A hero is simply a main imaginary character or an actual person who, in the face of adversity, struggles against insurmountable odds through acts of bravery, courage, or ingenuity. Like many previously only gender-specific words, hero now can be used to describe any gender, although hero only seems to apply specifically to females. There are a great many heroes in literature. The word “hero” itself has a very wide range of meaning. Here are a few ideas on just some of those heroes.
A hero is generally someone who is considered a hero by their country, society, or people. These characters are usually well-respected, with an esteem that often extends beyond their own lives. A modern day hero may be a teacher, clergyman, lawyer, or even a president. Modern literature includes numerous examples of heroic characters.
Historically, hero is sometimes associated with divine intervention. This was especially true during ancient times when it was not widely accepted by most people in society. In these times, if a person did not die a hero was considered to live on and watch others struggle. The concept of the hero and the idea of their ability to fight adversity is far older than most realize.
Some modern examples of heroes – for lack of a better term – are Batman, Superman, and Iron Man. All of these characters possess superpowers which allow them to overcome incredible odds and come out on top. Likewise, most people consider the Hulk to be a hero because he must endure the gamma radiation, which is almost impossible to survive without protection, and he does so in order to protect others. Many other modern examples of heroes can be found in comic books and other forms of media.
Not all heroes can be classified as such. In the case of the Hulk, he might be regarded as a hero because he has the strength to command the attention of others and deal with situations that would normally overwhelm most people. In the same way, the Ant Man – who is one of the greatest villains in history – is considered to be a hero for bringing his fellow humans out of misery when he drops a container of chemicals on them. This chemical spill left most of the world’s population blind and dumb. Similarly, Superman is considered a hero because he is not only an unusually gifted individual but also because he protects the world (usually when no one else thinks he should) and because he is the epitome of what it means to be a hero.
Unfortunately, there are some heroes who have done evil acts and have later been considered traitors to their countries or societies. Some examples of this include Abu Brayeb bin Laden, whom we consider a hero until the day he blows himself up with a bomb near an airport in Pakistan, and Saddam Hussein, who destroyed the Kuwaiti Oil refinery, killing thousands of civilians. Additionally, there are some villains who have done wrong acts which end up tarnishing the reputations of good men and women. An example of this is Osama Bin Laden, who murdered innocent civilians when he went over the border from Afghanistan into Saudi Arabia. However, these bad apples are usually identified and shamed so that other bad apples can be groomed in place of the hero.