Odyssey, besides physical strength, mental acuteness is an indispensable heroic quality, knowing what to say and do at the right moment. To optimize the potential of mental acuteness can be achieved by using the gifts and powers endowed to their full extent, like the articulate mouth.

In the epic poem of the Odyssey, his articulate and persuasive out produced the sounds of "heavenly music" that captivated the listeners in rapt. In the text Odyssey, he spellbind his host Allusions with the account of his travels and journeys, insofar as when the lateness of the hour ceases Odyssey to an end, Allusions begs him to go on further and quotes: "what grace you give your words, and what good sense within! ' You have told your story with a singer's skill" (Line 416, Book 11). Furthermore, in further of the story his speech and diction also seemed to be enchanted with magic, rousing the people spirits for battling against struggle.

When he times in the Cyclops put his utter fear, Odyssey inspirational speeches of enduring lighted the hearts of his cremates with blazing fires. As he stirred the spirits of his comrades, he also harnessed the powers of deception; his sugar

coating of words concealed the real malicious intent inside. Thus, the adversary will be baffled by his wily words and be subjected to manipulation by Odyssey. To illustrate, as Odyssey finally reaches his home of the great Ithaca, he is obliged to obliterate the threat of the suitors courting his wife, Penelope.

In order to attack at the most precise mime and advantage, he has to mask his real identity by dressing up as a penniless, ragged beggar. He tells fictions about the perils of Phoenician captains, Cretan ventures, and Egyptian kings in intricate detail, making the swineherd who meets at the shore of Ithaca intrigued by Odyssey mendacious account. In the text it states, " As host and guest confided back and forth the herdsmen came in driving their hog ups close. " ( Line 460, Book 14) This shows Odyssey does an exceptional Job in faking his identity, and the kinsmen believes while taking and confiding with him in a casual manner.

Odysseys impeccable skill of deception buys him the time for the attack against the suitor with his preservation of his fake identity. Sometimes, words are mightier than the sword. Using the sword and mouth together, holding the reins of physical and mental strength at will make Odyssey undeniably a capable hero. His mental acuteness was again show in the encounter with Polymorphous, Poseidon son. Odyssey acknowledges that he does not stand a chance against the godlike creature in physically fields, but his speech and diction makes him victorious again.

In the text, he declares himself the name as nobody. After he puts the godlike Cyclops into a deep sleep due to

his continual offerings of heavy wine, Odyssey and his man blind him with a sharpened stake. Shortly, Odyssey runs away from the dwelling of the Cyclops, and the Cyclops screams, "Nobody killing me now by fraud and not by force" If you're alone, his friends boomed back at once, and nobody trying to overpower you now - look it must be a plague sent here by mighty Zeus and there's no escape from that. (line 457, Book 9) Odyssey uses this clever scheme of faking his name as Nobody in order to trick Cyclops comrades in thinking that "nobody' has imperiled he Cyclops. Besides this mental acuteness, Odyssey always stands his ground. A quality is a true hero never lets his stand a hero disparaged by derogatory comments or offensive acts. Shortly after he defeated the Cyclops, he cannot bear the fact the blinded giant will never acknowledge his defeater Odyssey. This stresses the honor individual heroism w and will not be willingly to be subjected to disgrace of his personal character.

Also, the gruesome insult to his honor he succumbed is the affront of the suitors against his wife, Penelope. This insult is compounded by the overbearing confidence of the suitors even if Odyssey comes back he would be no match for them. After the ten year elapse, and the painstaking identity he plays as a beggar, he finally reveals identity when he kills Mutinous. He cannot bear the fact his capability and honor to be degraded and forces himself to shout these words forcibly against the suitors and quotes, " You dogs!

You never imagined I'd return from Troy' ( line 36, Book

22) Even the tactful and diplomatic Rheumatics tries to pacify Odyssey with a full compensation, again Odysseys wants his rightful honor to be in lace will never compromise with the suitors. Odysseys quotes, " No , Rheumatics! Not if you paid me all your father's wealth- all you possess now, and all that could pour in from the world's end- no , not even then would I stay my hands from slaughter till all you suitors had paid for all your crimes! No life or death _ your choice- fight me or flee if you hope to escape your sudden bloody doom!

I doubt one man in the lot will save his skins! " This is one necessary heroic trait. Odysseus apparent vindication of his rightful honor was barbaric and bloody. He kills all the en hundred and eight suitors that have courted his wife and hanged all his disloyal maids that assisted the suitors. Odyssey encourages his son to pay back the revenge and not disgrace his lineage. The perspiration of one's honor and status from demeaning words and acts is one of the heroic traits. Another vital aspect of a hero is he must adhere to a particular code or tenet he strongly believes in, which is moral heroism.

Even though Odyssey can choose to live in the utopian places Circe and calypso offers where he will be truly liberated from the pains from the twist and turns in his Journey, he still expresses unswerving loyalty for Penelope and longings for his homeland. One of the trait that significantly represents a hero is the ability to refrain from temptation. In the Sirens land,

he tells his comrades to tie him to a pole in order to prevent Odysseys from being hypnotized by the compelling noises of the Siren Land.

Temptation deviates people from the winding course to success; the invisible assassin lures the hearts of oblivious and idle minds too bottomless abyss of pain and torture. As in the Odyssey, personal keels, or glory, is the centerpiece a hero longs, in the city of bones it differs. The southwestern stress the importance of the whole in lieu the mere individual. They shower in glory for representing a group of people and willing to sacrifice anything for the perseverance of their defining group, portraying constituent heroism.

