courage the common bond
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Courage- The Common Bond
An Analysis of the Common Bond Between Heroes
Many characters are often referred to as heroes or heroines, but what is it that classifies these people? Terry Brook's novel The Sword of Shannara features the lead protagonist, Shea a young elf-man, who embarks on a grand quest to save the world and becomes a true hero. In the ancient Greek mythology entitled Hercules, the protagonist, Hercules, a god like mortal, completes twelve seemingly impossible tasks to redeem himself from mistakenly killing his family in order to regain his nobility, is also considered a hero. Both of these characters accomplish their goals and become heroes, but what exactly is it that classifies these characters as heroes? Their journeys take place in radically different worlds, and they perceive their journeys differently, however despite these differences it is courage which binds them as heroes. Courage is the common trait possessed by all heroes.
The basic element that separates Shea and Hercules is environment; they each abide in their own unique world. Shea lives in a rebuilding post apocalyptic war zone, filled with exotic precursor artifacts spread across vast lands of uncharted wilderness. Creatures that inhabit this world include gnomes, elves, dwarfs and ancient biomechanical beasts. With the exception of a magical warlock and sword, Shea's world is not much unlike the world of today...