Hero
A hero (heroine is always used for females) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs), in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. A demigod is the son or daughter from one immortal and one mortal parent, an example would be Heracles, son of the mortal queen Alkema and the god Zeus. Later, hero (male) and heroine (female) came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence.
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Famous quotes containing the word hero:
“Like to the tree of Tantalus she fled,
And seeming lavish, sav’de her maydenhead.
Ne’re king more sought to keepe his diademe;
Than Hero this inestimable gemme.”
—Christopher Marlowe (1564–1593)
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, my brethren, is our hero, a hero all the world wants.”
—Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889)
“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.”
—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)