Heroes of Time

Heroes of time

There are various differences between heroes of today's society and heroes from the past. The topic of heroes has always been admired, no matter the time period. To me, a hero is a man of distinguished valor. Bravery, boldness, courage, and a willingness to put themselves in danger if it means the safety of others describe just a few of the many characteristics a true hero has. Two of the most influential heroes I think of when the topic is mentioned are Superman, from modern society, and King Arthur, from the Middle Ages. Even though they may be from two completely different eras, these heroes have many similarities, as well as differences.

One thing that most would say makes a hero a hero would be being different from everyone else, being born special. With Arthur, he was born to wield the sword of his deceased father, Excalibur, in order to become king of Camelot. Arthur was the only man able to withdraw the sword, no other man, no matter how strong, could do as Arthur did unless they were meant to become king. Arthur was meant to be king, it was his destiny, and his only. Superman, was also born with a special gift; being a hero also came natural to him. What makes Superman different however, is that Superman was born with powers which he received from being born literally, out of this world. Superman was born on planet Krypton; he was an alien raised on Earth. Superman, unlike any other man, had super strength, speed, invulnerability, and flight, to name a few. Both Arthur and Superman made sure to use their special differences to make the world a better place.

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Just like any individual, there is a multitude of temptations heroes face throughout their lives. Temptations can be difficult to overcome, and some even give into them at some point, hero or not. For Arthur, it was very tempting at times to use Excalibur's powers for something besides bringing men together. After killing knight Lancelot in duel, Excalibur breaks and Arthur realizes what he has abused its powers. Excalibur is revived by the Lady of the Lake, and Arthur makes a promise to himself to never mistreat Excalibur's powers again. Arthur realized the wrong decision he made and, being the man he is, accepts it and uses it as a lesson so that he may never repeat the action again. At on point, Arthur also tempted to almost gave up at one point when he felt he was too weak to save Camelot without the assistance of the Holy Grail. With a bit of help, in the end, he pulls through and conquers his enemy. With Superman, he had to hide his identity from all people; no one could know the real man that lay behind the costume. Superman was at time tempted to tell some of his loved ones his true identity and to expose himself but he