Ask English Expert

Proof read and correct the mistakes
Herackles' Heroic Dilemma

"I will sing of Herakles, son of Zeus, the best of earthly men by far, whom Alkmene bore in Thebes, a place of lovely dances, when she mingled with the dark-clouded son of Kronos. Wandering first through the ineffable land and sea at the orders of king Eurystheus, he performed many reckless actions himself, and many he suffered; but now he lives in the noble dwelling of snowy Olympos, enjoying himself, and has (for wife) Habe of beautiful ankles. Greetings, lord, son of Zeus! Grant me excellence and fortune". (Translated by C. Lopez-Ruiz)
(Text from the Expolits of Perseus, Herackles, and Theseus.3.11.b, Herakles page 257)
This passage encloses what is probably the key topic about Herackles and his epic struggles, namely, the fact I will explore how the struggles shape the narrative plot and transform Herackles, who is just a typical and family man with superhuman strength with heroic dilemma, who takes on 12 impossible challenges to purify his soul after killing his own family, which I will be discussing in this essay. I will explore how the struggles shape the narrative plot and transform Herackles and how he copes with that fate. After that, I will be comparing his life with Jesus Christ.
In my opinion, Herakles is the most popular super-hero in Greek mythology, brave and fierce. However, heroes cannot run away from the pain of human struggles; like, a stepmother who hates him, a father who does not protect him, and a feeling of not belonging in his community. He is a tragic hero who suffers from birth to death and dies in the end and sometimes he causes others to suffer too but most of the time unintentionally. Despite Herackles being an ideal and strongest action hero ever lived in Greek mythology, Herackles is still a typical man and lives a normal life. He is a womanizer, hard drinker, athletic, and has high sex drive. Heroes, like human beings, could not run away from committing crime; and terrible sins like when he kills his music teacher for self-defense, which causes him excluded from the community. Besides that, he finds it hard to blend in his community. He is married and has two kids so he is a family man. He becomes a prisoner of his own guilt when he kills his own family unconsciously causes by Hera's jealousy, even though he is not sure if he is the one who did it, showing that he has emotions just like other human beings. With that, he is doing goods to get rid of his guilt and to purify his soul so it shows that he represents and understands people. Finally, he is a mortal hero, which means that he can die, which makes him more of a human being.
Herackles' struggles shape the narrative plot and transform him when he takes on the famous 12 impossible challenges in quest for redemption and to purify his soul after killing his own family when Hera uses King Eurystheus to kill Hercules, which shows that heroes have no control over the power of Gods. With Pythia's instructions, he goes to Tiryns and serve for King Eurystheus who is the great grandson of Perseus, for 12 years. In the 12 labors, he has to fight against animals like killing the Nemean Lion and the Stymphalian Birds, capturing the Golden Hind of Artemis, the Erymanthian Boar, and the Cretan Bull. He has to fight against a monster when he kills the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra. He faces a different type of challenge for his 5th labor, as he has to do actual labor, which is cleaning the Augean stables in a single day. For this labor, he is not only challenged physically but he has to use his mental ability to uncover a plan and also his strength to actually do work. Other challenges that require courage and strength are the stealing the Mares of Diomedes, receiving the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons and the cattle of the monster Geryon, stealing the apples of the Hesperides, and capturing and bringing back Cerberus. Each time, the challenges get harder, as he has to travel to unknown lands and to the underworld but he never gives up and manages to overcome every obstacle. 
I will compare his life and death with Jesus, from birth to when he self-sacrifices his mortal self and comes back to life as God because he has many similarities with Jesus and since the story of Jesus happened after Herackles, I think that it is quite a coincidence that Jesus has many similarities with the mythical Herackles. Firstly, Herackles father is Zeus who is the King of the Gods, just like Jesus' father so both of them have a father who is a God. Secondly, Herackles mother is Alcheme, wife of Amphitryon. This is because Zeus disguises himself as Amphitryon and has sexual act with Alcheme when her husband is away. On the other hand, Jesus mother is the Virgin Mary but does not have a sexual act with God so both of their mothers are mortal. However, Herackles has a twin brother, Iphicles but Jesus does not. With that, according to Christianity, if it is to base on Herackles' story, we are Zeus and Alcheme's, the granddaughter of Perseus at Thebes, mortal children. Thirdly, another man, a stepfather, raises both of them. Amphitryon raises Herackles, while Jesus was raised by Saint Joseph. Thirdly, Herackles is from Thebes, Greece and Jesus is from Bethlehem, Judea, near Jerusalem so both of them live in the Mediterranean region. Fourthly, according to theoi.com, "Herackles is worshipped as the divine protector of mankind" and Jesus is the Messiah of Christianity so both of them are respected by their belief or religion. Fifthly, Jesus died around the age of 33 and according to wikianswers, Herackles died at the age of 37 so both of them died at a young age. Finally, Both had somewhat similar death. Herackles self-sacrifices himself to burn his mortality by setting himself on a funerary pyre and is carried to heaven with a thunder, Zeus and becomes God. He is the only demigod who becomes God. Jesus dies for human's sins and his death is one of the most important events in Christianity. 
Herackles performing the famous 12 labors definitely shows that he is brave and strong and his intentions of doing the labors show that he is an ordinary man. This assignment has taught me that heroes do not live an easy but a hard life and made me realize that his life and death is somewhat similar to another famous figure, Jesus Christ.  

