epic hero narrative essay

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Epic Hero: Definition and Activities

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Epic Hero Definition

Protagonists come in many varieties. Some are relatable and easy to identify with. Others are constantly struggling and easy to sympathize with. An archetypal protagonist is the "epic hero", a main character with impressive superhuman capabilities who completes awe-inspiring deeds such as taking on a battle with superhuman foes. It was the Greeks who first defined the protagonist known as an epic hero. These heroes of a tragedy must evoke in the audience a sense of heroism through legendary, awe-inspiring lore. An epic hero must be someone whose fortune is brought about by his own admired characteristics. Many of the famous epic poetry, such as The Odyssey and The Iliad, contain these larger-than-life heroes and their deeds. King Arthur, Beowulf, Siegfried, Gilgamesh, and Rama are all examples of epic heroes.

What are the Characteristics of an Epic Hero?

The seven traits of an epic hero.

All epic heroes or epic characters have the same epic hero qualities. According to the epic literary definitions, these characteristics are as follows:

• Noble Birth: Usually a king, prince, demi-god, or god-like nobleman of some capacity.
• Superhuman Abilities: The skilled warrior has the potential for greatness based on their attributes, e.g. cunning, bravery, humility, wisdom, virtue, making them seem to have superhuman abilities and superhuman strength.
• Vast Traveler: Known for making travels to another world or going on a perilous journey to exotic locations by choice or chance, usually to battle against evil.
• Unmatched Warrior: Typically has a reputation for being a larger than life figure, even prior to the beginning of the story.
• Cultural Legend: Before an epic hero can be universally known, he must first be a legend in his culture.
• Humility: The hero performs great deeds for their own sake rather than glory and they demonstrate humility. Heroes that boast, or exhibit hubris may be punished and humbled.
• Battles Supernatural Creatures: The superhuman foes and obstacles he faces are usually supernatural beings, e.g. Grendel, Poseidon, or a cyclops.

Epic Hero Examples

Most epic heroes are larger-than-life, possess heroic qualities, and embody the values of their culture. Here are some examples of epic heroes:

• Beowulf: The protagonist of the Old English epic poem "Beowulf." He is a warrior who fights against monsters and becomes a king.
• Odysseus: The central figure of Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey." He is a Greek hero who faces many challenges on his journey home from the Trojan War and has all the traits of an epic hero.
• Gilgamesh: The protagonist of the Mesopotamian epic poem "Epic of Gilgamesh." He is a powerful king who embarks on a quest for eternal life.
• Achilles: From Homer's epic poem "The Iliad", the hero Achilles is known for his incredible strength and is considered the greatest warrior of his time.
• Arjuna: From the Hindu epic "Mahabharata", he is a skilled archer and warrior who must face a moral dilemma before a great battle.
• King Arthur: This legend was the king of Britain who appears in many medieval tales and romances. He is known for his bravery, his sense of justice, and his wise leadership.

These are just a few examples of epic heroes from different cultures and time periods.

Why Teach Students About Epic Heroes?

Epic heroes are often taught in literature and history classes for a variety of reasons. Here are a few possible reasons:

• Cultural Significance: Epic heroes often come from ancient cultures and societies that are no longer in existence. Studying epic heroes allows us to gain insight into these cultures and the values they held dear.
• Literary Analysis: Epic heroes are often the protagonists of epic poems or narratives, which are significant literary works in their own right. By studying epic heroes, we can learn about literary techniques such as metaphor, symbolism, and characterization.
• Moral Lessons: Epic heroes often embody certain virtues such as courage, loyalty, and perseverance. By studying their stories, we can learn valuable moral lessons and apply them to our own lives.
• Historical Context: Many epic heroes are based on real historical figures or events. Studying them can give us a better understanding of the historical context in which they lived.

Overall, the study of epic heroes can help us gain a deeper understanding of literature, history, and the human condition.

How to Teach Students About Epic Heroes

Introduce the concept of epic heroes.

Start by defining what an epic hero is and provide some epic hero examples from literature or mythology. Explain the traits of an epic hero that make a hero "epic," such as strength, courage, intelligence, and noble qualities.

Read and Analyze Epic Poems or Stories

Choose an epic poem or story such as Beowulf , The Iliad , or The Odyssey , and read it with your students. Encourage them to take notes and analyze the story as they read. Discuss the themes, characters, and plot of the epic, and how they relate to the hero's journey.

Analyze the Hero's Journey

The hero's journey is a common theme in epic literature. Discuss the stages of the hero's journey, such as the call to adventure, the initiation, the challenges faced, and the return home. Have students identify these stages in the epic story they read.

Compare and Contrast Epic Heroes

Have students compare and contrast different epic heroes from different stories. This can be done through group discussions, class debates, or individual essays. Encourage them to analyze the similarities and differences between the heroes and their journeys.

Create your Own Epic Hero

Ask students to create their own epic hero, complete with their own journey, challenges, and character traits. Have them present their hero to the class and explain why they chose certain qualities and characteristics.

Overall, teaching about epic heroes can be a fun and interactive way to engage students with literature and mythology. By analyzing epic poems and stories and creating their own heroes, students can develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the hero's journey. Check out our sample lesson below!

Example Epic Hero Lesson Plan

Overview of the lesson.

What is an epic hero and how do I know who they are? Teach students the literary device and ask them to think deeply about their attributes and how they affect the work as a whole.

Time: 45 Minutes

Grade Level: 8-12

Lesson Specific Essential Questions

• What are the characteristics of someone who has an extensive reputation?
• Can you distinguish an epic hero from a typical character in a work of literature?
• What do we learn from the virtues of an epic hero?

