What makes a hero?

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following quotations and assignment below.

“The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper.”
~Aristotle

"Villains are undone by what is worst in them, heroes by what is best. "
~Voltaire

"The hero is strangely akin to those who die young. "
~Rainer Maria Rilke

I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom. "
~Bob Dylan

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost."
~Arthur Ashe

In-Class Assignment: What makes a hero? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on the issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Take-Home Assignment: Create a hero that embodies the definition from your essay. You may do so narratively, artistically, or by using a combination of modes. Be prepared to present and defend your hero in class on Monday, September 18th.