Hercules—Why is he a Hero？.doc

HerculesWhy is he a Hero?As we all know, Hercules is unquestionably regarded as the most prominent hero in Greek mythology .Being a demi-god ,he owns the superman strength that he used to complete all his exploits ,including the famous Twelve Labors .In addition ,the word “Herculean “which is based on his name Hercules can be used to describe a brawny man with extraordinary strength . Not only his bravery but also his unusual character makes him a contradictory figure. Although full of impressive adventures, he is also suffered from his violent, brutal and destructive character. When he was a little baby, Hera, who is jealous of her husbands bastard children, sent a pair of snakes to kill him. However, Hercules strangled them pleasantly using his bare hands. According to this, we may guess that the grown-up Hercules will be a cruel figure. Throughout the Greek mythology, how he revenges people who have offended him also impresses us greatly .For instance, when King Laomedon of troy didnt fulfill his promise for rescuing his daughter from a sea-monster, Hercules was plotting a severe revenge to Troy and killed the king .From above, we make a conclusion that being a heroic figure and a benefactor of humankind, Hercules also has some unusual characters. Because of purifying himself from blood-guilt, he needed to carry out twelve tasks that the King Eurystheus ordered him to impose .The Twelve Labors can thoroughly show his enormous strength, intelligence and even cruelty .Thinking about his first task-to kill the Nemean Lion, we are surprised at this “Herculean efforts”. Its Hercules who brings us so much surprise .At the same time ,one question comes to my mind .Why is he still depicted as a heroic stature after committing so many crimes? To start with, Hercules is the epitome of bravery and strength .What he has adventured appears to be passed on through generation and generation .Because of Heras intervention, he was suffered from a fit of madness and killed his own wife and children, taking them for monsters. When he get rid of insanity ,he was very regretful and punished himself severely .And whenever we want to make a description of a hero ,we may think more about their contributions rather than their crimes .In other words ,when referring to a heroic figure ,its always the contributions and exploits that first come to our minds .Whats more ,nowadays Hercules fame has been perpetuated in popular TV series and a Disney cartoon .His adventures have captured the imagination of classical storytellers and poets .From the Greek and Roman era to our modern world ,these stories are always put into the orations as a means of singing highly of persons .For example ,as we all know ,Jerry and Siegel and Joe Shuster have created a great hero with Herculean roots called Superman .He is depicted a benefactor and defender of all humanity and more human speak highly of him. Actually, the Superman is the modern Hercules .However, the weaknesses and faults are human nature that we couldnt avoid .Perhaps we arent able to describe Hercules as a flawless figure, however, what he shows us is his great strength and courage. Last but not least, heroes can be categorized from many aspects .In Greek mythology, people defined heroes as gods. They never paid attention to the disadvantages of heroes. As far as theyre concerned ,the faults are also a reflection of their heroic stature .Only what the heroes have done will give people an undeniable example .According to the above statements ,this fixed opinion has rooted in humans minds deeply and can never be removed . Hercul