Students will be able to define epic hero, list epic heroes from works of literature, film, or television, and take away the effects of an epic hero on plot.

What students should know and be able to do before starting this lesson: Students should be able to list heroes and villains from popular works of literature or movies and television.

Instructional Materials/Resources/Tools

• Before: Epic Hero Activator Worksheet
• During: Elements of an Epic Hero Template
• Example/After: Odysseus Epic Hero
• Access to Storyboard That

Instructional Tips/Strategies/Suggestions for Teacher

Be specific when asking students to create a storyboard that shows the qualities of an Epic Hero. Make sure that students include an explanation of each attribute as well as a quote that backs up their claim. If they are doing this as a project, having the students download their storyboards to a PowerPoint is a perfect way for them to present an explanation of each cell.

Lesson Details/Procedure

Lesson opening.

Activator: Students will be given Epic Hero Activator Worksheet and instructed to fill in the boxes to the best of their ability. If students cannot fill in Box 3 (List Epic Heroes) then tell them that they may leave it blank. After five minutes ask students to compare lists with someone sitting near them. Then ask each pair to say one hero or villain out loud and make a list on the board. Once that is complete, ask them why they know the lists on the board are heroes or villains? As a class, come up with definitions for each and a list of attributes they possess.

During the Lesson

Teaching the term: Next, ask all students if anyone had prior knowledge and knew what an epic hero is or if anyone has a guess or list of this type of character. If they did, write down on the board what they give for an answer. If no one knows, begin to front-load the term. After giving students the definition, ask them to think of characters from movie, TV, and literature that they think would fall in this category and make a list. Repeat with a think, pair, share and make a list of characters and a list of attributes.

Lesson Closing

Defining the term: After students have come up with a list of attributes that they believe an epic hero possesses, go over definition and characteristics of a hero. Ask students to fill out and keep track of the attributes that make the protagonist of your work an epic hero by writing in the answers to Elements of an Epic Hero Template.

Lesson Extension

After students have finished reading the novel/play, reinforce this lesson by asking them to complete their storyboard that shows each attribute using a scene and quote from the text. This lesson extension coupled with a slide show presentation will help students master the concept of the epic hero.

Add a Presentation

Students can be assessed after their final storyboard project is completed and presented.

Related Activities

Check out these epic hero activities from our guides on Greek Mythology: The 12 Labors of Hercules , Divergent , and Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky .

How to Identify Archetypal Patterns in Epic Hero Stories

Understand archetypal patterns.

Introduce the concept of archetypal patterns to students, explaining that they are recurring themes, symbols, or narrative structures that appear across different stories and cultures. Discuss the significance of archetypes in understanding the deeper meanings and universal elements of epic hero stories.

STUDY EPIC HERO CHARACTERISTICS

Teach students about the characteristics of an epic hero, such as extraordinary abilities, noble qualities, and a transformative journey. Help them recognize these key traits that define an epic hero and differentiate them from other types of heroes.

IDENTIFY HERO'S CALL TO ADVENTURE

Guide students to identify the hero's call to adventure, which marks the beginning of the epic hero's journey. Help them recognize the moment when the hero is summoned or motivated to embark on a quest or undertake a significant task.

ANALYZE MENTORSHIP AND SUPERNATURAL AID

Explore the presence of mentorship and supernatural aid in epic hero stories. Help students identify the wise mentor figures who guide and assist the hero throughout their journey. Discuss the role of supernatural elements or assistance that aid the hero in overcoming challenges.

EXAMINE CHALLENGES AND ORDEALS

Guide students to examine the challenges and ordeals the epic hero faces on their journey. Help them recognize the trials, conflicts, and obstacles that the hero must overcome to achieve their goal or fulfill their quest. Discuss the significance of these challenges in the hero's growth and development.

EVALUATE THE HERO'S TRANSFORMATION AND RETURN

Encourage students to evaluate the hero's transformation and return. Help them analyze how the hero undergoes personal growth, acquires new knowledge or skills, and returns to their community or ordinary life with a greater understanding or a boon to share. Discuss the impact of the hero's journey on their character and the world around them.

Frequently Asked Questions about Epic Heroes

What is an epic hero.

The epic hero meaning is a character in literature or mythology who is larger than life and possesses heroic qualities such as courage, strength, wisdom, and cunning. Epic heroes are often the central figures in an epic hero story or an epic poem, and are typically portrayed as being on a quest or journey to accomplish a great feat or to save their people.

What makes an epic hero a hero?

What makes an epic hero a hero is their ability to demonstrate extraordinary feats of bravery, wisdom, and strength in the face of great adversity. The epic hero archetype embodies the virtues of their culture, serve as role models for others, and often exhibit a strong sense of honor and self-sacrifice.

What are the 9 characteristics of an epic hero?

The nine epic hero characteristics are:

• The epic hero at any heroic age is a leader in some way.
• Oftentimes the epic hero is a demi-god or has a weapon that has godlike powers.
• Epic heroes take on a test of courage, skill, and strength.
• Willingness to take on challenges that no one else is willing to take on.
• Epic heroes must prove themselves by taking on a foe or challenge that is greater than the hero.
• Epic heroes show excellence, courage, and strength.
• These heroes have a great deal of cultural abilities and qualities.
• Engages in a final battle with the antagonist/supernatural creatures.
• Epic heroes have a fatal flaw of some sort that show their humility and relatability.

What is the difference between a hero and an epic hero?

