Ransom, Heros and women

[Hjalmar]

I am doing my Ransom revision/ exam preparation by planing 20 essay topics I have found online, I have run into a mental block with two of them though and was wondering if anyone could help?

The first one is, 'The true hero of Ransom is Somax. Discuss'
I dont feel that Somax is the hero of Ransom becuase he doesnt do anything heroic he is his normal self through out the whole book. I have decided to say Achilles and Priam are heros though becuase Priam embarked on his journey but then I am not sure what to say to prove Achilles was a hero. Any ideas?

The second one is, 'Women have no important role in Ransom'
I think women do have an important role in Ransom becuase they are the ones who bring everyone in and out of the world, and when Priam is telling Hecuba about his vision she backs down when she hears the sternness in his voice. Im not sure how to expand on this though and turn it into an entire essay. Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance for your help

[Yendall]

The first one is, 'The true hero of Ransom is Somax. Discuss'

Firstly, you need to develop a definition of heroism. Is it safe to say killing people in conflict is the best form of heroism? Well, maybe it is. This topic comes down to personal opinion. Personally I think Somaxs' moral integrity outlines true heroism; thus making him the true hero. He may not have done anything physically brave or courageous, but he showed bravery and courage in different forms. He kept a form of positive energy in his life, no matter how many sons he lost. He refrained from any physical violence and remained civil about his morals. In long term, he is the perfect example of a perfect man, and it is the impact he has on society that implements heroism into the future. By acting as an example to future generations he can successfully stop immorality to a slight degree by outlining to society how peace and violence do not tie hand-in-hand.
Now of course, this is my opinion on Somax. As you said, he wasn't a hero because he did not show it. This is also a very good point. Your concept of heroism is people who take action; and this is equally as valid as any other argument.
So here are some points you can address about Achilles and Priam:

• Priam took a risk that no other man had taken before by ransoming for his son; a physical act to prove his uniqueness
• Achilles took a risk by facing Hector out of loyalty to his dear friend (This can be seen as also cowardice, keep that in mind)
• Priam showed his respect by breaking the bounds of kingship and stepping into an ordinary world as an ordinary person
• Achilles showed strength when he handed over Hector to Priam, outlining how enemies can be positively connected as men

All of these are physical actions and can be seen as true heroism. Personally, I wouldn't call this true heroism, but that's not my call. It's up to you, as long as you can provide appropriate evidence and strong opinion.

'Women have no important role in Ransom'

Remember you can argue against the prompt, and for this one I think it could either way. You could talk about Hecuba and her sons first, and even Priam. Without women, men will never exist. They are the harbingers of life and are the most important thing to human life. You could talk about Achilles mother, and any mother in general.
I thought this topic was very very hard to structure a long essay about, but if you talk about life as a concept and how without women there is no life, i'm sure you could create something decent out of it. I'm afraid i'm not much help with this question, and I apologise for that.

I hope that helped a little.