The Epic and Modern Hero between Myth and Reality

Abstract

Mythical, epic, tragic hero, are just some of the adjectives attributed to the figure of the valiant warrior, depicted in literature throughout the ages. Although there are variations, generally speaking, we can define the hero as someone who performs extraordinary feats, who battles to overcome obstacles, who grows and undergoes an internal transformation. In many classical epics, the hero undertakes a journey which leads him to traverse the unknown, both inside and outside Himself. In our study we present the migrant as the modern hero, whom, driven by the call to adventure, embarks on a journey through different lands, conquering numerous hurdles and gaining greater self-awareness. This article is, therefore, a reflection on the parallelism between the experience of the mythical hero and that of the migrant.