Heracles as a Paradox in the Women of TrachisUsing the depiction of Hercules in Sophocles' tragedy The Women of Trachis, a disconcerting image of the Greek hero emerges. Most myths of Heracles portray him as a fierce warrior, tamer of beasts, and master of all he attempts. This myth, however, shows honorable traits juxtaposed with very negative aspects of the same man. Heracles is a paradox because, even though he is a great man and an ideal hero, in a way he is wild, highly emotional and even vulnerable. Sophocles' version of Heracles' life, or at least part of it, made Heracles seem less like him. a Greek hero and more like a normal Greek warrior. However, there are some exceptions. For one thing, Zeus was his father. Not many of the gods' children were considered common. All of them had a formidable power or ability like Hercules. Secondly, his ability to carry out his assigned tasks the way he does demonstrates in no uncertain terms that he is more than an ordinary man. Finally, Hercules is granted immortality as a reward for impressing the gods on Mount Olympus. This last point is of particular importance because it is itself a paradox. Was Hercules a Greek hero or was he a god? All of these things lead me to see Hercules as clearly a man, but his relationships to things outside of his heroic motif are an enigma. Let's start by identifying the purpose of identifying Hercules as a hero. There are eight identifiable traits that must be present to declare someone a Greek hero. The first point is divine birth. Since Hercules is the son of Zeus, he meets this requirement. He is threatened almost immediately by a jealous Hera but is saved through his own strength and dauntless courage. His education was by a stranger, in reality... middle of paper... ignity but Heracles refused to admit that his end was near. Every time he left for an assignment he went in search of fame but "not to die". (Sophocles, Donne, l 159-60) So why did he think of leaving his will to Deianira? It was obvious that the tablet described how his land should be divided among his children, so why wasn't he ready for his fate yet? It is because Heracles thought of himself as a hero and could not imagine that the gods would sentence him to death. All these contradictory sides of Heracles make him a more interesting figure in ancient texts, but they also create some confusion. Why, after all the evil and horrible things he did, would the gods make him immortal? Heracles is truly a paradox. Works Cited: Sophocles. The women of Trachis. Trans. Michael Jameson. Sophocles II. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1957.