Heroes appear in many stories, and the word "hero" comes from a Greek word meaning a person who faces adversity or demonstrates courage in the face of danger '. An archetypal hero who appears in religions, mythologies, and epic tales shares some spiritual and often supernatural traits. Often "heroes must be loners with serious, if not melancholy, personalities." These complex personality traits, along with a virtuous set of skills, constitute the prototypical hero archetype. In this context, only Beowulf and Achilles are truly archetypal heroes, while Hector is a tragic hero. Beowulf and Achilles are "otherworldly" with unique gifts that separate them from imperfect mortals. Hector is a tragic hero in that his "fall evokes feelings of pity and fear among the audience". He never measured up to a god like Achilles, and as Hogue describes, "the hallmarks of the tragic hero remained, such as eliciting audience sympathy and bringing about his own downfall." Icons make people proud of their heritage and society and also serve to capture human strengths and weaknesses, which helps humans understand their emotions. In analyzing Beowulf, Achilles, and Hector, we see some human frailties on display including heroic deeds, selfish flaws, and some tragic outcomes. Epic poems such as Beowulf, Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and many other historical works of literature from around the world are stories of heroes. The archetypal hero usually stands out from other characters. Archetypal heroes have a number of striking traits, usually including strength, speed, skill, and often some type of superhuman weapon or ability. Achilles, for example, could not be injured in any part of his body, except, famously, on his recovery. Often the hero archetype also has a connection to God or ends up in war or battle against a god. Beowulf fought Grendel, a divine character and Achilles had divine qualities being almost immortal. Noble missions are also often at the heart of these stories, including difficult battles against powerful enemies. Finally, the hero archetype is usually emotionally conflicted or has a difficult relationship with a god or parent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Beowulf "is about the legendary figure Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, a North Germanic people who inhabited modern-day Gotaland in southern Sweden." The heroic Beowulf has a mission to kill Grendel and save Hrothgar's people. The warrior's skill was Beowulf's strength along with his feeling of God's support. He stated: "May the Divine Lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whatever side He sees fit." Fiercely, Grendel and Beowulf fought, and the monster was shocked by Beowulf's strength. What captured the feeling was the phrase: "The monster's whole body was in pain, a terrible wound appeared on his shoulder." Tendons snapped and bones burst. After proving his courage, Beowulf becomes king of his people, which shows the influence he has on the society he represents. Hrothgar declares, "You are strong in body and mature in mind, impressive in speech" and "I firmly believe that the seafaring Geats will not find a man more worthy of acclaim as their king and defender than you." Beowulf becomes king and leads the Norse hierarchy for 50 years. Achilles is the archetypal hero of the Iliad. He is the last warrior who would strike fear into the enemy. Even without armor, it was said that the enemy would be afraid of him. «One look will be enough. The Trojans will retreat out of fear of you, and this will give to the Greeks.