FREE ESSAY ON HEROES : THE CHILD WITHIN

HEROES : THE CHILD WITHIN

Heroes : The Child Within
The epic tale has entertained and inspired since the beginning of recorded history.
Whether told by a wise elder or read about in an old, leather-bound volume, accounts of
heroes traversing the unknown and encountering mystical beasts have always aroused
feelings of excitement in children. However, beneath these feelings, the essence of a
child is cultivated; throughout a lifetime, the conscience is a significant force which
guides and directs. Since young children are easily influenced, the exposition of
literature will have a lasting impact, and themes that are presented will undoubtedly
leave an impression. Tales such as Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" recounts
scenes of Sir Geraint's knightly gallantry and valor, while Virgil's Aeneid contains a
recurring motif of perseverance as the Trojan hero Aeneas persists despite facing
numerous hardships. Although the aforementioned characters seem legendary in nature, they
are no different from the common individual. J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" is a
tale that readers can readily associate with, as it revolves around an ordinary, but
hesitant individual, Frodo, embarking on an extraordinary journey, which later results in
his evolution into a heroic figure. Having a fault is common to all three heroes;
however, throughout their respective journeys, opportunities are presented in which these
faults may be faced. Throughout the course of history, hero-figures in literature, much
like children, have embodied high moral standards and persistence while embarking upon a
quest that leads to the resolution of a personality flaw.
As the heroic quest involves numerous trials of character, high moral standards are vital
to the success of the journey; since the beginning of childhood, proper and just actions
are encouraged by parents in hopes of producing a youth who will benefit mankind. As
well, many religions and societies encourage high moral standards as they promote
virtuous acts and the preservation of character within the individual. When Enid of
"Idylls of The King" was faced with the decision of either accepting Earl Doorm's
invitation to dine with him, or to stay by her wounded husband Geraint's side, she said,