The difference between a hero and an epic hero is that epic heroes are larger-than-life figures who embody the virtues of their culture and serve as a symbol of that culture's ideals. While a hero may also possess admirable qualities, they are often more relatable and human than an epic hero, who is typically portrayed as almost godlike in their abilities and accomplishments.

What is an example of an epic hero?

Perhaps the most well known on the epic heroes list is Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer's epic poem, "The Odyssey." Odysseus is a noble and courageous warrior who embarks on a long and perilous journey home after fighting in the Trojan War. He faces many obstacles, including battles with mythical creatures and the wrath of the gods, but ultimately succeeds in returning to his homeland and reclaiming his throne. Odysseus embodies the qualities of bravery, cunning, and wisdom that are highly valued in ancient Greek culture, making him a classic example of an epic hero.

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A hero can be defined in many different ways. Some of the characteristics heroes often possess include bravery, strength, persistence, and loyalty. In the poem Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, is a Scandinavian prince who embodies many of these heroic qualities. Beowulf is a poem that was written anonymously between the 8th and the early 11th centuries; this was a time when the Anglo-Saxons ruled most of Northern Europe. Beowulf is about a man who sails to Denmark to fight Grendel, a monster who has been slaughtering the people of Denmark for many years. Throughout the poem, Beowulf demonstrates many of the true characteristics of an epic hero. He displays bravery, loyalty, and persistence as he takes on many battles.

Fifty years later, Beowulf displays bravery again when he goes into battle with a dragon. At the end of the poem, a thief steals the dragon’s treasure, and in return, the dragon destroys Getland. This makes Beowulf angry, so he sets out to defeat this monster. Although Beowulf has aged over time, this does not steer him away from wanting to fight. Before Beowulf fights the dragon, he tells his people he will “Not run from the shooting flames, [or] stand still, until? fate decides which of us wins” (lines 675-677). No matter the circumstances, Beowulf was not going to back down, even if that meant dying. When Beowulf finally fights the monster, all his men cower away in fear, leaving Beowulf standing alone. Even though Beowulf’s men sheepishly ruan away, he still continues to fight. Beowulf is not like the average man, he shows bravery in everything he does.

Another heroic quality Beowulf portrays is loyalty to his people. Beowulf’s loyalty is made extremely apparent whenever he courageously follows Hrothgar’s orders, not once, but twice, to go after Grendel and then Grendel’s mother. Beowulf also demonstrates loyalty at the end of the poem when he is in battle with a dragon. During the battle “None of his comrades came to him, helped him, his brave and noble fellers; they ran for their lives, fled deep into the woods” (lines 746-749). Even though his men abandoned him, he stayed loyal to them and continued to fight for their protection.

Beowulf knew he could die in battle, but he was willing to fight for the protection of his people no matter the outcome. Another time Beowulf shows loyalty to his people is when he is lying on his deathbed, facing the fact that he might not come back. Despite the fact that he is about to die, his main concern is still his men. As Beowulf is lying on the ground in pain, he asks Wiglaf to “lead his people, help them” (lines 808-809). Beowulf was on his last leg, and his only concern was the future of GeatlandDenmark. Once again, Beowulf differs from the average man, foras he sticks by his men untiltill the end, even though they abandoned him when he needed them the most.

Another way Beowulf displays persistence is the way in which he battles Grendel. At the beginning of the poem, before Beowulf fights Grendel, many people start to question whether he will really be able to defeat Grendel. However, this doesn’t affect Beowulf in any way. He knew that his purpose “was to win the goodwill of [the] people or die in battle, pressed / In Grendel’s fierce grip” (lines 366-368). Beowulf knew that death was a possibilityit was a possibility he could die, but he was willing to fight to his death if that’s what it took. Beowulf demonstrates persistence in every battle he fights in, and without it, he would have never been a true epic hero.

Beowulf embodies a true epic hero throughout the entirety of the poem. This is made clear as he continues to demonstrate heroic qualities, despite the adversities he faces. He performed many acts of bravery and was persistent with every battle he faced, while also remaining loyal to his people. Normal men and women do not have the attributes that Anglo-Saxon heroes do, so they must rely on heroes, like Beowulf, to fight off oppression. Beowulf was willing to do anything for his men, and that’s what made him stand out amongst the others. Beowulf died for his people, and that does not only make him a hero in the Anglo-Saxon time period, but also today. 

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The Challenges of Writing an Epic Hero’s Journey Narrative and How to Overcome Them

The hero’s journey narrative has been around since humans started telling each other stories, and with good reason. Hero’s journeys are attractive because they involve the most important aspect of any important story: change.

During a hero’s journey narrative, the protagonist goes through the process of succeeding in their goals , or their quest, because they change their way of thinking or their perspective.

This type of narrative also provides a strong structure for writers to keep their stories propelled through to the end. It gives 12 steps that a hero must follow, and a writer can plug events into the narrative to satisfy those requirements.

While they don’t write themselves, it can seem like you can write a hero’s journey tale without much difficulty.

However, there are still challenges to overcome when crafting such a narrative. If you are doing it for fun, or because you have to complete one for a class deadline , here are some of those challenges, and how you can overcome them.

Rigidly Sticking to the 12 Steps

It’s true that in most cases, a hero’s journey requires them to go through 12 stages to achieve their mission.

During these 12 steps, the hero starts in their original world, gets pushed into an adventure, overcomes obstacles, meets friends and foes, and eventually succeeds and returns to their normal life has changed for the better.

Sometimes writers should remember that the 12 steps provide guideposts , but you don’t have to follow them too rigidly.

