What makes a heroe in a heroic fantasy fiction ?

Myths and heroes

Pb : What makes a heroe in a heroic fantasy fiction ?

Fantasy is a litteracy genre, its most famous writter is JRR Tolkien who wrote The lords of the Rings. We also find this genre in films and video games. It allows to introduce the archetype of a heroe which is both timeless and universal, and it evolves in a unreal world.

In the opposite of super-heroes, a hero in fantasy stories doesn't have supranatural powers but they are common creatures which are emerged in special adventures, in quests.

First, I'm going to talk about the characteristics of heroic fantasy. Usually, the scene takes place in a medieval like settings. It is about the journey of the hero. The plots are complicated  and deal with a hero of humble origin and many people from different nations and lands.

For example, in Lord of the Ring, the hero is a hobbit. He is young and shy. He is not adventurous. He receives a ring and has powerfull powers. He must leave the village despite his will because he was found by soldiers. He has the protection of a wizzard and members of different kingdoms. He lives a lot of adventures, fights and wars. He was wounded but he faces the danger with bravery. He finds a solution : he through the ring into a vulcano. When he comes back in the village, he becomes a hero.

All these steps correspond to the scheme of a fantasy story :

-a hero and his/her enemies

- he/she was common and he/she becomes a hero thanks to different helps (real or unreal)

- his/her journey is told with details, a lot of events happens to him/her.

- he/she suceeded in his/her quest.

Secondly, we'll talk about how it is easy to identify with fantasy hero. Effectively, they don't have specific powers and they act according to the events. At the begining, they are weak and then they overcome to help their friends in danger. They don't choose their destiny but they are determined, brave and devoted. They live in a world which could ours so we could imagine being a hero one day. It's also a way to show that we are able to do something good.

To conclude, we can say that what makes a hero in heroic fantasy fiction is the fact that they save or help people and that he always acts for the goodness. There are real facts that make us identify to the hero. A hero can be a myhtological figure, a person who is admired for his or her achievements and can be part of our daily life. For example, we can consider as a hero an actor, a singer or a policeman who risks his life everyday. I'm thinking about the events which took place in 2001 in New York when the two towers were destroyed.

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