Our heroes begin their journey
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SAM BECKETT AND DANIEL JACKSON:
A
Comparison of Two Fictional Heroes Of Our Time
[Authors Note: In all the
TV I have ever watched there have been 3 characters who touched my heart like no
others before them. This is my attempt to pay tribute to 2 of them. And yeah, I
know - I Should Get A Life:-)]
"But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part, for a hero's strength is measured by his heart" -- "Go The Distance" - Michael Bolton
A hero is defined as "a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life" (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=hero). Heroes have existed in mythology since time immemorial, and, ever since television signals first began transmitting our modern-day mythologies, there have been numerous television characters who, it could be argued, fit this description of hero - fictional men and women who put their lives on the line week after week for the good of others: characters such as the Lone Ranger, Captain Kirk and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to name just a few. However, perhaps two characters that most completely personify the above definition of hero are Dr Sam Beckett from the science fiction show Quantum Leap and Dr Daniel Jackson from the show Stargate SG-1. This essay, therefore, will aim to illustrate why these two characters deserve the title of hero, whilst, at the same time, providing a comparison between them in order to uncover ways in which their similarities and differences make them more heroic, or less.
A superficial examination of these two characters immediately offers a handful of obvious similarities: both characters are blonde, both are academics ridiculed for their somewhat radical theories, and both are extremely intelligent. Both characters, too, have known one true love, to whom they long to return, but ultimately never will. Further, Sam and Daniel both have an older, military-trained, wisecracking but troubled best friend in Al Calavicci and Jack O'Neill respectively, with whom their more idealistic values occasionally clash, and for whom they would, without hesitation, lay down their life - and vice versa. However, a more thorough analysis proves that the similarities between Sam Beckett and Daniel Jackson go far deeper than this.
Our heroes begin
their journey
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