Week 8 hw

 I do not watch superhero movies to know what constitutes as a hero in that sense. I know myths, cartoons, fairy tales, epics, etc. It is from these that I learned how to recognize a typical hero. Oddly enough, my favourite heroes throughout childhood were not prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty, Hercules, or Superman. But I believe that no one ever liked these perfect archetypes. My parents grew up loving Black Macigno, who is an outlaw, an antihero. I grew up loving Shrek. These antiheroes are not on the rise, they have always existed. They are just more socially acceptable in the mainstream media, because the adults producing this media grew up on westerns and comic books. Why did Shakespeare add tragic flaws to his heroes? The flaws make them human. They make them multidimensional. They make them interesting. Shrek is a fat, ugly, grumpy ogre. He is far from a hero. He has weaknesses, and is vulnerable. He hides his vulnerability with aggression, like most men do. This is what makes him relatable. He is capable of doing good, he is capable of heroic deeds, but he will not do them just because. He needs a reason, a motive. This is what makes him more honest in his actions. What is Superman's motivation? He is a morally perfect being, a goody two shoes. No one in reality is like that. No one can relate to this type of character. He is a hero for the sake of being one. Antiheroes are the characters we find in real life. A college student working night shift on a gas station who says I got it when you do not have enough change. A grumpy neighbour who makes sure no one is lurking in the building. A ugly lady who has the heart of a princess, and is beautiful because of it. A single mom working double shifts to put her child through school. A punk who cares about his younger sister. These are the heroes we run into every day. Shrek is a hopeless romantic and extremely courageous underneath the surface. Audiences understand that. These characteristics come to surface when there is a choice put in front of him, which makes them more believable.