Modern society is going through a period when a person with his personal principles exalts himself above social moral standards. A similar process is due to the cultural trends that have developed over many centuries.
Regardless of the country or continent, there are a number of identical elements of mentality. Such factors are the "culprits" of the alienation of man from moral standards. This whole process leads to the fact that society forgets some moral categories that characterize certain people. For example, the word "hero". For many years in a row, people have been asking questions about the meaning of this word and the characteristics of the person whom it describes.
Who is a hero?
This concept can be viewed from the perspective of several thematic points of view. Each of them represents the concept under consideration in different ways. In the most classic version, the hero is a person who has special qualities that help him ascend above all other people. He possesses valor and courage in the maximum meaning of these words. Each of his actions is based on a deep awareness of his activity and its necessity.
Such a characteristic stipulates special requirements for the hero as a person more significant in contrast to all others. The classic definition refers to the very first point of view. It represents the meaning of the word “hero” from the standpoint of the fact that he is an ordinary person. But there are other interpretations of this word - mythological, literary (dramatic) and philosophical.
Mythological point of view
The meaning of the word “hero” may vary depending on different contexts. The mythological point of view implies the consideration of the hero as a person who lived in a special era. Basically, all the tales of prominent personalities came to us from the myths and legends of ancient Hellas. Heroes of Greek subjects possessed supernatural powers and were most often demigods. The presented facts make it possible to derive the concept of the term “hero”. This is a man endowed with supernatural powers. He is in an eternal struggle with evil (monsters, evil kings, titans, gods, etc.).
Also, understanding the appearance of such a person from the point of view of mythological theory will help answer the question of who the hero is. According to ancient plots, heroes appeared from parents, one of which was a god. In the future, children received supernatural powers, but not the immortality of their extraterrestrial parents. There are cases in history when the heroes for their significant merits were accepted by the gods in their circle, thereby giving them eternal life as a gift (for example, Loki, Hercules, Asclepius, etc.).
A hero is a key figure between the worlds of gods and people. He is in constant confrontation with the forces of evil in order to ensure the safety of all mortals. As we see, the mythological point of view makes it possible to highlight not the only meaning of the word “hero”, which significantly helps to approach a full understanding of this term.
Glorious age
As for the heroes and the time when they lived, there is a whole theory. According to her, between the Bronze and Iron Ages was heroic. At this time, people called heroes exterminated all the titans, monsters and other deified creatures. The era ends with two famous wars. This is a campaign of the Seven against Thebes and the Trojan War. In them, outstanding fighters destroyed each other. Such a theory largely explains the mythological meaning of the word “hero”. A deep conceptual explanation is given, confirmed by historical facts and stories from the ancient Greek epic. In the context of theory, a hero is far from an ordinary person who lived long before modern civilization.
Heroes in philosophy
The completely opposite understanding of the word “hero” is given in philosophy. Scientists working in this field are famous for the fact that they know any element of modernity meaningfully and deeply, delving into the essence. By their standards, a hero is an ordinary person who makes a sacrifice for his neighbor, regardless of his well-being. Thus, in philosophical understanding, a hero can be any individual. He should not have any supernatural powers or be the son of God.
It should also be noted that the meaning of the word “hero” has changed over time. Each era had its own understanding of the term in question. This leads to the fact that people of different times created their own image of the hero. If we could travel in time, then to the question of who the hero is, representatives of different eras would answer differently.
The meaning of the word "hero" in literature, cinema and theater
The term in question has one more meaning. Each of us has heard the expression "protagonist." It means a character around whom the whole plot of a literary, theatrical or cinematic work is twisted. Such a hero is an image; he is not necessarily a person. It all depends on the idea of the author of the work. This character is called a protagonist.
The main character plays a significant role in the entire work. Based on its qualities, the whole plot is being built. By the way, there is no mandatory prescription that the protagonist should be alone. Very often in literature or cinema you can find works that include several main characters at once. Such a move gives the work a peculiar flavor.
Conclusion
The article examined the main points of view that help to understand the meaning of the word "hero". Based on different contexts and time frames, you can find numerous interpretations of the specified word. This leads to a large number of answers to the question of who the hero is.