The main adversary of the southwestern are the downwards, composed of demon like creatures, and the southwestern endeavor to safeguard their families. The antagonist is also from the protective group of Southwestern, but an extremist. As like most southwestern wants their own race to prevail, the antagonist, Valentine sakes it to extreme measures. He craves for the race of Southwestern to prevail and plans for the massacre of downwards, the inferior races, to intensify the superiority of the shadow hunters.

The main plot of the story revolves around the Mortal cup since if Valentine possesses the Mortal cup he can build an army of southwestern and Clara must stop him. Clara, the protagonist of the story, discovers at the young age of fifteen that she has the boot of the Southwestern and the ordinary people called Mundane cannot see the Southwestern and Downwards and comprehend their existences. Jocosely hides the secret from Clara and pretends to be a Mundane mother since she does

not want Clara to mess with Valentine and the precarious downwards.

Again, moral heroism again is shown when her mother strongly believes that keeping her daughter safe from Valentine and blinding her daughter from the parlous knowledge is her obligation. However, her mother, who has the mortal cup Valentine wants, gets captured by Valentine, and Clara ascertains the secrets of the Southwestern with the help of Jack, this entails the embark of the journey to save her mother from Valentine. Jocosely cannot protect her 1 5 year old daughter Clara anymore, and Clara with the assistance of the three Shadow hunters, lace, Isabella, and Aleck, must battle through the daunting odds that threaten Clara.

The transition from relaxing and partying in the mundane world to the world infested by lethal downwards is inconceivable. This is similar to a scenario where a person walks in field of flowers and then crosses an border which instantly takes him to a dread war field plagued with mines and bombs. Clara must find her hidden talent with the help of Jack and the other Southwestern. Despite the hardship Clara faces with the relentless downwards, she conforms to moral heroism; she believes that saving her mother is the ultimate goal she must achieve. At on point, in the hotel of Demount, Jack and Clara encounters vampires and werewolves.

However, Clara possesses the abilities of quick-thinking and initiative. The werewolf with ferocious teeth, muscular limbs, and crimson eyes looked at Clara. A heroic quality then shines in Clara. She was not frozen with fear, she was not going to retreat, but she was going to make a stand. Thus, she threw

the sepals blade in her hand at the werewolves. She does not languish away in hesitation and fear, but her determination and spirit fuels her fight for survival. The blazing fire of passion glows inside the heart of Clara for the Journey to find her mother.

She is the master of mental mind, she knows how to infer conclusions from subtle facts, she can trace and she can see, looking in the world in different eyes. Her clear mind and suave fashion helps her deals with the tightest situation with ease, Just like in the encounter with the werewolf. Clara is very logical, with this heroic skill she finds out where the mortal cup is hidden. Knowing her mother' artistic talent and protective manner, Clara finds out her mother hid the cup in a painting. At the end, she succeeds in getting the Mortal cup, and in finding her mother.

As the both heroes Odyssey and Clara succeed, there are still differences between Odyssey and Clara. The incident where Odysseus went to see Tautology and his sons, marked Odysseus life when a the white tusks of a boar gouged into him and counterattacked. Devastated by the blow, the giant boar fell on the ground as expected. Odyssey, found his physical strength and quick thinking powers at a very unsung age. On the other hand, Clara finds out her talent at the age of fifteen when she beholds at three southwestern that clayed a demon, which the scene is usually invisible to the naked eyes of normal human beings.

After she finally befriends Jack, she learns under the bright world of reality lies an ominous dark

realm of the fights between the Southwestern and Downwardness. She discovers her ability to cast spells or magical runes later when she delves deeper in the world of wonder and mystery. At first, she slightly falters in doubt, lacking the courage to face obstacles he never faced before. However, she accumulates power and knowledge slowly, knowing that with a resolute determination and logical intuition, she will save her mother.

Odyssey and Clara differ from the realization of their talents: Odyssey has a manifest destiny at the very beginning of his life, and the veil that enshrouds Clays hidden talent slowly unravels. The heroes contrast differently from the heroism they represent, Odyssey epitomizes individual heroism, his purpose he struggles for his honor and glory, and will die to protect it. Thus, Odyssey embarks the Journey to slaughter the suitors hen they challenged him by trespassing his household and carrying out a profligacy lifestyle, making the resources of wealth dwindle by day.

Even though he has many comrades that he commands, but the ultimate goal he achieves is his fame to be spread through the vaulting skies. He wants to be marveled like a god. On the other hand, Clara fights in a group, and plays her part. As a dedicated contributor to a greater group, the group as a whole is more competent and powerful to achieve the same goal. Together in a group, they together slay downwards and manage to collaborate forces to overpower the fearful Greater Demon. This is how the two heroes Clara and Odyssey differ in their heroic qualities and types of heroism they represent.

In conclusion, mental intuition and spiritual faith

is valued too beside physical strength. These abilities are the keystone parts that enable the heroes to achieve the impossible. Odysseys ability to persuade and deceive the human mind let him to manipulated people in order to help secure victories in many parts of the story. On the other hand, Clays initiative and quick-thinking helped her escape the tightest situations. Besides these heroic qualities, they both represent different types of errors.

For individual heroism, Odyssey fights for glory with his prestigious deeds and ultimately, kills the suitors that serve to endanger the glory and prestige of Odyssey. In the contrary, Clara represents constituent heroism, she plays her part in a bigger whole, and this is what makes them strong to achieve the goal they all vie for. Odyssey and Clara will be revered as heroes due to the diverse heroic qualities they possess. Odyssey and Clara will exemplify as great heroes that had fought for what they want, empowered by the heroic talents they have deep inside, burning with passion and potential.

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