For example, at the end of your story, the 12 stages would suggest that the hero must return to their “normal” world and make it better because of the change of perspective or thinking that they’ve had.

However, you can mix this up by having heroes sacrifice themselves and never return home, but things are better for society or the world because of their achievements.

If you stick too closely to the 12 steps, you may end up getting stuck in the mud and unable to complete your story.

Stifled Creativity

One of the other issues with using a narrative structure like the hero’s journey is that you might find the stories stale and derivative. That is certainly a trap that many writers fall into, but they don’t have to.

The great thing about narrative structures is that they can be used with any genre and any type of protagonist. You can have a small child who goes on an “adventure” to the mall with his mom, or you can have a young girl who wants to be a starfighter.

You don’t have to stick to traditional genres that we commonly associate with “heroes,” such as fantasy. You can have a hero’s journey take place in space, within a country home, on an island, or anywhere else.

There doesn’t have to be a sword in sight. When you create your journey, just make sure that the protagonist meets all or most of the criteria, and you will have a true hero’s journey in the end.

Gender Bias

For centuries, there has been an inherent gender bias in hero narratives. In fact, in classic stores often the women were evil temptresses who only stood in the hero’s way.

Even now, many writers get hung up on heroes having to be male. There has been a bigger event in the past decade to highlight female heroes who follow their journey, which has helped to break that cycle.

If you are stuck on some story beats with a male protagonist, try switching your hero to a female, or a non-binary character, and see where it takes you. You might find that it releases you from some narrative traps that come along with having a male protagonist.

Because there is so much history, there are many cliches when it comes to male heroes, and writers can get caught up with them, which can make for a stale story.

Changing things up might provide the refresh that you need to move forward.

Figuring Out The Archetypes

There are several archetypal characters that typically appear in a hero’s journey tale. It can be very hard to figure out which of your characters falls into which category, or if a character you are creating is truly the archetype you mean them to be.

It’s important to do your research and find some examples to help you get the details straight.

Use a hero’s journey writing guide to help sort through the characteristics that make a hero’s journey archetypal character, and incorporate them into your characters.

Just like the protagonist in your story, you will have challenges to overcome when writing a hero’s journey narrative.

However, you can get over these bumps and create a great story by following these tips.

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The Epic Hero

In this on-line version, the page-numbers of the printed version are indicated within braces (“{” and “}”). For example, “{69|70}” indicates where p. 69 of the printed version ends and p. 70 begins. These indications will be useful to readers who need to look up references made elsewhere to the printed version of this book.

Introduction

The “epic hero” as grounded in the epic poetry of the iliad and odyssey, epic as genre, the hero in epic: achilles and odysseus in the iliad and odyssey, the narrating of the story of achilles in the iliad, the complementarity of the iliad and odyssey, the narrating of the story of odysseus in the odyssey.

• The returning king reclaims his kingdom by becoming reintegrated with his society. The king, as king, is the embodiment of this society, of this “body politic”; thus the society, as re-embodied by the king, is correspondingly reintegrated.
• The pilot lost at sea finally finds his bearings and reaches home. The pilot or kubernētēs (Latin gubernātor ) is the helmsman who directs the metaphorical ‘ship of state’ (the metaphor is latent in the word derived from Latin gubernātor , ‘government’). {79|80}
• The seer or shaman returns home from his vision quest.
• The soldier of fortune returns home from his adventures and proceeds to reclaim his wife, whose faithfulness in his absence determines his true identity.
• The trickster retraces his misleading steps, returning all the way back home, back where he had started, and thus showing the correct steps for all to take.
• The son goes off on a quest to find his father in order to find his own heroic identity.

The narrating of the story of Aeneas in the Aeneid of Virgil

Contrasts between homeric poetry and older forms of poetry, the shaping of the epic hero in cosmogonic and anthropogonic traditions, the hero as hēmitheos ‘demigod’, herakles as a model hēmitheos ‘demigod’, the hero as a model of mortality and immortalization, evidence for the worship of heroes, the cult hero, characteristics of the hērōs ‘hero’ as both cult hero and epic hero.

• The hero is unseasonal.
• The hero is extreme – positively (for example, “best” in whatever category) or negatively (the negative aspect can be a function of the hero’s unseasonality).
• The hero is antagonistic toward the god who seems to be most like the hero; antagonism does not rule out an element of attraction (often a “fatal attraction”), which is played out in a variety of ways. The sacred space assigned the hero in hero cult could be coextensive with the sacred space assigned to the god who was considered the hero’s divine antagonist. [ 172 ] In other words, god-hero antagonism in myth – including the myths mediated by epic – corresponds to god-hero symbiosis in ritual.
• He is made unseasonal by Hera.
• His unseasonality makes it possible for him to perform his extraordinary Labors. He also commits some deeds that are morally questionable: for example, he destroys the city of Iole and kills her brothers in order to capture her as his bride – even though he is already married to Deianeira (Diodorus of Sicily 4.37.5). It is essential to keep in mind that whenever heroes commit deeds that violate moral codes, such deeds are not condoned by the heroic narrative. [ 175 ]
• He is antagonistic with Hera throughout his lifespan, but he becomes reconciled with her through death: as we have seen, the hero becomes the virtual son of Hera by being {87|88} reborn from her. As the hero’s name makes clear, he owes his heroic identity to his kleos and, ultimately, to Hera. A parallel is the antagonism of Juno, the Roman equivalent of Hera, toward the hero Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid .

