On Heroes (essay)

In classic literature the vast majority of Hero's display a set of common personality features. These features repeat often enough that they can be considered hallmarks of the Hero personality. But what, really, is a Hero?

A Hero is a character that overcomes all obstacles to succeed. No matter what odds are stacked against him, be they mental or physical – no matter if they are orchestrated by an enemy that can be considered a God. And it doesn't matter what the Hero's origin is—he could be an orphan, a kings bastard or the King himself. The origin doesn't matter, except in a literary sense, where it can be used to disguise the fate of the character at the start of the story.

What makes a Hero a Hero is the personality. If a character displays those qualities, those "Hero Factors", then it probably is a Hero. Note that the character doesn't have to have them all—classically a Hero has had one or two of them in such quantities that it overruled all others. And remember, even though these features are found in literature, they can also be seen in living people who are considered Hero's.

The Prime Factor

If there is any single factor that a character can display and be considered a Hero it is the willingness to sacrifice themselves for others. Truthfully, this facet of a Hero's personality is so powerful that a lot of people that are considered Hero's displayed this one factor to the exclusion of all others. In literature this role is filled by every Hero, even the modern twist on the concept–the so-called "Anti-Hero".

In the mythology of the Greeks we learn of Achilles, invulnerable to all weapons except in one location. He knew that joining the Trojan War was risking his life, because the Trojans had their own Hero's that matched Achilles for combat skill. But he still took to the field and fought, believing that the Greek people had been wronged and that Troy had to fall. Before the end of the war Achilles was dead, killed by the Trojan Hero Hector with a poisoned arrow.

In the annals of History we learn of the Spartans who fought at Thermopylae under Leonidas. And though they were warriors–Spartans were born into the warrior tradition and their culture raised them to be warriors without any equal–they numbered only three-hundred for the duration of the battle of Thermopylae. Yes, there were something like 3000 other Greek warriors there at the start of the battle, but when it became clear that the defense was a losing proposition they sent the rest of the greek army away. This was nothing if not a practical choice–the Persian army that was invading numbered more than ten thousand men and the defense of the Greek city-states needed as many of the troops at Thermopylae to survive if they were to stop the Persians and remain unconquered. They sacrificed their lives to delay the Persians, paying the ultimate price but forever becoming part of history.

Literature and real life both are filled with Hero's who bear the title based on this factor alone. That is why it can be considered the single most important facet of a Hero's identity. The willingness and ability to sacrifice themselves for others or for their beliefs is such a common thread in life and literature that religion has a special word for it, though that word has become twisted in recent years. I am, of course, referring to the word "Martyr"–twisted into this thing that instills horror in people in the modern world by the swollen ranks of middle-east terrorists.