Heroes and Culture

Every Culture has Heroes.

In works of literature, an individual admired is a hero. A hero, is the picture of the greatest virtues of the culture that created him. The ideals of every culture were shaped by the social conditions of the time. The hero in literature is a result of the culture, and the culture of the author. Cultural values are reflected in both the actions of a hero and his motivations. As heroes, Achilles, Beowulf, and Roland reflect the values of the societies that created them. One of the oldest works of ancient literature is Homer's Iliad. In the case of the Iliad, the lack of historical records makes it difficult to understand the influence of the Greek culture about which Homer wrote. Through the centuries, the idea of a hero has evolved. In Greece, the qualities of a hero are well defined, strong, a leader and excel on the battlefield. For the Romans, the ideal leader was one who accepted fate, showed courage, and sacrificed happiness for the good of the empire. The qualities Beowulf showed are a product of the Germanic culture, and not of the culture of the Christian monk who wrote it.

In the middle ages, heroes display more faults. As the Song of Roland demonstrates, its hero Roland is weak. The story shows that qualities such as loyalty and courage are important but they do not guarantee success. The concept of a hero changed over time from a dependable figure to an individual who has shortcomings. Each of these pieces of literature is a combination of the values of the society to which the hero belongs. These ideals shape literature and their heroes. Achilles, Beowulf, and Roland are strong figures because they are the ideal of their societies.