And a Hero Will Save Us; What Do Heroes from Ancient and Medieval Epics Teach Us in the 21st Century?

• Main Author: Jonathan Needham
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Athens Institute for Education and Research 2018-04-01
• Series: Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts
• Online Access: https://www.athensjournals.gr/humanities/2018-5-2-4-Needham.pdf

Heroic characters portrayed in world epics serve as universal archetypes, adhering to the theories of Campbell and Jung, throughout the centuries. Through careful analysis of these figures and their noble qualities and feats, we come to realize that they continuously shape us in the 21st century. Examining traits like fear, courage, and sacrifice, leitmotifs found among the heroes of world epics, also seen in the characters of superhero comics of the 1980s and before, invites us to reflect upon an important idea about humanity: we, vying for material supremacy today, should recall the timeless moralistic values that heroes potentially instill in each of us. Such emblematic figures are truly an "extension" of us. In fact, our recollection and continuous acknowledgement of these magnanimous figures enable the "genuine" hero inside us all ultimately to emerge and allow each of us to die honorably on lifeʼs journey of discoveries.