What Makes a Hero?Heroes and Myths: Greek vs

Today

Who is your hero?Take a few minutes and write down what

makes a hero to YOU.Write down someone you think of as a hero,

based on the qualities you wrote.

Guitar hero doesn’t count…

Miss Hendricks’ Hero Qualities!Someone I respectSomeone I loveSomeone who helps othersSomeone worth helping

Miss Hendricks’ Heroes=Elisabeth Elliot and Jean Barbara

Greek HeroesThey usually (but not always)

had the following qualitiesDemigods (half god, half

mortal)Hercules- father was Zeus,

mother was mortalTeach a moral lessonPhilomenus- made into a

constellation as a reward for hard work

Go on a questOdysseus (not a demigod, but

went on a great quest)

Heroes usually had a “fatal flaw”fatal flaw: a

character flaw that a hero struggles with, that often is the cause of their demise.

The fatal flaw of Odysseus was hubris.

…so what is hubris, anyway?

HUBRIS (this is important, so write it down!)

Hubris is excessive pride.

Self confidence= good. Hubris= self confident to the point that our hero doesn’t think he needs the gods.

How do you think the gods feel about that?

To recap:Greek heroes had to have at least one of these qualities:

Demigod; if not demigods, they at least had some connection to the gods.

Moral lessonGreat questFatal flaw

Moving on to MythsA myth must have three specific qualities

#1- Fictional A myth is always something that is made up. If it were real, it wouldn’t be called a myth, it would be called history.

#2- BelievableAny fantasy elements of a myth have to have an explanation. In Greek mythology, it was usually a god.

For example: Achilles had impenetrable skin because his mother dipped him in the magic river Styx.

#3- Mythological ElementsSome part of the myth must involve the supernatural

For example: a Pegasus is a horse with wings, the offspring of Poseidon and Medusa.

But wait, there’s more!A myth must also have ONE of the following elements

#1- Explain a phenomenon Since the ancient Greeks did not have the scientific advances that we have now, they used myths to explain the world around them.

For example: Earthquakes happen when Poseidon hits the earth with his trident.

…or #2- Teach a moral/lessonGreek myths were often used to teach the Greek people how to live a respectable lifeFor example: Pandora did not listen to the gods and opened a box that released all the evil in the world.

To recap…A myth must have all three of these:

A myth must have one of these:

FictionalBelievableFantasy elements

Explain some phenomenon

Teach a moral or lesson