Brittney Hoffman
B-1
10\30\11
Epic Hero
An epic hero is a larger than life main character whose mighty deeds reflect the
values admired by the society that created the epic. Achilles and Hector are epic heroes
who are admired by the Greeks. Achilles is god like and brave. Hector is a leader and
has courage. These traits show a lot about these two guys. If they weren’t like they
were, then they wouldn’t be so admired.
Achilles had two main character traits that the Greeks admired most. He was god
like and brave. His strength and glory made him god like. Even with his best friend dead
he went to fight Hector by himself. [Hector] will pay reckoning in full for all pain
[Achilles] men have bourne, who met death by [Hectors] spear (ll. 320-322). Achilles
has a lot of traits but some stand out more then others.
Hector also had two character traits the Greeks valued. He had courage and was a
leader. He showed his courage when he went and stood up to Achilles without backing
down. I [Hector] will appear as he who killed Achilles man to man, or else I went down
fighting him to the end before the city (ll. 131-133). He was a leader because he stayed
back while all his men went ahead. He stayed back and fought by himself, not knowing
if he was going to win or loose.
The traits in these two men are what I admire in our heroes in today’s age.
Without these characteristics our hero’s wouldn’t be heroes. You aren’t born with these
traits you gain and find them within yourself. You can’t let anyone tell you what you are
or what you aren’t. If Achilles and Hector listened to what everyone else had to say they
wouldn’t have been leaders of there own armies.