Martyr

[|Prometheus] [|Jesus Christ] [|Joan of Arc] [|Yinsen]

The Martyr is an archetype that has been around for centuries, but it is also a human characteristic within people with which they wish they could connect to and ressurect more often. When in a difficult situation people want to believe someone will protect them at whatever cost. Martyrdom is a noble act, but still very few people can claim the title. A Martyr is someone, godly or otherwise, that donates their time, expertise, or knowledge to a cause thats not beneficial to them. A Martyr sacrifices themselves for the greater good, to benefit society. Martyrdom is similar to Heroism except the Hero lives to see another day; the Martyr does not. To be considered a true Martyr you must die for the cause.

Prometheus is an example of the Martyr archetype from Greek mythology. Prometheus was a god, under Zeus' reign but still rebellious under his control. Among other things Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to mortals. As a primitive civilization this helped them survive. Zeus was angered for several reasons. One, being because his plans for the world included humans dying off. Another quite obvious reason, being that because of Prometheus' benevolent nature, he betrayed his kind to rescue another. He was a Martyr because his actions did not help him in any way. He took fire away from himself and the other gods, and caused himself to suffer a severe punishment. Zeus, definately not of magnanimous nature, decided to tie Prometheus to the Caucasus Mountains for all eternity and have his eagle attack him daily. Zeus' bird would gnaw and attack Prometheus devouring his liver every day, causing Prometheus excruciating agony. The Sisyphean twist of his punishment was that every night the frost would repair the damage and heal Prometheus so the next day Zeus's eagle could start anew. Another example from mythology is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was the son of God. Sent from God, he was concieved by way of a miracle to his mother, Mary Magdalen. Christ was sent on a mission. This mission was to spread the word of God and to teach people of his love. This was exactly what Jesus did through out his life. He performed many miracles like making blind men see and the crippled walk. Jesus helped those in need of it and gave his love to all who would except it, in hopes that soon everyone would live the way God had planned them too. Which was to live in love with one another as brothers and sisters of God. Jesus gathered many followers to help him spread his teachings, among those were the tweleve disciples. The Pontius Pilot, the leader of Jeruselem from where Jesus taught, grew spiteful of him. He believed Jesus was a fraud and declared he would be crusified for being so, as well as for claiming to be the king of the Jews. Christ was aware of this since the beginning of his life. He was to die for the sinners of the world. In this way they would be given a chance for mercy and forgiveness. However cynical this fact may sound to most people, Jesus accepted it. He was willing to die because he loved his people. It is Jesus Christs' death and cause that makes him a Martyr.

This archetype still remains in society today though expressed through different forms and beings than ancient mythology. The definition has remained the same throughout time and culture though the examples have varied slightly. Joan of Arc is another great example of a Martyr. She was a real person from the fourteen hundreds, France. Because of her acts as a Martyr she became canonized then later movies were made about her life. She allegedly 'heard' God talking to her; telling her to help France. France and England were fighting and England was losing very badly because Joan was helping the French tremendously. Basically England and France made a deal, the English could have Joan as long as she confessed that she believed in the church. The English wanted Joan because she was helping the French win, thus making the English lose. With Joan on their side the English felt they could pull ahead. The French king 'hired' Joan and she was helping them win a war but this was a time of betrayal, double crossing and secret deals. The king and his immediates wanted to rid themselves of Joan because they feared she was getting too powerful. The king, insecure in his position, thought it best to 'give away' Joan, but she wanted nothing of it. Her 'voices' from god told her to save France. She did comply with the English in a moment of weakness, confessing her belief in the church, but later rescinded her statement. The French killed her for it; she was burned at the stake at nineteen years old. Joan of Arc was canonized five hundred years later, and her legacy lives on through history books and movies. Another modern Martyr archetype is Yinsen from the modern film, Iron Man.

This character, Yinsen, saves Tony Stark from dying from a weapon Tony created. They begin to bond from the beginning as they are being held hostage in a cave by a man who wants Tony to build him a giant missle. However, the duos plan is much different; they plan to escape. While making conversation, the audience and Tony find out that Yinsen and he have met in the past. But Tony does not recall this meeting. Yinsen explains that he would not remember him either, if he were as drunk during the conference too, here the audience is aware that these two characters barely have a reason to help eachother but they continue to do so. On their last day of preperation to leave the cave, Yinsen realizes they are running out of time. As Tony prepares his iron suit, Yinsen runs out of the room to try and scare off the terrorists. In his attempt he is shot and left to die. Finally when Tony finishes his dramatic exit he stops to talk to Yinsen. He tells him to get up and leave to see his family. Yinsen weak and barely able to speak claims his family is already dead and that the plan all along was to help Tony escape and save his life. Yinsen takes his last breath and dies there in the cave, while Tony does what he is told, and "doesn't waste his life."

Most people feel deep down they could be noble enough and heroic enough to be a Martyr if given the chance, but when it comes we second guess ourselves. The idea of giving up our lives, however dull or exciting they may be, for a cause that doesn't mean much to us or benefit us is overwhelming. Thus, Martyrs are a rare commodity and are looked upon as god-like. Martyrdom has survived many centuries and different cultures because it represents basic human desire. We want someone to be able to rescue us and save us. Knowing someone will do whatever it takes to keep you safe is a good feeling. It means you can be more comfortable in your every day life, with a safety net around you.

Links that Mr. Masson requested us to put here, even though we knew all this information already: but to the creators of these websites, thank you

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/prometheus.html information on Prometheus

http://www.christiananswers.net/jesus/ information on Jesus

http://www.joanofarc.info/ information on Joan of Arc

http://movies.about.com/od/ironman/a/ironman120107.htm information on Yinsen


 * Mr. Masson, the captions underneath the pictures are the links to their page; instead of the picture itself. *