Epic hero

Epic hero

An epic hero is an important figure from a history or legend, usually favored by or even partially descended from deities, but aligned more closely with mortal figures in popular portrayals. The hero participates in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries that try to defeat him in his journey, gathers allies along his journey, and returns home significantly transformed by his journey. The epic hero illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that are valued by the society from which the epic originates. They usually embody cultural and religious beliefs of the people. Many epic heroes are recurring characters in the legends of their native culture. Epic heroes are superhuman in that they are smarter, stronger, and braver than average humans. An epic hero can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extraordinary tasks that most find difficult. This hero is strong, smart, and brave.

Epic heroes throughout history

The earliest stories of epic heroes were predominantly passed down by word-of-mouth, due to the impracticality of recording such lengthy works; and to this day oral transmission still contributes significantly to the spreading of these tales. This method of communication relied on rote memorization, so small details or even major arcs were sometimes added or removed by the next generation in line to pass down the story After the advent of printing, the stories containing these epics were committed to paper and gained a degree of solidity. Nevertheless, many interpretations on the nature and motives of certain epic heroes are still mooted. Stories involving epic heroes tend to be long poems recited in a rhythmic manner. The use of repetition in the elements of the story, as well as the rhythm, allows storytellers to memorize the story in a more reliable manner.

Examples of Epic Heroes

*Gilgamesh
*Siegfried
*Beowulf
*Odysseus
*Achilles
*Hector
*Hercules
*Aeneas
*El Cid
*Rama
*Sundiata Keita
*King Arthur
*Väinämöinen
*Robin Hood
*Guru Gobind Singh
*Aragorn
*Rostam
*Rand Al'thor

Epic heroes in Video Games

Epic heroes are commonly used as the main character in many video games. Sometimes they begin corrupt or end up corrupt.

Some examples are:

*Marcus Fenix from Gears of War
*Master Chief from Halo
*Link from The Legend of Zelda
*Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid
*Sergeant Nathan Hale from
*Gordon Freeman from Half-Life
*Altaïr from Assassin's Creed
*Kratos from God of War
*Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat
*Dante from Devil May Cry
*Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden
*Ike from Fire Emblem
*Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank)
*Jak (Jak & Daxter)
*Sonic the Hedgehog from the eponymous franchise
*Siegfried Schtauffen (Soul Calibur)

ee also

*Epic poetry
*Epic Film


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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • Epic poetry — An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. [Michael Meyer, The Bedford Introduction to Literature , Bedford/St. Martin s, 2005,… …   Wikipedia

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  • Hero and Leander (poem) — Hero and Leander is a mythological poem by Christopher Marlowe. After Marlowe s death it was completed by George Chapman. Henry Petowe published an alternate completion to the poem.PublicationTwo editions of the poem were issued in quarto in… …   Wikipedia

  • epic — [ep′ik] n. [L epicus < Gr epikos, (adj.) epic < epos, a word, speech, song, epic < IE * wekwos , word < base * wekw , to speak > L vox, OE woma, noise] 1. a long narrative poem in a dignified style about the deeds of a traditional… …   English World dictionary

  • Epic and Novel — Epic and Novel: Towards a Methodology for the Study of the Novel [Эпос и роман (О методологии исследования романа)] is an 1941 essay that compares the novel to the epic by Mikhail Bakhtin, one of the major literary theorists of the twentieth… …   Wikipedia

  • Epic — Ep ic, a. [L. epicus, Gr. ?, from ? a word, speech, tale, song; akin to L. vox voice: cf. F. [ e]pique. See {Voice}.] Narrated in a grand style; pertaining to or designating a kind of narrative poem, usually called an heroic poem, in which real… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • epic — epically, adv. epiclike, adj. /ep ik/, adj. Also, epical. 1. noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style: Homer s Iliad is an… …   Universalium

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