From non-Homeric Herakles to Homeric Achilles and beyond

• He is unseasonal: in Iliad XXIV 540, Achilles is explicitly described as is pana(h)ōrios ‘the most unseasonal of them all’. [ 177 ] His unseasonality is a major cause of his grief, which makes him “a man of constant sorrow.”
• He is extreme, mostly in a positive sense, since he is ‘best’ in many categories, and ‘best of the Achaeans’ in the Homeric Iliad ; occasionally, however, he is extreme in a negative sense, as in his moments of martial fury. [ 178 ] In war, the warrior who is possessed by the god of war experiences this kind of fury, which is typically bestial. For example, martial fury in Greek is lussa , meaning ‘wolfish rage’. [ 179 ] Comparable is the Old Norse concept berserkr and the Old Irish concept of ríastrad ‘warp spasm’ or ‘distortion’. [ 180 ]
• He is antagonistic to the god Apollo, to whom he bears an uncanny resemblance. When Patroklos stands in for Achilles, he displaces Achilles as his ritual substitute in the god-hero antagonism of Apollo / Achilles. At the moment when Patroklos dies, in Iliad XVI 786, he is called ‘equal to a daimōn ’ – a sign of his status as ritual substitute. [ 181 ] The use of the word daimōn here, designating an unspecified superhuman force, signals the epic moment of god-hero antagonism. But we see here simultaneously a ritual moment as well, and this simultaneity indicates a convergence between the epic hero and cult hero.

Bibliography

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To Lead a Meaningful Life, Become Your Own Hero

From  Gilgamesh  to  Star Wars, the narrative blueprint underpinning many heroic tales can offer a powerful way to reframe experiences

• By Ben Rogers , Kurt Gray , Mike Christian  on  October 30, 2023

What do Beowulf , Batman and Barbie all have in common? Ancient legends, comic book sagas and blockbuster movies alike share a storytelling blueprint called “the hero’s journey.” This timeless narrative structure, first described by mythologist Joseph Campbell in 1949, describes ancient epics, such as the Odyssey and the Epic of Gilgamesh , and modern favorites, including the Harry Potter , Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series. Many hero’s journey stories have become cultural touchstones that influence how people think about their world and themselves.

Our research reveals that the hero’s journey is not just for legends and superheroes. In a recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, we show that people who frame their own life as a hero’s journey find more meaning in it . This insight led us to develop a “restorying” intervention to enrich individuals’ sense of meaning and well-being. When people start to see their own lives as heroic quests, we discovered, they also report less depression and can cope better with life’s challenges.

The human brain seems hardwired to make sense of the world through stories . Homo sapiens evolved over millennia of sitting around the fire and telling tales of challenge and triumph. Our interest in storytelling explains why we read magazine articles that open with an anecdote and why we naturally frame our life in story form. These life stories stitch together different events into an overarching narrative , with the storyteller as the protagonist. These tales help people define who they are and make the experience of life more coherent .

Of course, some stories are better than others—some evoke awe and excitement, while others make people yawn. We wondered whether the hero’s journey provides a template for telling a more compelling version of one’s own life story. After all, the hero’s journey lies at the heart of the most culturally significant stories around the world.

To explore the connection between people’s life stories and the hero’s journey, we first had to simplify the storytelling arc from Campbell’s original formulation, which featured 17 steps. Some of the steps in the original set were very specific, such as undertaking a “magic flight” after completing a quest. Think of Dorothy, in the novel  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, being carried by flying monkeys to the Emerald City after vanquishing the Wicked Witch of the West. Others are out of touch with contemporary culture, such as encountering “women as temptresses.” We abridged and condensed the 17 steps into seven elements that can be found both in legends and everyday life: a lead protagonist, a shift of circumstances, a quest, a challenge, allies, a personal transformation and a resulting legacy.

For example, in The Lord of the Rings, Frodo (the protagonist) leaves the Shire (a shift) to destroy the Ring (a quest). Sam and Gandalf (his allies) help him face Sauron’s forces (a challenge). He discovers unexpected inner strength (a transformation) and then returns home to help the friends he left behind (a legacy). In a parallel way in everyday life, a young woman (the protagonist) might move to Los Angeles (a shift), develop an idea for a new business (a quest), get support from her family and new friends (her allies), overcome self-doubt after initial failure (a challenge), grow into a confident and successful leader (a transformation) and then help her community (a legacy).

With our condensed version of the hero’s journey, we looked at the connection between how people told their life story and their feelings of meaning in life. Across four separate studies, we collected life stories from more than 1,200 people, including online participants and a group of middle-aged adults in Chicago. We also used questionnaires to measure the storytelling participants’ sense of meaning in life, amount of life satisfaction and level of depression.

We then examined these stories for the seven elements of the hero’s journey. We found that people who had more hero’s journey elements in their life stories reported more meaning in life, more flourishing and less depression. These “heroic” people (men and women were equally likely to see their life as a hero’s journey) reported a clearer sense of themselves than other participants did and more new adventures, strong goals, good friends, and so on.

We also found that hero’s journey narratives provided more benefits than other ones, including a basic “redemptive” narrative, where a person’s life story goes from defeat to triumph. Of course, redemption is often a part of the “transformation” part of the hero’s journey, but compared with people whose life story contained only the redemptive narrative, those with a full hero’s journey reported more meaning in life.

We then wondered whether altering one’s life story to be more “heroic” would increase feelings of meaning in life. We developed a “restorying” intervention in which we prompted people to retell their story as a hero’s journey. Participants first identified each of the seven elements in their life, and then we encouraged them to weave these pieces together into a coherent narrative.