"Pray you be gentle, pray you let me be:
I never loved, can never love but him:
Yea, God, I pray you of your gentleness,
He being as he is, to let me be." 
Despite Sir Geraint's doubts of Enid's fidelity due to a prior misunderstanding, Enid
honoured the vow that was taken when she married. She clearly displays her love for Sir
Geraint to be unwavering throughout the poem; high moral standards are exemplified as
Enid resists temptation by staying true to herself. Finally, when she cries out,
believing that Geraint is dead, he springs to life and slaughters the Earl, symbolic of
the good, embodying high moral standards, conquering evil temptation. 
As well, Aeneas was faced with temptation; however, rather than in the form of an evil
earl, it came in the shape of the beautiful Helen of Troy. As he was fleeing the city
during the sack of Troy, Aeneas encounters Helen, the woman who had inadvertently caused
the Trojan War. Just as he was about to slaughter her, believing that he would win praise
for appeasing his ancestors, his mother, Venus, appeared before him. "It is not the hated
beauty of the Spartan woman, the daughter of Tyndareus, that is overthrowing all this
wealth and laying low the topmost towers of Troy, nor is it Paris although you all blame
him, it is the cruelty of the gods." 
At this point, Venus reveals the deception waved by the other Gods, like a parent
revealing to a child the true state of the world, allowing them to make a wise decision.
Although Aeneas' judgement was initially clouded, once he saw through the erroneous
perception that had been thrown upon him by the Gods, he held back his sword in
integrity, sparing her life. Aeneas embodied a high moral standard as he resisted the
temptation that was presented to him. As parents guide children into the right direction
when they stray down the wrong path, the forces of Destiny guide the hero. 
As a parent reassures a child that everything will be fine when he or she stumbles, Fate
gives the same reassurance to the hero. As the heroic quest involves numerous trials of
endurance and resolve, persistence is essential for the duration of the adventure. In the
first book of the "Aeneid", a scene is painted in which Aeneas is being tossed about in a
ship during a torrential downpour. He despairs, as he believes that he has lost all
favour with the gods. "Wherever the Trojans looked, death stared them in the face. A
sudden chill went through Aeneas and his limbs grew weak." Aeneas had already been
sailing for two years in a bold attempt to find a site to found a new city; however, his
endeavours had been plagued with mishaps. At this point, he wonders if he'll ever live to
fulfill his destiny, but despite all the hardship that he is faced with, he presses
onwards. Turnus, the battle-crazed leader of the opposition proved to be a formidable foe
that disheartened Aeneas. "There it was moored in a sheltered position along the side of
the camp, protected by the water of the river, and to the landward by ramparts. There he
made his attack." Turnus set the Trojan fleet on fire, in hopes of stranding the enemy
troops and demoralizing them, but the persistence of Aeneas existed not only in terms of
the endurance of life, but as his faithfulness throughout the years to his pietistic
duty. Being highly respectful of the gods, painstakingly offering sacrifices despite what
he had to deal with, Aeneas was favoured by the Berecentian Cybele, the mother of all
gods, who saved the ships by turning them into water nymphs. Despite hardships, the
perseverance of the epic hero conquers the opposition.
Although Aeneas was able to defeat the opponent that stood in his way, Frodo Baggins of
"Lord of the Rings" had to concede that in order to succeed, hardships of nearly
invincible proportions had to be endured. Relentlessly pursued through many lands by Dark
Horsemen for the powerful ring he possessed, Frodo encountered many difficulties. In
addition to being wounded several times, he was betrayed by one of the members of his own
travelling company. Following the betrayal, Frodo decides to continue, "Frodo rose to his
feet. A great weariness was on him, but his will was firm and his heart lighter. He spoke
aloud to himself. 'I will do now what I must.'…" Accepting the fact that are all
odds were against him, faced with an invincible enemy with deceitful travelling partners,
Frodo journeys into the unknown void by himself. In the end however, his persistence is
rewarded by Fate with the successful completion of the quest, as the persistence of a
child receives praise from a parent.
Whether in the form of the sucking of the thumb or the biting of the fingernails, every
child has had a bad habit at some time or another. Just as the parent endeavours to
resolve these habits, Fate and Destiny conspire to resolve the personality flaws of the
hero. When an epic tale contains an ordinary mortal character, being only human, the
individual possesses a flaw, which must be faced and resolved during the course of the
heroic quest. At the beginning of book one of the "Aeneid", Aeneas, weary from years of
sailing, invokes death, "O Diomede, bravest of the Greeks, why could I not have fallen to
your right hand and breathed out my life on the plains of Troy…" Doubtful of his
destiny, Aeneas despairs for his life and is tempted to give up; thus, his flaw is his
unwillingness to accept his destiny of founding Rome. However in book six, he journeys to
the underworld to meet his father Anchises, and is told, "Your task, Roman, and do not
forget it, will be to govern the peoples of the world in your empire." Aeneas is informed
that his destiny is to found the city of Rome and a powerful race that shall rule over
the world. Upon hearing this, Aeneas is inspired with confidence, ready to fulfill his
destiny; throughout the second half of the "Aeneid", he steps forward to accept
challenges with certainty. As the habit of biting one's nails may foster feelings of
embarrassment due to ridicule from peers, the resolution of the habit allows a child to
face the world with assurance.
Although ridicule is a battle with external forces, the battle with oneself is certainly
more difficult, such as overcoming a fear of the dark, as one must turn inward. Sir
Geraint of "Idylls of The King" was plagued with an uncertainty of the fidelity of his
wife, Enid which eventually let matters into a hopeless predicament. However, upon his
deathbed, the wail of Enid sprung him to life as it assured him of the very love he had
once doubted. Following a tender embrace, Geraint says,
"Not tho' mine own ears heard you yestermorn -
You thought me sleeping, but I heard you say,
That you were no true wife:
I swear I will not ask your meaning of it:
I do believe yourself against yourself,
And will henceforward rather die in doubt." 
At this point, the mighty knight of the Round Table has faced himself and cast aside all
doubt, just as a child faces the darkness and confronts a dreaded fear, dissipating it.
Fear comes in many forms, but most common is the fear of the unknown; children and heroes
alike may draw parallels in this respect as it was the hesitation of Frodo that was his
personality flaw. "To tell the truth, he was very reluctant to start, not that it had
come to the point." Until Frodo was entreated by Gandalf the Wise to set out upon his
quest, he would have been content living out his life at Bag-End. Whether it be the shove
of Destiny and Fate or the gentle nudge of a concerned individual, the resolution of a
personality flaw is inevitable.
"Without heroes we're all plain people and don't know how far we can go" Bernard
Malamud's statement accurately describes the influence of Aeneas, Sir Geraint and Frodo
as they all complete epic quests despite being mere mortals. The epic hero is an eternal
figure as he or she is a prime model of integrity and perseverance, which is exemplified
during a quest which provides a solution to the problem of a flawed disposition. The epic
tale is a reflection of human character as the themes that are presented closely mirror
universal problems that are faced by everyone. As one sheds the skin of youth, although
it may be possible to analyze the literary meaning of these wonderful tales, the magic
that they once contained is often gone. More than writings of scholarly value, these
pieces of literature exude inspiration and provoke awe in younger audiences worldwide.
Like children, one day adults shall, forgetting their worldly troubles, embrace the
stories they once loved, be inspired, and once again become heroes.
Bibliography
Wordsworth Poetry Library, The Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson (Hertfordshire: Wordsworth
Editions Ltd, 1994) 469. 
Virgil, The Aeneid (Toronto: Penguin Books, 1991) 49.
Virgil, The Aeneid (Toronto: Penguin Books, 1991) 6.
Ibid., 215
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings (Great Britian, Harper Collins Publishers, 1995)
392.
Virgil, The Aeneid (Toronto: Penguin Books, 1991) 6.
Ibid., 159
Wordsworth Poetry Library, The Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson (Hertfordshire: Wordsworth
Editions Ltd, 1994) 470.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Great Britian, Harper Collins Publishers, 1995)
64.
Quotations@annabell.net, Heroes - Quotation guide. 22 Feb 1999. Online. Available
http://www.annabelle.net/topics/heroes.html [12 Dec 1999]