Before we define what a hero is, we must realize that there are several types of
heroes. For starters, there are the real heroes and the fictional heroes. In the real heroes we have those who save us from physical
danger (
police,
firefighters,
Dad, etc), the ones that impact our everyday
lives (
teachers,
mentors, pop icons,
friends,
family), and others that we simple praise with
reverence (
clergy,
coaches, anyone really). There are also the fictional heroes that people like to think of when they hear the word hero. You have the
super heroes,
code hero,
tragic hero,
romantic,
legendary, and
historical based heroes... but I think I will focus this write up on the
comedic hero.
Before one can understand a comedic hero, it is important for them to know what a comedy really is. A comedy is a
story (
play,
book,
movie,
poem, or even
song) that affirms life. Whereas it's opposite,
tragedy destroys life and youth. Comedies make a comment on society as a whole. Reactions to this in many cases are indeed
funny. They make us
laugh. Sure the absurd will give us a chuckle, but when something really hits home, we find that reality can be much funnier. In a comedy, there should be a renewal of the
life force or something symbolize one. This can be direct with a
birth or
cure to an illness or a little less obvious with a
wedding or a character becoming more youthful in his or her actions. A comedy is not always something that makes us laugh, but is simple something that opposes tragedy. It has a
happy ending.
A comedic hero is a fictional character that cause a story to have its life affirming quality. To do this, it is important for him or her to challenge an
authority. They do not have to win. They do not have to die (this would actually make more of a tragedy). Instead, they must make a point that change must occur. This can with the hierarchy breaking down or one character challenging the morals of (a)
god or him or herself. Also, a comedic hero should be the character, or one of them, that affirms life. Sure, the hero could save the world (thus saving life), but more typically it is on a smaller level. Perhaps the character takes place in a wedding or gives birth, or perhaps they gain a sense of
youth. That is the main key to a
comedy and
comic hero. This is what divides comedy from tragedy. A comedic hero should also make us laugh. Perhaps not crack
jokes or be knee-slapping funny, but the
little thing that make us smile should be in there somewhere. In many cases this is done by a comedic hero doing the
unexpected. Such actions can be funny on their own, but they also defy the standard giving another sense of
rebellion. A character could also do they
expected. This might not be funny, but it does make readers smile. The
author can take the whole
book,
story, etc to set up an idea, and when this idea comes to be, it gives great
satisfaction.
node your homework