English, Academics

  • Category:- English
  • Reference No.:- M955098

Have any Question?


Related Questions in English

Using the following four resource documents prepare a case

Using the following four resource documents, prepare a case analysis regarding the premise "Airline Deregulation - 40 years Later - Pro or Con?" Airlines Move to Meet Regulatory Shifts (1978)/Aviation Week A Law That Cha ...

Question evaluate the cultural competence of the healthcare

Question: Evaluate the cultural competence of the healthcare organization presented in the Integrated Safety-Net Health Care System case study using a population health approach. Please also read the supplemental Interpr ...

Question commitment is very important in every work we do

Question: Commitment is very important in every work we do. If we commit to something that we will do, we must fulfill that commitment. Usually, we make commitment to the tasks to let others know that we will complete th ...

What is lust what is the difference between lust and love

What is lust? What is the difference between lust and love? Why is lust bad? Cite passages from bothOkholm and De Young. Describe what it means to think of love in terms of "gift", and explore how we might change aspects ...

Write a one-page not including cover and reference pages

Write a one-page (not including cover and reference pages) APA-formatted report on two of the following four topics: Topic 1: Open Skies - Explain what is meant by "Open Skies," and discuss the evolution of these interna ...

Read the two supporting documents focusing on airline

Read the two supporting documents focusing on airline globalization in 2018: Aviation Benefits: Contributing To Global Economic Prosperity/Uniting Aviation Aviation Benefits - 2017/ICAO (middle of page) Using the section ...

Read the following articles addressing the two space

Read the following articles addressing the two space treaties: "Outer Space Treaty of 1967" and "The Moon Treaty of 1979": The Outer Space Treaty Has Been Remarkably Successful - but Is It Fit for the Modern Age?/The Con ...

You have read the lottery by jackson and a good man is hard

You have read "The Lottery" by Jackson and "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by O''Connor. Now it is time to argue who does conflict better. In at least two well-structure paragraphs, please respond to the following prompt: W ...

Question your final draft must be added to the dropbox on

Question: Your final draft must be added to the dropbox on CourseDen (labeled "Essay One") by 8PM on the due date. Your final draft should be between 500-1000 words and should adhere to MLA format. Purpose: In this assig ...

Question part i the first part of this assignment will help

Question: Part I: The first part of this assignment will help you "flesh out" your topic. Take 10-15 minutes to free write about your topic. Chapters 4 and 5 in your textbook can help you decide what kind of free writing ...

  • 4,153,160 Questions Asked
  • 13,132 Experts
  • 2,558,936 Questions Answered

Ask Experts for help!!

Looking for Assignment Help?

Start excelling in your Courses, Get help with Assignment

Write us your full requirement for evaluation and you will receive response within 20 minutes turnaround time.

Ask Now Help with Problems, Get a Best Answer

Why might a bank avoid the use of interest rate swaps even

Why might a bank avoid the use of interest rate swaps, even when the institution is exposed to significant interest rate

Describe the difference between zero coupon bonds and

Describe the difference between zero coupon bonds and coupon bonds. Under what conditions will a coupon bond sell at a p

Compute the present value of an annuity of 880 per year

Compute the present value of an annuity of $ 880 per year for 16 years, given a discount rate of 6 percent per annum. As

Compute the present value of an 1150 payment made in ten

Compute the present value of an $1,150 payment made in ten years when the discount rate is 12 percent. (Do not round int

Compute the present value of an annuity of 699 per year

Compute the present value of an annuity of $ 699 per year for 19 years, given a discount rate of 6 percent per annum. As