Mel Gibson's Character in Lethal Weapon Compared to Achille's Character in the Illiad

Introduction

The character of the hero is a character that riddles history and literature alike. It is an integral character in every story; may it be fictional or drawn from real life. As a result, an analysis of the character of the hero can be expected to yield valuable insights. This discussion will compare two major hero's: Mel Gibson's character as Sergeant Martin Riggs, and Achilles as the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad. The discussion will begin by providing an in-depth discussion into the two characters before engaging in a comparison of the two. It is imperative to highlight at this point that the discussion will give special consideration to how these heroes are unique and memorable, the similarities and differences in their personalities, characteristics and physical abilities, and the trials and challenges that test them.

Mel Gibson's Character in Lethal Weapon

Mel Gibson's character in Lethal Weapon is that of a modern day hero. Mel Gibson's character in Lethal Weapon is a character that engages in numerous wild antics and crosses the line countless time. His methods are unorthodox and his beliefs rest on the extreme. His passion drives him and he chooses to follow his heart in his decisions while his gut clearly accompanies him on his actions (Lawrence & Karim, 377). Life means little to him and he chooses to put his principles before his own life. His approach involves thinking on his feet and he is not afraid of taking life; mainly because he is not afraid of losing his own. In essence, Mel Gibson plays out a modern day hero who has nothing to lose and lives for the singular purpose of revenge. In addition, it is important to note that Mel Gibson also has an exceptionally accurate aim. This completes his persona in the fact that he now has a mission in his life and a skill that seperates him from the rest. Mel Gibson's portrayal as a hero in the Lethal Weapon movie series continue to highlight his complete ignorance for the rules in he pursuit of justice. His character, while that of the hero, is one who believes in the greater good. In addition, he is driven by anger; and this emotion drives him to provide the commercial entertainment that a movie demands; while simultaneously equipping him with the pre-requisites that should be present in character to make the character adequate for the position of the hero (Burgess, 9). However, perhaps the most notable charactersitic of Mel Gibson's character in Lethal Weapon is the fact that his character's strength comes from the depths of a heart-break. He is clearly a character who has nothing left to lose and believes that the good in the world must be protected from the evil that plagues it. In order to serve his belief, he chooses to make his contribution by bringing down the little evil that he can. It would not be unfair to state that the ...