Hercules—Why is he a Hero？.docVIP

Hercules—Why is he a Hero? As we all know, Hercules is unquestionably regarded as the most prominent hero in Greek mythology .Being a demi-god ,he owns the superman strength that he used to complete all his exploits ,including the famous Twelve Labors .In addition ,the word “Herculean “which is based on his name Hercules can be used to describe a brawny man with extraordinary strength . Not only his bravery but also his unusual character makes him a contradictory figure. Although full of impressive adventures, he is also suffered from his violent, brutal and destructive character. When he was a little baby, Hera, who is jealous of her husband’s bastard children, sent a pair of snakes to kill him. However, Hercules strangled them pleasantly using his bare hands. According to this, we may guess that the grown-up Hercules will be a cruel figure. Throughout the Greek mythology, how he revenges people who have offended him also impresses us greatly .For instance, when King Laomedon of troy didn’t fulfill his promise for rescuing his daughter from a sea-monster, Hercules was plotting a severe revenge to Troy and killed the king .From above, we make a conclusion that being a heroic figure and a benefactor of humankind, Hercules also has some unusual characters. Because of purifying himself from blood-guilt, he needed to carry out twelve tasks that the King Eurystheus ordered him to impose .The Twelve Labors can thoroughly show his enormous strength, intelligence and even cruelty .Thinking about his first task---to kill the Nemean Lion, we are surprised at this “Herculean efforts”. It’s Hercules who brings us so much surprise .At the same time ,one question comes to my mind .Why is he still depicted as a heroic stature after committing so many crimes? To start with, Hercules is the epitome of bravery and strength .What he has adventured appears to be passed on through generation and generation .Because of Hera’s intervention, he was suffered from a fit of madness and k