Role and evolution of the hero in literature

" If Hero means sincere man, why may not everyone of us be a Hero?" (Carlyle, qtd. in Hoyt' s New Cyclopedia of Practical Quotations). This statement makes heroism seem simple, but is being sincere enough to make you a hero? In modern society, the answer is likely to be yes, but in literature, it can be controversial. A hero in literature is generally portrayed as a man of action rather than thought. He exceeds ordinary …

…As you can see, a hero is only what we make him out to be. He is an image of our society' s strengths and weaknesses. Heroes have been a part of literature since the time of ancient Greece and have changed extremely over the centuries. They reflect the changes in our society and the evolution of literature. The hero is a classic part of literature, there is not a story, that lacks a hero.