Contribution to Book
Patrick Henry: The Revolutionary Hero
Heroes of Richmond: Four Centuries of Courage, Dignitiy, and Virtue
(2018)
Abstract
This chapter explores several factors that drove Patrick Henry towards heroism,
examines what kind of hero he was, and addresses how his heroic action
impacted America. I will discuss the various steps of Henry’s heroic journey
using Christopher Vogler’s (2007) twelve step model, based on Joseph
Campbell’s (1949) hero’s monomyth. I will identify the attributes that enabled
Henry to achieve heroic status, drawing from Allison and Goethals’ (2011)
conceptualization of the great eight traits of heroes, and I will examine the
events of his life that led to the acquisition of these traits. I will examine how
Henry’s self-transformation and societal transformation influenced his life
and the lives of countless others. Finally, I will explain how Henry meets the
definitional criteria of Wolf and Zuckerman’s (2012) notion of a deviant hero,
and how his actions inspired heroism in others.
Keywords
- Patrick Henry,
- Revolutionary war hero
Disciplines
Publication Date
2018
Editor
Scott T. Allison
Publisher
Palsgrove
Citation Information
Bailey A Gillespy. "Patrick Henry: The Revolutionary Hero" Heroes of Richmond: Four Centuries of Courage, Dignitiy, and Virtue (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/scott_allison/64/