In six studies with more than 1,700 participants, we confirmed that this restorying intervention worked: it helped people see their life as a hero’s journey, which in turn made that life feel more meaningful. Intervention recipients also reported higher well-being and became more resilient in the face of personal challenges; these participants saw obstacles more positively and dealt with them more creatively.

Critically, our intervention required two steps: identifying the seven elements and connecting them together into a coherent story. In other studies, we found that doing only one or the other—such as describing aspects of one’s life that resembled the hero’s journey without linking them together—had a much more modest effect on feelings of meaning in life than doing both.

Furthermore, the intervention increased participants’ tendency to perceive more meaning in general. For instance, after retelling their stories according to our prompts, people were more likely to perceive patterns in seemingly random strings of letters on a computer screen.

Anyone can frame their life as a hero’s journey—and we suspect that people can also benefit from taking small steps toward a more heroic life. You can see yourself as a heroic protagonist, for example, by identifying your values and keeping them top of mind in daily life. You can lean into friendships and new experiences. You can set goals much like those of classic quests to stay motivated—and challenge yourself to improve your skills. You can also take stock of lessons learned and ways that you might leave a positive legacy for your community or loved ones.

Though you may never save the world on a massive scale, you could save yourself. You can become a hero in the context of your own life, which, at the very least, will make for a better story.

Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science or psychology? And have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about for Mind Matters? Please send suggestions to  Scientific American’s  Mind Matters editor Daisy Yuhas at  [email protected] .

This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of  Scientific American.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Ben Rogers is an assistant professor of management and organization at Boston College. He studies the ways people find meaning and the stories we tell about our work and lives.

Kurt Gray is a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab, where he studies morality, religion and the ways by which we make sense of AI. He is author of the forthcoming book Outraged: Why we Fight about Morality and Politics (Pantheon).

Mike Christian is Bell Distinguished Scholar and a professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He studies human energy and engagement at work.

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Hero Essay Example (Tragic Hero vs Epic Hero)

As a student, you can be asked to write a hero essay or an epic hero vs tragic hero paper. Thus, first of all, you will try to determine who can be considered a really great man and where to find such a character. In general, a hero is a person who did something great. This can be a real person who, for example, participated in World War II, or an outstanding scientist, who has changed our lives. Also, there are numerous examples of great men in movies, comics, as well as in everyday life. What unites them is their constancy, bravery, and selflessness in times of trouble. You may also use legends, where one can find numerous characters people admire. You can even write about someone who is a hero to you personally.

This type of essay writing requires the student to portray the personality of the chosen person so that the reader understands why that particular individual is a great hero. This assignment takes a lot of time and effort, as well as requires one to have good writing skills. This is the main reason why students often come online to buy hero essays that are individually crafted.

Thus, our team of custom writers has created this article to help students write an A-winning paper. Check our hero essay example and tips on how to write a decent essay or simply use our legit writing services to buy hero essays from professional writers.

Hero Essay Example: Epic Hero vs Tragic Hero

The authors attribute certain characteristics to t he characters in Homer’s The Odyssey and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. These characteristics help the reader form an opinion about these works, their central heroes, and the themes raised by both authors. The characteristics that the authors highlight are aimed at making the reader have a subjective understanding of a particular work. The writers often portray these features through the character’s actions, through what they say and what others say about them. Speaking about the time and setting, Oedipus and Odysseus have lived in different time periods. While The Odyssey was written in 850-750 BC, Oedipus the King was written in 496-406 BC. The epic poems were written in different cities. In addition, The Odyssey features an adventurous story while Oedipus the King is a tragic story. This paper will compare and contrast Oedipus and Odysseus as characters.

In Homer’s The Odyssey and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King , the authors describe what other people say about the main characters, revealing their emotions and attitudes, as well as what the heroes say about themselves and their surroundings. What they say is important as their words reveal the heroes’ true selves. When other characters speak about a certain hero, they may mask or distort their sincere thoughts. A character’s speech, however, calculated or controlled, is likely to show character attributes and flaws. Strict narration frequently polarizes a character, sometimes giving them defining characteristics such as good or evil, generous or selfish, and so on.

Both Oedipus and Odysseus are kings who rule kingdoms. They are both powerful men. In Homer’s The Odyssey , Odysseus is an influential Greek champion, a trusted adviser, and counselor during the Trojan War. This is he who invents the famous stratagem: the Trojan Horse. Odysseus is cunning and intelligent; these traits are often seen when he uses deceptive speech and disguise.

Both epic poems are similar in that they expose conflict in the beginning. In The Odyssey , the main chracter has been in captivity under the nymph Calypso for twenty years. The author portrays him as a strong man since he fought against the city of Troy previously. In the meantime, his son and wife have been eagerly waiting for his return. Odysseus’ son Telemachus takes upon the responsibility of protecting the family as he has to deal with suitors who seek to marry his mother and squander his father’s wealth. The unruly suitors who seek to marry Penelope believe that Odysseus has already died. Still, the actions of his son and wife show that Odysseus has a supportive and strong family. In addition, it is obvious that Odysseus is a very patient man since he spends nine years in order to reach Ithaca after the Trojan War. Meanwhile, one cannot say the same about Oedipus.

The Thebes people beg Oedipus to determine the cause of the plague. The King swears to find the one responsible for the plague and kill him and his accomplices. By questioning everybody including his wife, the King shows that he is superstitious and cynical. He does not believe that the blind seer Tiresias is responsible for the plague, even when the latter tells so. Homer portrays the King’s cynicism showing that Oedipus believes that Jocasta’s brother should be held accountable for the plague; the King believes that his brother is plotting to take the throne. Oedipus also accuses Tiresias of deception and says that he is a false prophet. He only solves the mystery of his birth when he realizes that his supposed father, King Polybus of Corinth, has died of natural causes.

