Does the classical definition of a hero still work in todays world?
Gros Louis: The classical definition may work in certain circumstances, although I don’t think the phrase “tragic hero” would necessarily apply. Thus, Bill Clinton may have a tragic flaw, but I doubt if most people would put him in the same category as the classical tragic heroes. Home Pages: Many people believe there is something heroic in the most common of people–those who try to do the right thing, be the best person they can be, sacrifice for their families or for something bigger than themselves. Yet, they don’t fit the classic definition. Can there be “everyday heroes”? Gros Louis: This is an issue that I get into in the class–changing definitions and interpretations of heroic traits. We read King Lear, for example, and the class gradually comes to the conclusion that if there are any heroes in the play, at least those that did not have something that irritates us, they are really the servant who is outraged when Gloucester’s eyes are gouged out and loses his life for it, the
