A Wizard of Earthsea (Hero Essay) An example of a hero is Ged from A Wizard of Earthsea, a novel by Ursula Le Guin.

ome of a heros !ualities are bravery, loyalty and perseveran"e #hi"h, at the be$innin$ of the boo% Ged does not possess. &o#ever, as the story evolves, Ged fa"es many physi"al and mental "hallen$es #hi"h he over"omes and by the end of the story he has enou$h experien"e to learn all these !ualities and to be labelled a hero. 'he "hara"teristi"s Ged possesses that ma%e him a hero are bravery, loyalty and perseveran"e. Ged sho#s the heroi" !uality of bravery in this boo% in t#o main pla"es. Ged sho#s his bravery #hen he $oes to atta"% 'he (ra$on of )endor for the people of Lo# 'ornin$. 'his sho#s that Ged is brave be"ause instead of runnin$ a#ay #hen he fa"es the dra$ons on the island of )endor, Ged stood up to the dra$ons and atta"%ed them. &is bravery "an be seen in the fa"e of dan$er "an be seen #hen he "hallen$es the dra$ons, Six I have seen, five slain, nine are told of: come out worms!i *)$. +,-. Another s"ene #here Ged lets his bravery sho# is in the s"ene #here Ged is as%ed by )e"hvarry to $o save his son, /oeth, #ho is bedridden by 0ed 1ever and is $oin$ to die. Ged de"ides to $o to the other #orld and sear"h for the boy even thou$h he %no#s it is dan$erous and, as he nears the boarder of the #orld of the dead *#here one "an never return from. Ged %no#s he should turn ba"% but he doesnt be"ause he a""epted $oin$ to the ed$e of death to help a friend. 'hese t#o examples sho# that Ged is brave, but, as a hero, he also had the heroi" !uality of loyalty. Ged has the heroi" !uality of loyalty and it is seen in t#o ma2or parts of the novel A Wizard of Earthsea. 'he first s"ene #here he sho#s the !uality of loyalty is #hen the 3ar$s atta"% the villa$e he #as born in, 'en Alders. Ged is loyal to his villa$e be"ause he stands up to defend his villa$e even thou$h he is not sure ho# he #ill do, he does not run a#ay. Ged also sho#s loyalty in the s"ene #here he fa"es the (ra$on of )endor #ho tells him to betray the people he is #or%in$ for but Ged does #hat the people he #or%s for, the people of Lo# 'ornin$, #ant, not #hat the dra$on tells him to do. He set hope aside and did what he must do, *)$. +,4. this !uote sho#s that Ged did not #ant to do #hat he should have but he put #hat he must do before anythin$ else and yet a$ain Ged proves his loyalty. 'hese examples sho# that Ged is brave and these are all lin%ed ti$htly #ith his perseveran"e. 5earin$ the end of the boo%, Ged be$ins to find #ithin himself, the heroi" !uality of perseveran"e. )erseveran"e is a very important !uality for Ged, a main part of the novel, and it be$ins to sho# #hen Ged be$ins his !uest to find his shado#. &e sailed for many days to $et to the end of the #orld. &e #as "ontinually fa"ed #ith "hallen$es and never on"e thou$ht of $ivin$ up and $oin$ ba"% to an easy life. Ged #as also perseverant #hen he "ame to the 0o%e "hool of Wizards, this is the first s"ene in #hi"h Ged sho#s that he "an be perseverant. Ged trains for years, sometimes in "ompletely solitude for a lon$ time. &e does this and in the end he is re#arded. 'his all ta%es amazin$ effort on Geds part, #hi"h is #hy Ged is a hero. 'hrou$h the novel, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin, Ged over "omes the obsta"les that hep him to develop the personality that he uses to over"ome his shado#. 6y the end of A Wizard of Earthsea, Ged has sho#n the !ualities of a hero su"h as bravery #hen he fa"es the (ra$on of )endor, loyalty #hen he prote"ts the people of Lo# 'ornin$ and perseveran"e as he !uests to find his shado#. 'herefore Ged is portrayed as a hero in A Wizard of Earthsea

Le Guin, U. *+78+.. A Wizard of Earthsea. U A9 )en$uin Group. +,-.