Both Odysseus and Oedipus are depicted as supermen because of their tenacious firmness. Oedipus is respected and has a great reputation; he is trusted with the well-being and safety of the community. He is distinguished due to his determination. Odysseus is also depicted as a brave, strong, and determined person. Thus, both Homer and Sophocles portray the positive traits of their heroes.

Both Odysseus and Oedipus are controlled by their gods and play their roles accordingly. When returning from the Trojan War, Odysseus finds it hard to reach Ithaca; the God of the Sea, Poseidon, resents Odysseus and tests his fate by making him undergo torturous times. In The Odyssey , Zeus is in charge of everything including the search for Poseidon. Goddess Athena helps and guides the hero. She helps Odysseus to finish off a large number of suitors intending to marry Penelope. On the other hand, in Oedipus the King , it is certain that Oedipus will fail, as the prophecy was made a long-time ago. It stated that he would kill his father and marry his birth mother. Oedipus blames the god Apollo for what befalls him. In both texts, the gods control the actions of every human with ease and make human beings appear completely dependent and controllable.

Odysseus, as an epic hero, is a brave man who makes the right choices. For example, he fights for his community and makes good decisions for its members. On the contrary, Oedipus, as a tragic hero, is depicted as a real loser who makes poor choices. For example, upon learning that he had committed incest with his mother, he condemns himself to roam in darkness for the rest of his life. He says:

For me -/ never let this my father’s city have me/ living a dweller in it. Leave me live/ in the mountains where Cithaeron is, that’s called/ my mountain, which my mother and father/ while they were living would have made my tomb./ So I may die by their decree who sought indeed to kill me.

Oedipus and Odysseus are kings capable of acting in an emergency. They also react to people’s perceptions and needs. Oedipus is confident about his own abilities and understands that people respect him for that. He also has past achievements that boost people’s faith in him. Still, Oedipus and Odysseus behave differently when crisis situations become more complicated. For instance, Oedipus does not adapt to new situations, attempt to learn or change. He is inflexible and is always determined to solve problems on his own terms. He believes that after accepting the responsibility of saving Thebes, nothing should compromise his determination. He expects nature to provide answers to him, and he imposes his will upon anyone and any event. He simply ignores the messages warning him to be cautious.

Both Oedipus and Odysseus are portrayed as kings who have performed well in their respective communities. For example, Odysseus has fought for his community before, and Oedipus has solved the problem affecting Sphinx when its people asked him to help them. In the current plague, however, crops have been affected by blight, there are women delivering stillborns or dying after giving birth, and the cattle are becoming sick.

As pointed earlier, both Oedipus and Odysseus receive much appreciation and reverence from their community members. The veneration that Odysseus receives from the community is evident in the episode where Zeus asks his daughter Athena to notify Odysseus’ family that Odysseus is alive. meanwhile, Oedipus was crowned king out of reverence for dealing with the Sphinx problem.

Both Oedipus and Odysseus are responsible men. For example, Odysseus goes to fight in the Trojan War, and King Oedipus sends Creon, his brother-in-law, to the Oracle of Apollo to get answers so he can solve the city’s plague. By showing responsibility and taking initiative, they become saviors to their communities.

The families of Oedipus and Odysseus are strong and have good family values. Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, is faithful to him and does not remarry, although she does not know if her husband is still alive. Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife, attempted to calm him down when he was furious because of the murder allegations .

Both kings are involved in dramatic twists. For example, in The Odyssey , the gods knew about Odysseus’ location and his future role, but he and Ithaca people did not. The subjects of Oedipus knew that he would fulfill the famous prediction and his people would suffer; he was perplexed about the incest and his father’s death. Still, there are differences between the portrayal of Oedipus and Odysseus in terms of the progress of the conflict. Odysseus blinded Poseidon’s son which led to his capture and his family’s suffering. Calypso kept Odysseus imprisoned because she desired to marry him. The suffering the people of Thebes went through was provoked by the actions of Oedipus; he killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus and Odysseus are involved in two stories that have completely dissimilar endings. While Odysseus works hard to return to his people, Oedipus is displaced from Thebes.

Odysseus is portrayed as a very patient and strong character, while Oedipus is light-minded and acts rashly. The families of both heroes are strong and their members have strong family values. Oedipus and Odysseus are kings that have the ability to act in an emergency and show responsibility. Both are portrayed as kings who have done great things for their communities before. Both Odysseus and Oedipus play their roles and are controlled by their gods. Both kings pass torment. Still, Oedipus is depicted as a failure and someone who makes poor choices. Towards the end of the story, Oedipus makes even more irrational decisions than in the beginning. Meanwhile, Odysseus remains steady and true to his character. While the two epic poems deal with the challenges faced by the two kings living in different time periods, they reveal that they both faced societal issues that are common to almost all men.

How to Make a Good Hero Essay?

Now that you have received an answer to the question “what is a hero essay,” it is time to discuss how to write good hero papers. Take advantage of the following 5-steps strategy that professional custom writers use to craft original hero essays of good quality.

