Hartsock Defines A Hero
Society's perception of heroism is similar to that of an image of a pile of rocks on an ocean floor; blurry, and misconceived. We look for the exceptional traits of a hero--good looks, agility, and robustness--and designate those traits as the definition of a hero, but what really defines a hero? What endowments makes Hector more worthy of the title of a hero than Achilles? To fit the embodiment of a hero, a person should strive to be selfless, should aid the defenseless, and use his/her reverence not for conceited reasons, but for the good of others. A hero should be inclined to have the hunger for willingly giving themselves up to spare a another, which Dave Hartsock evidently manifests. In 2009 Hartsock went parachuting with his first-timer
…show more content…
By doing this, a person is not considering who it may affect, whether or not they need it and why that person is doing it, thus violating the basic decrees of a hero. An adept example of this type of behavior would be of when Odysseus betrays Polyphemus’ trust when he lies and uses the respect that Polyphemus gives him to kill him. By contrast, an authentic hero would have esteemed the honor given to Odysseus by Polyphemus, not brutally wound the giant. Odysseus is not a good example of a hero because of the way he neglects and abuses his power and authority. If he had not gloated in the face of Polyphemus, and been arrogant about his victory, perhaps he would be given the title of a hero. Hector, however, can be an example of what a good hero would be like if they were in the position of Odysseus. Throughout book twenty two of the Iliad, Hector withholds his heroic virtues such as respect, bravery, and honor, but Achilles was very much like Odysseus when he dishonors Hector's body. Yes, Achilles won respect and honor through his feat, but he did not maintain these merits, because he refuses to regard Hector's body with dignity. A hero should always maintain this virtue because it draws a thick, bold line between the actions of an ordinary person and, a
By doing this, a person is not considering who it may affect, whether or not they need it and why that person is doing it, thus violating the basic decrees of a hero. An adept example of this type of behavior would be of when Odysseus betrays Polyphemus’ trust when he lies and uses the respect that Polyphemus gives him to kill him. By contrast, an authentic hero would have esteemed the honor given to Odysseus by Polyphemus, not brutally wound the giant. Odysseus is not a good example of a hero because of the way he neglects and abuses his power and authority. If he had not gloated in the face of Polyphemus, and been arrogant about his victory, perhaps he would be given the title of a hero. Hector, however, can be an example of what a good hero would be like if they were in the position of Odysseus. Throughout book twenty two of the Iliad, Hector withholds his heroic virtues such as respect, bravery, and honor, but Achilles was very much like Odysseus when he dishonors Hector's body. Yes, Achilles won respect and honor through his feat, but he did not maintain these merits, because he refuses to regard Hector's body with dignity. A hero should always maintain this virtue because it draws a thick, bold line between the actions of an ordinary person and, a