Sherlock Holmes - Everett Klodt

What exactly is a hero?

A modern hero today is generally a man with qualities of strength, speed, courage, and leadership. However, if we were to take these qualities under consideration, Sherlock Holmes would not be seen as much of a hero. In fact, during this class, I was intrigued by the comparison of Sherlock Holmes with the classifications of a Byronic Hero. For starters, he is often regarded by many as "the perfect hero for his age." He fits the qualities of an intelligent, ruthless, arrogant, manipulative hero. In addition, based upon modern interpretations of "Sherlock Holmes," he fits the charactersitic of a seductive and sexually appealing person. For instance, the actors that portrayed Mr. Holmes were Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch (two good-looking men). What makes these modern interpretations interesting is the way that these sorts of heroes tend not to embody typical heroic traits and attitudes but actually subvert them. "Contemporary Byronic heroes are often larger-than-life figures who accomplish seemingly impossible actions but remain grounded in self-doubt and self-awareness (Educational Portal)." Though Sherlock Holmes doesn't seem to fit the characteristics of a modern "superhero," he does in fact match up quite nicely with the characteristics of a Byronic Hero that we had learned from class.

Citation:

Fleming, James. "Byronic Hero: Definition, Characteristics & Examples." Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/byronic-hero- definition-characteristics-examples.html#lesson>.