The author, Washington Irving once said, “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.” Often, it is thought that showing weakness is a flaw. However, showing signs of weakness is actually an important thing that sets a strong person apart from a weak one. It is essential to know that there is a difference between a hero’s weakness and a villain’s weakness. Having inner strength is often displayed through short term acts of vulnerability, such as crying or expressing love. It is a misconception that these exhibitions are signs of weak character. In contrast,…show more content… He is stolen as an infant and transformed into a half-human, half-god by the evil lord of the underworld, Hades. He grows up with a human family, and then learns of his heritage, and begins a quest to restore his godhood by becoming a hero. When Olympus falls under attack, Hades takes away Hercules’ strength in exchange for his lover’s safety. Hercules then realizes he has been betrayed by his love, thus leaving him in both physical and emotional pain. Hercules gives in, allowing himself to feel the pain of failure, before his love interest, Meg, sacrifices herself in order to save him. This allows Hercules to regain his strength, as his contract with Hades is broken. Hercules saves Olympus, and then sacrifices himself in order to save Meg from death. The complete and conscious revocation of Hercules’ own strength is ultimately what makes him a hero—in other words, his willingness to show emotional weakness allows him to become a sacrificial scapegoat, fill the hero archetype, and become a god. In order to show his greatest feat of strength, he had to first show…show more content… In contrast to Hercules and Mulan, Things Fall Apart actually does not have a hero as its main character. The main character of Achebe’s novel, Okonkwo, is obsessed with success and strength. This leads him to carry out many truly weak actions, disguised as honor and strength. For example, when his adopted son, Ikemefuna, is to be killed, rather than stepping away, Okonkwo is the one to kill him. He feels such a need to be strong that he actually kills someone dear to him in order to prove it. Another example is when his son Nwoye converts to Christianity, so he tries to kill him. He is so upset about his son being unlike him that he attempts to take the life of yet another person he loves, just to prove he is not associated with such weakness as the white man’s religion. Okonkwo often tries to hurt/kill people who he loves in order to prove his strength. He beats his wives and children when he is upset. He kills people out of rage. In the end of the story, he hangs himself when he realizes he will not go to
