Heroism

A character, normally the protagonist, whose is extremely similar to the epic hero, save for the fact that he has a hamartia, or tragic flaw. This tragic flaw ultimately leads to his downfall. The tragic hero usually starts the story as someone of high prestige, be he a decorated war hero, a prince, a king, an aristocrat, etc. He starts off in this high position in order for his state at the end of the story to have more of an emotional resonance with the reader. They end the story an outcast, but they typically have some sort of emotional or spiritual epiphany. Tragic heroes are typically plagued with some kind of internal threat to battle rather than an external one, be it a psychological insecurity, some repressed pain or a feeling of alienation. This internal threat is usually the source of the epiphany at the end, where they are emotionally purified, only to die shortly afterward, thus creating the ultimate tragedy, that they could not have this epiphany when they were still alive, and that any contributions that they could have made to society are now impossible. In death, however, the tragic hero usually redeems the society that he lives in.Hamlet is an insecure and intellectually lonely individual. He is indecisive and diffident, and even worse, he is both overly cautious and incredibly impulsive, making him unpredictable. These characteristics are ultimately what cause his downfall, but in death, he is emotionally purified, he seeks forgiveness from all he has harmed who still live and he accepts his father's death and gains his justice; and he redeems Denmark by giving it to Fortinbras, who is implied to have nothing but the best intentions for Denmark.Oedipus is a great and kind leader, a loving husband and a devoted father. He is the ideal, the philosopher-king from Plato's Republic; however, at the same time, he is the plague-bringer, for his sin of patricide and incest is what inspires Apollo to curse Thebes. In exile, which is a form of death in this play, he redeems Thebes by lifting the plague. He also passes power off to his brother Creon, and he does his best to see that his children's future prospects and happiness are ensured.Dr. Faustus is a genius whose mental faculties have done much for the world, and could do so much more, but his hubris and arrogance see him want more power: he desires to ascend from humanity into godhood. He is in over his head, however, and despite the fact that his intentions behind achieving this power are good, his actions are ultimately not, and he loses himself by the end along with his soul. His death redeems the world, in that there is one less arrogant and potentially dangerous necromancer gallivanting about.

A character, normally the protagonist, who does not exhibit the stereotypical characteristics of either the epic or tragic hero. They tend to be more similar, however, to the tragic hero (like Hamlet or Macbeth). The anti-hero is typically seen as a foil to the classical heroic archetype, as he is typically a normal every-day person, not an aristocrat (like in Shakespeare) or a divine figure (Aeschylus or Homer). While not a necessity, the anti-hero can also exhibit some immoral qualities. The anti-hero may primarily concern himself with self-preservation and survival over duty or some ethical code. Sometimes, however, the anti-hero is someone who does want to do good, they want to be the epic or the tragic hero, but they are so flawed or so broken that they often cause more harm than good.Batman arguably creates more crime than he stops. He is often one step away from being a villain. He is overly violent, psychologically maladapted, and he seems to care more about feeding his heroic complex than doing anything to truly minimize crime in Gotham. However, one must keep in mind that Gotham City is one of the most corrupt and hopeless locations in the whole of America. It's a bureaucratic nightmare. Batman is, truly, the only hope Gotham has. In addition to this, Batman, at his core, does want the best for Gotham; and he truly has his heart in the right place, and his intentions are only the purest. He is a true hero, but he is atypical.Meursault is an emotionally numb and nihilistic husk. He doesn't care for anything or anyone, not even himself. He feels nothing, and he sees life as utterly meaningless and pointless. He has not a shred of optimism within his body, and he is, while sympathetic, ultimately a lost cause. He is extremely atypical.Gregor is a depressive, neurotic and insecure man who has been used as a doormat his entire life. He is more or less ignored by his entire family, which makes him feel insignificant to the point that he has a mental breakdown and experiences a psychotic episode where he manifests himself into a bug, representing his self-concept that he is as insignificant as a bug. He is the most atypical.

A character, most often the protagonist, whose actions can enact great change on the world around him. In the case of the epic hero, these changes are often for the better of the world. Epic heroes often face an external threat rather than an internal one. The epic's hero's actions often redeem society.Beowulf's killing of Grendel and Grendel's mother saves Heorot and Hrothgar's kingdom. His killing of the dragon save his own kingdom. He redeems the world.Odysseus' exploits during the Trojan war make him a famous champion. The Trojan war could not have been won without Odysseus' physical capabilities as well as his mental faculties. His entire journey home is also full of amazing heroic feats. His actions also have a visible effect on the setting of both the Iliad and the Odyssey. He also brings peace to Ithaca.Superman can change the entirety of the world without much effort. He is nearly invincible, and he was based on classical epic heroes such as Beowulf and Odysseus. His actions have immeasurable effects on the setting that he exists in.

A character, usually the protagonist, who embodies both characteristics of the epic and the tragic hero.Samson is a fallen epic hero, and in that, he becomes a tragic hero, but by the end of Samson Agonistes, he becomes once again the epic hero by fulfilling his divine mission by destroying the Philistine nation.Prometheus was a titan, a god, and he had control over fire and light. He is immortal, and he was a trusted affiliate of Zeus during the Titan war. He is an epic hero in that respect, but his aiding of the humans leads to his fall, and he then becomes the tragic hero; however, by the end of Prometheus Bound, he is more powerful, more resolute and more confident than ever before, and as such, he reclaims his title as the epic hero. He cannot die, for he is a god, and he will never give up, for his will is unstoppable, so he wins in the end.