Heroism Throughout History

This blog will be about the similarities between the traditional and modern hero as outlined in Hamlet. Although Aristotle and Arther Miller had very different ideas about heroism, a hero's decisions in the face of adversity remain the same. I will be looking at the comparison between Hamlet himself, a traditional hero, as well as Walter Lee Younger, in Raisin in the Sun. Although these hero's have little in common, their decision to take action during difficult times is a defining quality of both characters. During a soliloquy, Hamlet speaks about taking action to combat the struggles of life as opposed to doing nothing. He also speaks about how too much time spent thinking about action can cause someone to avoid it entirely. A defining quality of any hero, is their decision to take action as opposed to accepting the conflict in their lives. In Hamlet, this is accomplished after much delay, by the murder of Claudius. This act is what makes Hamlet a hero. Had he decided to take his own life, or avoid action, he would not be considered a hero and most likely wouldn't have been the focus of Shakespeare's play. In Raisin in the Sun, Walter spends much of his time contemplating action just like Hamlet. Both characters also come very close to accepting defeat in their respective situation. While Hamlet decides to stay alive and avenge his father, Walter decides to refuse money from Lindner. If Walter had decided to accept the offer, he would not have been considered a hero. Hamlet speaks about the importance of action over thought. Both characters struggle with overthinking, but eventually decide to take action in their lives. It is this decision that makes them a hero and the protagonist is two renown plays.