Heroes

The definition of the term ‘archetypal hero’ is a tricky one , due to the fact that, like the concept of good and evil, it is all a matter of opinion. What is highly valued by one person could be considered trash by another. To critique for a wider audience, only the most basic, crucial criteria should be used. There are three essential requirements that a character must fulfill to earn the title of hero: skill, appeal, and victory.
To satisfy the requirement of skill, the character in question must possess uncommon abilities. These present themselves in three forms: physical ability, mental prowess, and courage. Of the novels Anthem, The Odyssey, and Angela’s Ashes, Odysseus, the hero of The Odyssey, is the only one that shows exceptional physical ability, even though it is one of the most common characteristics of heroes. The skill of Equality, the hero of Anthem, resides mainly in the field of mental prowess, shown by his great analytical and philosophical abilitie...