Heracles, Theseus, and Odysseus.

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the Greek heroes who were an integral part of Greek society and relates that they were held in esteem just below the gods and demi-gods of the Greek pantheon. The paper states that they were considered progeny of the gods, and as such, were favored by them as the gods and demi-gods who protected them. The paper specifically examines the nature of the heroism of three Greek heroes, Heracles, Theseus, and Odysseus.

From the Paper:

"Another characteristic that ties mythological heroes together is their encounter with a femme fatale. Aside from the various monsters encountered along the quest, this femme fatale adds to the difficulties by attempting to attract the hero romantically and detract them from their quest. Odysseus had Circes and Calypso, who caused a considerable delay in his return home (Stewart, "Odysseus"). Theseus had Ariadne who cause delay in his return home when she was kidnapped (Plutarch, online version). Sometimes the femme fatale is hostile, as with Circes and Calypso. Other times the femme fatale is benevolent, as with Ariadne. Either way, the femme fatale causes the hero to stray off schedule and delay his quest."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Plutarch (John Dryden, trans). Theseus. Written 75 A.C.E. http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/theseus.html (Accessed March 28, 2008).
• Stewart, Michael. "Herakles", Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. http://messagenet.com/myths/bios/heracles.html (Accessed March 28, 2008)
• Stewart, Michael. "Odysseus", Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. http://messagenet.com/myths/bios/odysseus.html (November 14, 2005)

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