Theseus: A Greek Hero

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What do most people think of when they hear the word hero? They tend to think famous super heroes such as Superman, Spiderman, or Batman. Literature heroes influence how society perceives modern heroes today. Heroes within literature have many different qualities which include: being courageous, smart, strong, humble, selfless and ambitious. Heroes within Greek mythology are quite the same. Unlike most literature heroes, heroes within Greek mythology often come from a noble or divine birth. Among these heroes is Theseus. Theseus is the cousin of the most well recognized Greek hero, Hercules. Theseus is qualified as a hero because of his manifestation with bravery and courageousness, confrontation with dangers, and evolution of his lifestyle. …show more content…
On his his quest to find his father, Theseus, encounters three evil robbers who have terrorized Greece for many years. He decided how to deal with the robbers, " . . . what each had done to others, Theseus did to him [them]" (210). For example, one of the robbers, Sciron, would have people wash his feet and then kick them off a cliff. When Theseus kills Sciron he makes him wash his feet and then kicks him off a cliff. When Theseus encounters danger he approaches it rather than running away. This factor in itself is what makes Theseus a great hero. He has knowledge of the bandits that he faces on land, yet he still continues his quest fearlessly. In another quest, Theseus helps his friend Pirithous go to the underworld to capture Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, and make her his wife. Theseus knew that the quest to the Underworld alone would be dangerous since no mortal enters the Underworld unless they are dead. Despite his knowledge of this, "Theseus agreed, of course, to help him, but, stimulated probably by the idea of this magnificently dangerous undertaking, declared that first he would himself carry off Helen, the future heroine of Troy . . . " (219). This displays that Theseus is not afraid to put himself in the way of danger. Theseus is quite ambitious when it comes to different adventures. He is quite similar to heroes because he knows what dangers he faces with each …show more content…
Theseus displays many qualities of hero; these qualities are not limited to what is written in this essay. Theseus is brave and courageous. Along with these two qualities is humbleness and compassion. Theseus is able to evolve and make himself a better hero than he already is. Theseus may not be exactly like other modern superheroes such as Batman, Superman, or Spiderman but, he is the building block of what a hero should
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