Essay Sample on Archetypes in Hercules Story

Introduction

Warriors are often regarded as courageous, strong, honest, and just individuals who save the day when everything seems lost. The archetypal is concerned with an individual's determination to fight or champion one's right or of a community despite the challenges. Over time, there have been myths, narratives, and legends of people who fought bravely for the rights and freedom to become heroes among their communities. They fear weakness and are determined to win to satisfy their addiction to success. Hercules is an example of an ancient warrior who displayed his heroism as he alleviated the suffering of people by killing their tormentors.

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Warriors fight for what really matters. In this case, they try not to use their power to fight unnecessary battles that do not contribute to the wellbeing of those they represent. The trait permits them to utilize their abilities for what is just and right as opposed to utilizing them for their personal benefit. Pearson notes that "warriors fight for what really matters to them in defense of their deepest values and ideals, not simply for materials things" (98) In this case, Hercules was ready to undertake any task to protect other citizens for the atonement of his sins as opposed to fighting Hera.

Secondly, Hercules was courageous and committed to his course despite facing many challenges. For instance, while serving King Eurystheus, he was commanded to kill a lion that had been terrorizing people at Nemea. Evslin notes that "he had proof enough now that ordinary weapon was any use against the lion; even his club could not subdue it. Hercules decided to try cunning" (2). The lion could not be killed by any ordinary weapon, which made Hercules's efforts to harm it futile. Nevertheless, due to his determination to achieve success, he devised a plan to trap and kill the lion, which was eventually successful. Pearson states, "The warrior within each of us calls us to have courage, strength, and integrity; the capacity to make goals and stick to them" (95). From the above case, one can deduce that Hercules satisfied the warrior archetype amicably since he was determined to achieve his first task goal. Thirdly, Hercules satisfies the warrior archetype by revealing by fearing weakness and having a stoic behavior. While conducting his tasks, he was often wounded by magical creatures but failed to complain to the king; instead, he devised new ways to kill the creatures. His fear of weakness contributed to his commitment to people from their problems.

On the other hand, the character differs from Pearson's classification since he does not reveal any shadow side. Pearson claims that warriors are sometimes compelled to bend the rules to win or get things on their way; however, the story of Hercules does not reveal any instances that he acted as a villain (97). Instead, the character remained loyal to the king and his course. Additionally, when he realized that he had murdered his wife he undertook the punishments to amend his problems.

Conclusion

Overall, the warrior archetype is concerned with persons who push their limits to have the day or alleviate the suffering of other people. They do not run away from their dragons; instead, they focus on leveraging their skills and opportunities to attain their desired results. The story of Hercules is a good example of a warrior who remained focused on his goal despite the challenges to erase his sins. However, he differs from most warriors since he does not reveal any shadow side. People should identify the various archetypes they belong to help them shape their behavior in society.

Works Cited

Evslin, Bernard. "The Labors of Hercules." In Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths. 2005. Available at http://ferrellweb.com/temp/Labors%20of%20Hercules.pdf

Pearson, Carol S. "Awakening the Heroes Within." 1991.