Hero Types: Overview

     The Greeks established the hero myth tradition as most are familiar with it, the strong warrior who conquers enemies.  In fact, war was the primary occupation of many Greeks who would conquer other cities, other lands, and then return home with the spoils of war, to the benefit of the people (the quest and return conventions).
     However, this is reflective of Greek society and values, and while other cultures, such as the Norse, hold to similar ideals, heroes are determined primarily by their society's values.  The Greek warrior hero, for example, holds no place in Hebrew or Muslim societies.  Even modern-day American values would not hold with how savage the Greek heroes can be.
     The type of a hero is determined not by conventions, but by the cultural values of the society that produces the hero. These cultural values are almost never overtly stated, but are reflected in the specific traits of the hero. To determine the hero type, you must analyze a hero's traits to unlock those cultural values.
     Remember that morality is culturally defined, and will come through in the hero's traits, especially how the hero deals with conflicts. Be sure not to interpret a hero based on modern cultural values. This simply does not work.

<< Perspectives

Classical >>