Ali Figueroa English 1HP, Period 6 Mr. Hodges January 10, 2009 Title Here With the passing of time, the term “hero” tends to shift meanings. At one time, a hero was considered to be someone who possessed supernatural abilities that could somehow deliver the weak and powerless from the forces of evil. However, many depictions of heroes have become accepted by the general population since then, even some that do not even remotely match the stereotypical description above. Since the rookies and the underdogs of more recent stories have become increasingly popular, “hero” is now synonymous with “good guy”. In accordance with this trend, there are now many different versions of the epichero. Though the elements necessary for a hero to be epic have not changed, some unlikely candidates have apparently broken the mold while still following the epic hero cycle. Though characters such as The Odyssey’s Odysseus may be the most universally recognized, Ron Hobbs’ role in the 1984 film “_The Natural” _proves that epic is not a one-way street. Homer’s The Odyssey is easily one of the most famous epic masterpieces in the history of literature,widely renowned for its cookie-cutter illustration of the epic hero. The protagonist, King Odysseus, plays out a story filled with adventure, peril, and triumph, keeping unfailingly to the epic hero cycle for a majority of the story. Of course, Odysseus meets the obligatory basic criteria of being the hero of the story as well as posessing certain uncanny, magical, or uncommon talents. Though Odysseus does not have the ability to fly or control the weather, his unparalleled intelligence is constantly keeping him just out of death’s icy grasp. His quick thinking proves to be extremely useful throughout his journey, another major element of the epic hero cycle. The hero is appointed or charged with a quest of some sort, just as Odysseus’ task is to return home to Ithica safely and be reunited with his wife and son. Throughout this...