Tragic Heroes vs. Mythic Heroes.

The stereotypical hero: strong, bold, courageous, smart, attractive - the perfect role model. Taking a closer look, however, would reveal that this archetype does not always fulfill this idea of a perfect "man". There are various types of heroes, each with his own qualities and characteristics. The mythic hero and tragic hero are two primary examples. Although both have the word hero in their titles, epic tales such as Oedipus Rex, The Epic of Gilgamesh, …

…has a destiny that leads to success and glory while the tragic hero attempts to run away from his fate. The gods play a role in both heroes' destinies; however they are involved in different ways. The gods help and hinder the mythic hero's journey, while they only proclaim the destiny of the tragic hero. Altogether, the destinies of mythic and tragic heroes both contain some sort of achievement which gave them the title hero.