Representations of Heroes in British Literature and Culture

British literature and culture have been built upon the representations of national heroes. Britain’s poets and painters have produced significantly idealized images of the heroes, which contributed to the heightened sense of national unity. This paper explores the various representations of military heroes shown in literary texts and cultural manifestations that have appeared in Britain. For the fruitful discussions I will observe John Graham, Robert Bums, William Gilpin, Archibald Pitcairne, John Dryden, James Wolfe, Benjamin West, David Garrick, Fulke Greville, Philip Sidney and the Seigneur de Bayard. In doing so, I will examine the literary and cultural implications of ‘the cult of glad death.’ The image of the hero who is willing to sacrifice himself for his own country has been greatly cherished and admired in British literature and culture. Britain needed massively idealized literary or artistic images of the national heroes to highlight the sublimity of self-sacrifice. I hope the observation of the figures listed above will help us to appreciate British literature and culture. (Jeonbuk National University)