To be a hero
you will explain the different meanings of the word “herohero”
you will define the universal features of a hero
you will create a description of a person that you consider a hero
Think about what it means to “be a hero”. List the physical characteristics and character traits of the hero. How should the hero behave in a difficult situation?
Use the definitions from Polish Language Dictionary and English Oxford Dictionary and explain what are the four meanings of the word “hero”
1. «ten, kto odznaczył się męstwem, niezwykłymi czynami, ofiarnością dla innych» Bohater ostatniej wojny. Bohater narodowy. fraz. Cichy bohater «ktoś, czyje męstwo, ofiarność pozostają nieujawnione»
2. «główna postać w utworze literackim, filmie, operze itp.; postać reprezentatywna dla danego utworu, okresu» Bohater powieści, noweli, dramatu. Pozytywny bohater. Bohater naszych czasów, naszej epoki. Śledzić dzieje bohatera utworu.
3. «ktoś, kto budzi chwilowe zainteresowanie, skupia na sobie uwagę otoczenia» Bohater zajścia, awantury. Stać się bohaterem dnia, wieczoru.
4. «w mitologii greckiej: postać o nadludzkich cechach; półbóg, heros».
NOUN
1. A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. ‘a war hero’.
2. (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths.
3. The best or most important thing in a set or group. ‘jumpsuits are hands down our hottest hero piece right now’.
What meaning does the word “hero” have in the sentences below? Find pairs.
a man with an exceptional courage, a person that evokes interest, a character form mythology, main characters in the literary composition
| Bartosz Głowacki, after getting the cannon, became the peasant’s hero. | |
| Staś and Nel are the heroes in the Henryk Sienkiewicz novel “In Desert and Wilderness” ( “W pustyni i w puszczy”). | |
| Heracles was favorite Greek hero. | |
| Because of his adventurous lifestyle he became a hero of many scandals. |
Do you know any Polish national heroes? What are they famous for? Write down their achievements.
What do the characters from the gallery have in common? What features do you think they have? Who would you add to this list? Use the available sources to find some information about Polish women‑heroines and prepare their short descriptions: who were they? When did they live? Why are they famous?
Read again the first meaning of the word “hero” in the dictionary and choose from the list the adjectives that best describe this kind of person:
- bold
- brave
- careless
- thoughtful
- cowardly
- handsome
- gallant
- valiant
- shy
- fearless
- hesitant
- fearful
What people that live nowadays are heroes, according to you? What do they do that makes them famous?
Describe a person that is your hero. Pay attention to his/her character features and behavior in particular situations. In what could you imitate him/her?
How was this lesson? Did you like it? Finish selected sentences.
Keywords
hero, national hero
Glossary
bohater
bohaterski
negatywny
pozytywny
wojenny
bezimienny
legendarny
narodowy
cichy
główny
odważny, mężny
roztropny
dzielny, waleczny
nieustraszony