The Virtue of Heroism

A detailed Summary of The Virtue of Heroism

The ancient world of Greece was built upon a foundation of pious ideals and principles that were exemplified through both societal and literary arenas of Greek life. These social mores of virtue, heroism, valor, and honor were all esteemed characteristics considered to be most admirable, and to those who possessed such traits, much veneration was due. Such was the social code of conduct essential to contributing to the eminence of their community; the ideal expectation of every Greek citizen in order to be commemorated with great honor and respect. Such virtues can be found in both Pericles' "Funeral Speech", and Sophocles' Antigone, two of Athens' most renowned historical accounts that display both the social and literary realms of this fantastic culture. Ironically, these two completely versatile artifacts happen to complement each other using the above mentioned characteristics of valiancy and intrepidity. While Pericles declares these traits to be the noblest, Antigone exemplifies them and becomes the most noble, and in this light are the two reciprocal of each other. Both accounts tell of great tragedy and loss, yet they are highlighted with the meritorious sentiment of that which was noble, true, and

The Greek virtue of heroism can be encompassed in Pericles statement about the soldiers that,

Mythology was a key component of Greek culture, as it was a multipurpose medium often used to explain natural phenomena, moreover, it was used as a utensil for instilling social values that would in turn instruct people on how to live based on what would please the Gods. It was an explanatory method used to resolve people's ill or fortunate fate, for mortal life, as described in mythic terms, was predetermined and illustrated by the Gods, a hand of destiny dealt only by celestial bodies. For this very reason did the citizens of Athens abide by the mores of virtuosity, heroism, etc., as these attributes were found most venerable to the Gods, and would therefore guide peoples' conduct into reputable acts that would bring them the most honor; this would ultimately result in good fortune. Which explains why mythology was so capitalized upon in all sectors of Greek society; it would impact everything, including the literary and political sides of this spectrum.

One may juxtapose such sectors, for example Sophocles' Antigone, and Pericles' "Funeral Speech", and find their content to be great in similarity. There is a high concentration of both mythological detail and virtuous character in both works (despite the varying history from which they were written --Antigone as a play, the "Funeral Speech" a mourning panegyric). In fact, through thorough examination, it is found that the very principle emphasized in Pericles' speech is identical to the honorable tenet that Antigone used to guide her actions. In short, what Pericles' preached, is surely the same doctrine that Antigone practiced, and this display of

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Approximate Word count = 1155
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English