Sherlock holmes modern day hero or just another frantic vigilante running amok? Does sherlock holmes fit the modern day definition of a hero? What is the true definition of a hero where did the word originate? How does Sherlock behave what are some of his key characteristics? Do the actions and thoughts of Sherlock fulfil the definition of a modern day hero? Although it may seem like an easy answer there is a much deeper side to the man known as sherlock. Some of his actions may not fit a hero’s true definition but what is the true definition of a hero?
The word hero has multiple origins one of the most popular origins is the greek definition which referred to a demigod. A demigod is a being that is half human and half god. Demigods were traditionally very brave and occasionally exhibited some kind of supernatural powers. Perhaps the most famous demigod was Hercules the son of Zeus he had superb strength and bravery and used them to fight for good. Hercules also had to face many trials and quest that were called the 12 labors heroes often have some kind of struggle like this with one major problem they face in the end.
The definition of a hero is someone that is courageous and has some sort of nobility that is shown through his brave actions. Average people can be heros most people see firefighters, policemen, and war veterans as heroes . Another type of hero is a superhero they Tate 2 appear mostly in comics and often have or abilities greater than the average human they also fight for the well being of others and try to keep the world a safe place . Also every hero fights for something whether good or selfish.
How does Sherlock Holmes compare to the definition of a hero? How do his thoughts and actions describe him? Sherlock holmes is a very hard character to read because he is a loner and keeps to himself most of the time. Sherlock is known to be a socially awkward individual he tries to avoid as much contact with others as possible. He treats his work as his life there is nothing else that matters to him he loves the challenge of the hard cases. Not even sleep matters to him he often stays up for days at a time to solve things claiming it makes him sharper.
If you look very closely he has only one person he could call his friend which is his partner watson. Watson the closest person to him barely understands him and the things he does according to (sherlockian-sherlock author sherlockextra translated by revati) Watson can’t grasp how he has no feeling for women and does not desire their company. Sherlock can never live a normal life the author H. G Wells said “The originative intellectual worker is not a normal human being and does not lead nor desire to lead a normal human life. e wants to lead a supernormal life”.
He seems to do deeds for the good of society but he actually does it to fulfil his own needs he needs the mysteries to keep him busy so he doesn’t have to deal with the social side of life. I believe that he means good with the things he does but that is not his most important reason for doing it. So we can see that sherlock has Sociopathic tendencies and he is also a workaholic that loves work more than life itself. Do these things that define Sherlock’s character make him a hero or just make him
Tate 3 someone who loves to work? So does Sherlock Holmes fit the the modern day definition of a hero? we have learned that the definition of a hero can mean many things but one common thing amongst the different interpretations is that a hero must have courage, bravery, and a cause to fight for. Whether it be for the good of humanity or just the good of one’s loved ones every hero has a cause. Sherlock Holmes seems like an obvious hero but he doesn’t really care about saving or protecting people.
It seems the only thing Sherlock cares about is working and solving the cases because it is fun for him to have a challenge. But Sherlock does seem to have an internal struggle whether to fight for good or to prove his intelligence according to the author of (sherlock character confessions by Raven Simmons). “Sherlock seems to be divided by the urge to defeat Moriarty because he is a I and it would simply be the right thing to do r to defeat Moriarty simply to win a challenge made against his intelligence; basically, as a battle of wits”.
So it seems that there may be some kind of good conscience inside of this man. Even though he is a kind of strange man that keeps to himself he does try to help others though it may seem he has selfish reasons for helping. I believe that he is a true hero when you hear someone talk about the great Sherlock Holmes you think of a mysterious british man with quick wits that fights crime for good. He is an iconic hero in british literature that everyone knows.
