According to Gregory Nagy of the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, an epic hero has three general characteristics. First, he is unseasonal. His story goes beyond the time he existed. Second, he is extreme, both positively and negatively. Lastly, he is antagonistic or hostile towards someone or something else.
Is it possible to have an epic hero in modern society? Maybe. Are the three characteristics possible in modern society. Probably, however I can think of no real world examples of an epic hero in our society. In tv and film, we see epic heroes all the time. Batman, for example, could be considered an epic hero. Let us evaluate by determining whether or not he has the three characteristics stated above.
Is Batman's story unseasonal? Yes. The idea of saving the human race from death and destruction is prominent in both ancient and modern stories and Batman works to save the citizens of Gotham City from villains who attempt to disrupt their way of life. This story transcends time.
Is Batman extreme? Yes, he has positive and negative traits. Positively, he works to rid Gotham City of criminal elements. Are his motives selfless? I am not sure, but for the purpose of this discussion, I will assume they are. Negatively, he takes the law into his own hands and reconciles the killing of innocent citizens as an end to a means. Some citizens of Gotham City believe his actions actually lure villains into the city. He believes that he is working towards justice.
Is Batman antagonistic? Absolutely. His first enemy was Joe Chill, who murdered his parents when he was a child. He decides to enact revenge on Joe Chill, by killing him, but he is beaten to it by a mafia boss. He is told by a childhood friend that power comes from fear and so he goes to Gotham City to fight other enemies like The Joker, The Riddler and Bane. He is hostile towards these villains because he takes their actions personally.
We definitely have plenty of heroes in modern society, but I do not think we have any epic heroes.
I really enjoy reading your posts. You always choose really good examples to explain what we are talking about. I agree with you that we don't really have any epic heroes in modern society.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading your posts. You always choose really good examples to explain what we are talking about. I agree with you that we don't really have any epic heroes in modern society.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great analysis! It's interesting that we see epic heroes in TV and movies, but we don't in real life. Maybe it's because we feel a need to create these heroes. Maybe they're just good for profit. Either way, it's interesting how heroes have changed over time.
ReplyDeleteI think epic heroes can still exist in a modern society. Even though not everyone can be Batman, but anyone who has the selflessness can be unseasonal, extreme, and antagonistic. Granted, these types of individuals might be rare since many would not be able to be unseasonal. Some might not have what it takes to be antagonistic and have enemies.
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