Rachel Kornetsky British Literature 2nd Hour

Mini-Research Projects 1. A heros journey begins with his birth into an ordinary, mundane world, although the birth itself is often under unusual circumstances. In many instances, the hero is born to royalty or the gods, and often is in danger at the time of his birth. After the hero has grown, the true journey really begins. At this point in his life, there is something causing him to be pulled away from his home, whether it be the trickery of another, a traumatic event, or just a nagging feeling that there is something else out there and his life needs to change. Along the way, our hero often receives help from a supernatural being who serves as a mentor, and this is when he truly becomes committed to the quest. After facing many tasks and tests, the hero will experience some sort of all-powerful love, which could possibly be a temptation for him to stray from his journey. Finally, he will reach the ultimate goal of his quest, which often results in immortality. In some cases, the hero will refuse to return home and live amongst the gods forever. In others, he will cross into the human world, become master of both the material and spiritual worlds, and lives with freedom of the fear of death. 2. In an epic, the role of an epic hero is to participate in a quest or journey whilst exemplifying the values and traits of the civilization and culture the story originated from. This hero, however, cannot be any ordinary man. There are certain criteria for a man to truly be considered an epic hero. First of all, his birth is typically under unusual circumstances, sometimes magical, and he is often born into royalty or to the gods. In some cases, the hero is threatened at birth and must be hidden or sent away to live with another family, where he

learns nothing of his true identity. Eventually, once he is grown, the hero returns to his kingdom. The hero then must face trials and tests to finally succeed, marry a princess of some sort, and become king, or some similar high ranking role. He rules for a significant amount of time until one day, he dies a spiritual death. There are many examples of these heroes in both past and modern day literature. For example, Achilles, Odysseus, and Beowulf all share many of these characteristics and are all considered to be great, epic heroes. 3. Many people believe that there is no such thing as a modern day hero and that epic and superheroes are simply imaginary. However, modern heroes can be found all around the world in ordinary places. These contemporary heroes dont necessarily have super strength, speed or the ability to fly; they simply are people who dedicate their lives to others and who bravely make sacrifices for others who are in need. People like firemen, policemen, doctors, teachers, and parents are all examples of modern heroes. Each of these groups of people works hard each and every day to make life better for others. 4. The Odyssey, an epic poem written by Homer around the 8th century B.C., centers on the hero Odysseus and his journey home after the Trojan War. This journey takes ten years for him to reach his home, and most people believe he has died. Odysseus faces many obstacles on this voyage, many of which involve fighting off terrible beasts, and he loses the majority of his men. Eventually Odysseus returns home, disguised as a beggar to observe the suitors who have come to win the love of his wife. A battle ensues, and eventually, our hero reveals himself. He reunites with his wife and his father, and before any more fighting can continue, the goddess Athena calls for peace under command of the god Zeus.