Two heroes of Greece would be Theseus and Hercules.
of Athens, and Hercules was the rest of Greece's hero. These two are similar in .
many ways but there are also many differences too. For example, they both were .
disliked by their stepmothers and each possessed strength and bravery, and .
stupidity. However, many differences appear as well. Each hero uses their .
intelligence and emotional strength in different ways.
The stepmothers of both Theseus and Hercules disliked the heroes. Medea, .
Theseus" stepmother, tries to trick his father, King Aegeus, into poisoning him .
because she didn't want to lose the power she had over the king. Medea's plan .
fails because Theseus shows his father the sword he left him. Aegeus recognized .
the sword and knocked the poisonous wine to the floor. Hera, Hercules's .
stepmother and the wife of Zeus, hated both Hercules and his mother because .
Zeus had an affair with Alcmene, Hercules's mother. The hatred of Hera flowed so .
terribly that Hera tried every means she could to kill Hercules. For instance, Hera .
sent two deadly serpents after Hercules's younger brother, Iphicles, and him. The .
serpents went into their nursery; Iphicles woke up screaming while Hercules .
merely "sat up and grasped the deadly creatures by the throat," and this killed .
the serpents.
Both heroes on many separate instances portray their characteristics, .
strength, bravery, and stupidity. For example, all three traits appear in Theseus .
when he volunteers to enter a labyrinth and fight a Minotaur, a creature half-man .
and half-bull. The stupidity of the hero appears because he volunteers for this .
task. However, he also shows his bravery and strength. Not only is he brave .
enough to enter the labyrinth to fight the Minotaur, but also Athens' hero .
portrays great strength when he pins the sleeping creature to the ground and .
kills the Minotaur with his hands alone. Hercules shows his traits in most of his .
actions.
