Above all, a hero is someone who sacrifices himself or herself for some other cause.  The hero may dismiss his or her own desires or even give up his or her life, but the hero will always have to sacrifice something.  As so often portrayed in novels and movies, heroes are stereotyped with superhuman strength or other such powers.  Others may say it is the journey that every hero must go through that defines such a person, but I believe it is that final act of using the knowledge gained from the journey that ultimately creates a hero.  Heroes can’t just be strong and kill monsters; they must have the right motivations.  That final act of sacrifice for some greater good is what people can look up to and admire.  For example, in the Harry Potter series, Harry consistently puts his own life in danger for the sake of someone else.  He entered the Chamber of Secrets and fought the Basilisk to save Ginny.  He doesn’t think of the reward, he is only concerned with rescuing Ginny and he does so by using the knowledge he gained from Hermione.  In stark contrast in Beowulf, Beowulf puts his life in danger to kill the evil monster Grendel.  Although Beowulf is technically sacrificing his life for the safety of the people terrorized by Grendel, I don’t believe he truly is a hero.  His acts are motivated by a search for fame and “immortality.”  Heroes are role models and if their acts are motivated by selfish desires, then they aren’t heroes. 

There are also the issues of heroines versus heroes such as Hermione.  She knew very well the perils of what Harry got involved in.  She gave up her last year of school to help him destroy all the Horcruxes and was certainly not dull enough to be oblivious to the risks.  She clearly takes on the role of a hero.  However, Hermione is a rare heroine in a world in which males predominantly are the heroic figures.  In Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Odyssey, and The Lord of the Rings the women are either being saved or are situated safely far from the action.  In the Raiders of the Lost Ark we see Marion kidnapped and gagged.  In the two other stories, both women are at home, waiting for their men to return.  Yet, the women play a different crucial role in which even Hermione falls into.  She and Arwen are these wells of wisdom on which the male heroes depend on at some points.  Other times the woman can act as the motivating factor for the male hero’s success.  Throughout time and literature, this has been the role of women: to serve the males.  Luckily, with some more modern writings women have started to come to the forefront and become more and more heroic.  Lara Craft, the Tomb Raider heroine, is just one example.  A new CW television show features Nikita, a woman who used to work for the government as a type of “hit man” is another. 

Bertolt Brecht has said, "Unhappy the land that needs heroes.”  I must disagree though.  Although there must be some sort of problem or danger in order for someone to act heroic, challenges are a necessity of life.  Everyone and everything has something that can be improved, including heroes.  Heroes allow those he or she helps to grow and change, and I consider changing a virtue.  Change helps everyone move towards something better.