Greek Hero

The Greek heroes served society by demonstrating the morals and values of the Greek Gods in humanistic terms. All Greek heroes had similar characteristics and qualities. These qualities are an essential part of the hero’s make-up. Without them, the hero would not be able to overcome the challenges that life presented him. Along with specific qualities, Gods always played an important role in the creation of heroes. In fact, many of the hero’s fathers were Gods. Greek heroes shared the human condition of mortality. This quality of mortality made the heroes easier to relate to from a human standpoint. The quest was the heroes right of passage into glory. Every Greek hero needed a quest to become a champion among the Greek people. I believe Peruses is an excellent example of a hero meeting the needs of society by demonstrating qualities that where present in a hero.

In the story of Peruses his immortal father was Zeus. Zeus was the father of many Greek heroes. Danae

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“However, they were such delightful companions that he welcomed their presence and their encouragement and did not resent their relationship with one another. This differs from many of the gods, and helps the story relate more to the reader. “Feeling self-conscious about his poverty in the presence of so many wealthy aristocrats, Peruses announced, ‘I have no family wealth to offer you, but I fearlessly offer you my services. “Just as a shower of rain falls and becomes absorbed by the earth, so this golden shower penetrated the ceiling of the golden room. “Finally Peruses announced, “Friends of mine, beware!” He suddenly displayed Medusa’s head for all his enemies to see, transforming two hundred foes into two hundred statues. I think Peruses was a great hero and was a role model for all of the characteristics that are admired in his society. This is where many of his strong points come together and are celebrated.

Being mortal helps Peruses by letting him experience poverty and other human conditions. Acrisius, Danae’s father, did this because an Oracle had told him that Danae’s first born would kill him. He had qualities that any human could relate to in his society. I feel that this helps teach society that your family should always be there for you when you need them. However, he along with all heroes is cruel and single-minded towards his enemy. “Peruses sadly buried the grandfather he never knew. ” This helped his society to see that he was one of them, not a god.

Approximate Word count = 684
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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