Teacher notes for hero recap...
Wikipedia Definition
“A hero (masculine or gender-neutral) or heroine (feminine) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs) is a person or
character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage, bravery or
self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good; a man or woman of distinguished courage or ability,
admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities.”
From “The Power of Myth”
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Accepting death
Providing inspiration
Extraordinary deeds
Feeling something lacking and wanting to make a change
Being yourself
Evil is abstract
Sacrificing oneself for something “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than
oneself.”
Heroic cycle
Physical deed vs spiritual deed
Two kinds of heroes: 1. “You didn’t intend it, but you’re in now.” 2. “The hero sets out responsibly and
intentionally to perform the deed.”
Teacher notes for hero recap continued...
Merriam Webster: “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. A person who is greatly
admired. The chief male character in a story, play, movie, etc.”
Dictionary.com: “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.”
Cambridge English Dictionary: “a ​person ​admired for ​bravery, ​great ​achievements, or good ​qualities”
Heroic Cycle
Name____________________
Date____________
Mods________
What is a hero? _______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Examples of Being a Hero
Achilles
Telemachos
Teacher notes for Venn diagram activity…
Achilles:
- He joins the Greek army (despite his known fate to die young)
- He doesn’t kill Agamemnon when Agamemnon takes Briseis because the internal fight on the Greek side is
harming the the Greek side (ignores his pride)
- Achilles chases Hector around Troy three times (showing he is determined and doesn’t give up easily)
- He sees vulnerable part of Hector’s flesh and throws his spear there, killing him (skillful in battle)
- He calls a meeting at the beginning of the epic (makes an effort to address dire situations)
- He promises to protect Calchas (compassion)
- He attempts to avenge his friend Patroclus’ death (possesses a sense of justice)
- He rejoins the war (despite his stubborn pride)
- He is merciful for Priam (merciful)
- He is the best Greek warrior (skillful in battle)
Achilles in the Heroic Cycle:
- The Call: Odysseus has to bring Achilles into the war (though the fact that Achilles willingly joined the war
after Odysseus caught him and that his mother was the one holding him back is significant to note)
- Preparation: calling the meeting to determine what the cause of the pestilence was
- Allies: Athena
- Guardians of Threshold: Agamemnon and conflicts with Agamemnon
- Crossing Threshold: deciding to go out and fight, despite his original stubborn pride
- Trials: could be physical (being the greatest warrior and having to battle others in combat) or psychological
(attempts to avenge Patroclus’ death) (though in the end he learns from Priam how stubborn he was acting)
Teacher notes for Venn diagram activity continued...
Telemachos:
- He is put in an unexpected situation where Athena gives him the choice of going on this journey to find his
father, Odysseus, and he makes that choice (remember the two types of heroes).
- He treats all of the suitors with respect (respect).
- He gives a speech to initiate his journey (leadership).
- He tries to assert his authority over the suitor and his mother (leadership).
- He refuses to send Penelopeia to her father (compassion→ he knows marrying someone else would make
his mother unhappy).
- He graciously declines gifts (the horses) when inappropriate (not greedy).
Telemachos in the Heroic Cycle:
- The Call: Athena as Mentês gives Telemachos advice to find his father, Odysseus
- Preparation: Telemachos follows Athena’s instructions to get provisions for his journey
- Allies: Athena
- Guardians of the Threshold: the suitors who try to marry Telemachos’ mother Penelopeia and do not want
Odysseus to return
- Crossing the Threshold: So far, Telemachos visiting the islands and not losing hope of finding his father
Teacher notes for Venn diagram activity continued...
Similarities
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Both were called to help: Odysseus forced Achilles to fight, Telemachos was encouraged to find his father
Both had Athena’s assistance
Prophets play a part in both stories
Both embark on a psychological journey (Achilles also a physical one)
Differences
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Achilles is already known to possess heroic traits (as best warrior), but Telemachos is sort of the unlikely
hero
The heroes are battling different adversities: Achilles is overcoming his stubborn pride, while Telemachos
needs to grow up.
Achilles’ enemies include Agamemnon and Hector (only two people), while Telemachos’ enemies include all
of the suitors (many people).