What is a hero?

This section contains information and activities to help you explore some of the ideas related to heroism. Are heroes always strong and tough? Who are our personal heroes and why? Did well-known heroes sometimes do things which people thought were bad? What is the difference between a celebrity and a hero? You can explore these ideas further in the following sections:

	What is a Hero Like? So what exactly is a hero? What does a hero look like? How do they behave and act? Does everyone agree about what makes a hero? This section asks you to think about and describe a typical hero and allows you to compare them to some of the 'heroes' on this site.
	What Makes a Hero? Many of the 'heroes' listed in this website were ordinary people, living ordinary lives - when suddenly they found themselves in circumstances which needed them to act heroically. Other were in positions of authority. What situations create heroes and are there any characteristics that some people have that lead them to act in a heroic way?
	Just how heroic? Is there a difference between a 'local' hero and a national or international hero? Is acting in the line of duty as heroic as taking independent action? Do we view heroism by quantity, numbers persuaded or numbers saved? Or perhaps by the impact of the acts of heroism on world events? This section encourages us to look at our views and to consider the actions, motivations and consequences of the heroes on the site and their significance.
	Who's your hero The newspapers use the word heroic often;  (Feb 26, 2006 ) 'Heroic goalkeeping not enough to stop them.' (Dec 28 2009)' Heroic rescuers save whales.' Do we think these acts are truly heroic and are the people involved heroes? We admire many celebrities and call them heroes too.' David Beckham is a hero, he is my hero.' (4/7/2005)Are modern heroes truly heroic or simply celebrities? Do current celebrities have heroic qualities? Do you have a hero and how would you justify their inclusion?
	Hero or villain?  Heroes are often remarkable people. Sometimes they challenged the views of people at the time or took actions which others didn't or wouldn't. Some of the individuals on our site were described as villains, rather than heroes, by their peers or those who opposed them. This section explores how the same person can be viewed in different ways and encourages analysis of the actions and decisions our heroes made.