Heroes appear in many stories, and the word "hero" is derived from a Greek word for a person who faces the adversity or shows courage in the face of adversity. of danger.” An archetypal hero who appears in religions, mythologies, and epic stories shares certain spiritual and often supernatural traits. Often, “heroes must be loners with serious, even melancholy, personalities.” These complex personality traits along with a virtuoso skill set constitute the prototypical archetypal hero. In this context, only Beowulf and Achilles are truly hero archetypes, while Hector is a tragic hero. Beowulf and Achilles are “otherworldly” with unique gifts that set them apart from imperfect mortals. Hector is a tragic hero in that "his fall arouses feelings of pity and fear among the audience." He never lived up to a god like Achilles and, as Hogue describes it, "the defining characteristics of the tragic hero remained – for example, arousing audience sympathy and bringing about his own downfall." Icons make people proud of their heritage and society, and they also serve to capture human strengths and weaknesses, which helps human beings understand their own emotions. As we analyze Beowulf, Achilles, and Hector, we see a certain human frailty manifest, including heroic acts, selfish flaws, and tragic consequences. Epic poems like Beowulf, Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and many other historical literary works from around the world are stories of heroes. The archetypal hero generally stands out from other characters. Archetypal heroes possess a set of amazing traits, which usually include strength, speed, skill, and often some type of weapon or superhuman ability. Achilles, for example, could not be harmed anywhere on his body except where he was healing. Often the archetypal hero also has a connection to God or finds himself in war or battle against a god. Beowulf fought Grendel, a god-like figure and Achilles had god-like qualities as a near-immortal. Noble quests are also often at the heart of these stories, including difficult battles against powerful enemies. Finally, the archetypal hero is usually in emotional conflict or has a difficult relationship with a god or parent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Beowulf "concerns the legendary character Beowulf, a hero of the Geats who were a North Germanic people inhabiting modern Gotaland in southern Sweden." The heroic Beowulf's mission is to kill Grendel and save Hrothgar's people. The warrior's skill was Beowulf's strength, as well as his sense of God's support. He said: “May the Divine Lord, in his wisdom, grant the glory of victory to whomever he sees fit.” Fiercely, Grendel and Beowulf fought and the monster was shocked by Beowulf's strength. The phrase “the monster's whole body was in pain, a huge wound appeared on its shoulder” captured this feeling. Tendons split and bones shattered. Having shown courage, Beowulf becomes king of his people, which shows the influence he has on the society he represents. Hrothgar states: "You are strong in body and mature in spirit, impressive in your speech" and "I firmly believe that the Geat sailors will find no man more worthy of praise than you as king and defender." Beowulf becomes king and rules the Norse hierarchy for 50 years. Achilles is the hero.