• Choose the great man to write about in your paper. This can be a real person or a fictional character. So you can write about the heroic deed of a soldier who has saved people’s lives during a war or about a fictional character who also saves people in a particular community or all of humanity from death. This way or another, you need to highlight the qualities of the chosen individual to display their power and strength.
• Create a simple outline for your future masterpiece. We do not recommend that you skip this step. It will keep you on track. This will be the roadmap that will guide you in the process of essay writing.
• Compose a rough draft. Just follow your outline without paying much attention to stylistics and grammar. You will make the necessary corrections later. Stay focused and present all of the main ideas smoothly and logically.
• Edit your hero essay addressing all mistakes and choosing the right words to make it sound professional.
• If you are asked to write about a character from a novel or epic poem, you will most likely be required to submit your work in MLA style.

A quick tip: to save your time and nerves, order editing and proofreading services from professional writers. Solid online writing agencies always provide such services. There, an experienced writer (or editor) will carefully read your text and make all the necessary changes. These corrections will make your essay look really professional. It will be free from both, logical mistakes and grammar errors.

A great hero essay outline

As already noted, you are to create a good outline to stay on track. Follow this structure:

• An introductory section. First, introduce the chosen hero to your audience. YOu may want to explain what makes this individual important to you. Provide the general background and a thesis statement.
• The main section. It will consist of several paragraphs each of which will have one central idea. This idea will support your thesis statement. Thus, you should discuss the qualities and characteristics of your hero. Heroic deeds should be also described and used as evidence to support your claims. If you say that a person is selfless, you should describe an episode that proves this claim to be true.
• A concluding section. Normally, it occupies one paragraph. Here you need to rephrase the main idea of the text and summarize the main ‘findings’. The section should be relatively short and free from any new facts. This is the final chord of your paper.

Buy Hero Essays From Professional Custom Writers

While it may be pretty easy to write a paper about someone you know personally, it is definitely hard to write about a fictional character who ‘lived’ thousands of years ago. For instance, an Odysseus epic hero essay requires a very good knowledge of the text of the poem, as well as decent analytical and critical thinking skills. And this is not to mention great writing abilities.

Thus, turning to professional writers for essay help is a wise and logical decision. The writing team of a solid writing agency like EssaysLeader.com is made up of experts with master’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and even PhDs. All these people have no less than three years of academic writing experience. In addition, we run yearly seminars and conferences to keep our writers and editor updated on the latest changes in the sphere of academic research and literature. Thus, these specialists know the ins and outs of academic writing and the ways to impress even the most demanding professor. A neatly written custom hero essay will make you one step closer to your academic success.

To ensure long-term cooperation with our clients, EssaysLeader.com has adopted a policy that allows us to maintain a truly high quality of custom writing services. So, here is what happens when you place your custom essay order on our website:

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• You have two days to ask for free corrections if you believe they are needed. Your personal writer will readily make the necessary changes. More so, this professional will be happy if you decide to order more papers with him or her. We have a Preferred Writer option on our website. This means you can save the ID of the expert whose writing style you like most and indicate it the next time you place an order.

Our hero essay writing help is really affordable. If you are a first-time customer, you can benefit from a lavish 15% discount on your first custom essay. If you are a return customer, you can take advantage of our system of discounts, which is our way to show how much we value you. Thus, you will pay 5% less for all your orders when the total amount of pages ordered with us becomes 30. This means you will become our Silver Member. To get a Gold Member lifetime discount of 10% you need to order 50 pages with us, and our Platinum Members pay 15% less for their papers. To become one of these members you should order no less than 100 pages in total.

It doesn’t matter if you need a custom-written hero essay, a dissertation chapter, or just editing and proofreading services, the experts from our reputable writing company can help you. Would a hero you admire order a custom essay online? Here is our answer: a real hero will definitely ask for help if he or she needs it, and this person will definitely do everything possible to save their academic reputation. If you need reliable writing help, we are the heroes, who are ready to save you from failure!

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How to Write a Descriptive Essay on an Epic Hero

Many essay topics are dry and altogether boring, which forces the student to write an informative and professional essay while trying to make a mundane subject engaging. Epic heroes, however, have been capturing readers’ imaginations for centuries, and writing an essay on one is a thought-provoking and enlightening experience.

Explore this article

• Clean Prose

Before you begin writing, plot out and outline your essay. Each epic hero is complex and layered, and it’s important that you’re aware of which aspects of the hero’s character, actions and legacy you’ll be responding to in your descriptive essay. For example, if your essay’s focus is Achilles, you’ll need a position regarding his character and how you feel about his merciless and blood-thirsty mentality.

2 Clean Prose

A main objective of the descriptive essay is providing your reader with intimate insight into how you feel about a particular experience. Your reader isn’t going to understand your interpretation of a specific epic hero if your prose is jumbled, convoluted or crowded. Write each sentence with care, and use the revision process as an opportunity to clarify any potentially inaccessible thoughts or ideas.

Use your senses to explain your thoughts and feelings. For example, if your experience reading about Achilles was dominated mostly by terror and uneasiness due to his lethal and dangerous nature, and your stomach felt like you’d just eaten a rotten dinner, explain such to your reader. There are few things clearer than certain smells, tastes and feelings.

Unlike other thesis-driven essays dominated by carefully chosen external sources that justify your claims, the descriptive essay’s focus is your unique interpretation of something. There is nothing wrong with including your honest thoughts about your epic hero. Include your feelings and opinions on specific actions your epic hero executes. If you disagree with Achilles' need to kill in order to create a legacy, let your reader know.

• 1 Purdue University: Descriptive Essays
• 2 Goucher College: Epic Traditions: The Hero -- Homer to Virgil

About the Author

Jake Shore is an award-winning Brooklyn-based playwright, published short story writer and professor at Wagner College. His short fiction has appeared in many publications including Litro Magazine, one of London's leading literary magazines. Shore earned his MFA in creative writing from Goddard College.

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