Hero Character Archetype Essay

The story of an archetypal hero has been written and told many times by unique cultures in various forms such as novel and movies. The names such as "Superman," "Indiana Jones," are common names that are identified with the heroism. What is the common aspect of such kinds of stories? A hero is the main character of the story that is perceived to be having the ability to solve the conflicts through physical skill, intuition, and knowledge through the progression of the narrative. Wits, strength, and endurance are the features that describe a hero. The hero overcomes the tasks that appear to be impossible to protect the people (Heyman 190). Not only does he demonstrate strength and cunning when defeating the antagonist, but he does it in a dignified and perfect manner while they obey the strict code of ethics. The archetype hero begins with a normal life, they can be born with unique abilities, or they acquire the abilities later on in their life. Their lifestyle suddenly changed from being normal due to an occurrence of a tragedy or situation whereby he/she has to set off on an adventure to fulfill a goal of survival (Heyman 192). The hero is then left living happily ever after saving the world from destruction or evil doers. Due to the role that they play in the society, they are applauded and privileged in the community. The hero can be in their natural body forms, but they can also have a covered head to toe with protective gear like metal and are armed with their weapons. They possess an intimidating presence, and they are called due to their powers and strength.

First of all, one of the classical heroism is the Beowulf; he owns an awe-inspiring strength. When there is an alarm for him to defeat a monster Grendel, Beowulf responds boldly, "My hands alone shall fight for me, and struggle for life against the monster" (Beowulf 172-177). Incredibly, Beowulf is capable of ripping Grendel's arm off hence bleeding to death. Beowulf demonstrates an exemplary method of disposing of the monster. Since people are appreciative to be rid of the monster, the give applause to Beowulf for his ability and courage, saying, "that nowhere on earth or under the spreading sky, or between the seas, neither south nor north, was there a warrior worthier to rule over men" (Tolkien 542). More important is Beowulf's courage. Beowulf is not only idolized not because of the ability he has but also because he is prepared for the challenge that comes one his way. This is exemplified by the fight he has with the dragon. At his old age, he even commands his army to stay back, stating, "I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames" (Tolkien 676).Even though the fight with the dragon takes place towards the end, Beowulf struggled fought to end and overcame the monster with the assistance of the Wi glac. Despite the fact that the circumstances are dissimilar, many of the present day heroes are no different than Beowulf.

In Batman Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan uses various types of circumstances to portray the heroism archetype. Archetype is everywhere in the movie, to begin with, the most obvious, Batman fills the role flawlessly. "The hero is a protagonist whose life is a series of well-marked adventures," says Maria Jernigan. The most significant part about heroism in Batman is the fact that he can risk his life for the good course of the people around him. His heroic action is seen not only in the Batman begins but also in the Dark Knight. The Batman's main goal in the movie is that the reason for his life and existence is to get rid of the evildoers from the society. In the nature that he finds himself in, the plot is actually to follow the lines of the task. The archetype symbolically shows "Heaven vs. Hell" and "Light vs. Dark." Batman is not only seen as the physical superhero but also as a psychological hero; the ad is closely related to what we had Scarecrow as a faultless doppelganger who applied fear as a weapon, the same way Batman does.

The superhero can also use a different form to succeed in his mission to save humanity; the use of magic can be one of them. In the case where the hero wants to save the world from the evil magic and practices, the hero has to intervene with the good magic that will save the humanity ("The Dark Knight". n.p). In the film of Harry Potter, we meet a heroic archetype that is orchestrated with magic, as a wizard, he uses the wand that makes him successful in his heroic journey. Harry assumes more than one responsibility in the film, as a teen, he was brave enough to face the evils and fight them and ready to face death. Harry Porter was prophesized before his birth that he will have the power to defeat the dark ("The Dark Knight". n.p). Throughout his life in the movie, he encounters different episodes of evil where he is tasked with the responsibility of defeating them, not with his physical ability by the power that he has to control magic. Similar to many of the classic heroes, Harry conquers death, accomplish his mission and never abandon his true self, regardless of the hardship he encounters. Similar to Beowulf, Harry is ethical to a fault. His friends in the film identify him as a martyr, the role that goes along with the hero territory. As a hero motif, Harry represents goodness and struggles with the evil to restore harmony and justice to the society.

A hero archetype can not only be depicted on the protagonist alone but also it can be from his/her close associates. In the similar film, we come across another character that possesses some heroism in his action, Ron (Tom n.p). Ron was the close friend of Harry and a supported. He is around Harry ensuring that he succeed his heroic character, Ron also has some powers to control magic backing Harry in case he is overpowered. Ron together with Harry encounters the villain, Voldemort; the character is evil, and he desires to have power over everything and everyone around him. His ultimate intention is to become the most powerful wizard of all time, and he wants to get rid of everything that comes across his way, including Harry Potter. Voldemort has the close relationship with the snakes, and even sometimes it changes in that form. Harry learns that to defeat Voldemort, he must die. He allows Voldemort to kill him, later the plot twist and Harry comes back to life. The evil situations that Harry Potter got himself are like, the Death eaters vs. Dumbledore's Army and the Order; the final epic battle was between Harry vs. Voldemort ("The Hero" n.p).

Conclusion

To wind up, it is indeed clear that the motif of supernatural defenders can be fascinating while they strive to save the world from the evil. Where the heroic archetype powers are demonstrated, there should be a villain that is being fought, the literature or film has to end with the villain defeated, and the protagonist applauded as a hero. The heroism is seen from the ancient times to the present days; however, the supernatural power that is being displayed by the superheroes is one of a kind, and an ordinary man cannot possess it. Though it might appear fictional, the main idea is to entertain and teach the moral lesson on saving the humanity in life-threatening situations.

References

Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel. Beowulf. WWF Martins Fontes, 2015.

Tom Riddle. (2018). Harry Potter Wiki. Retrieved 30 March 2018, from http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Tom_Riddle

"The Hero." Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire: Archetypes, 2018, http://goblet-of-fire-archetypes.weebly.com/the-hero.html. Accessed 30 Mar 2018.

"The Dark Knight." Batman Wiki, 2018, http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/The_Dark_Knight. Accessed 30 Mar 2018.

Heyman, Stephen R. "The hero archetype and high-risk sports participants." Psyche and sports (1994): 188-201.