Do you think Bilbo is a Hero or is he just lucky?

Question

Give examples of how he was a hero or how he was lucky.

Answer 1

who is he??

Answer 2

Bilbo is a true Hero.

His actions were not born of luck, because he made choices at each step where he could have stayed home, or gone home, or avoided dilemmas.

But Bilbo made his decisions, and then acted responsibly, and performed the duties required of him. He did these things in the face of danger, even if he often felt terrified or worried to death over consequences.

And this is the essence of a hero; that he or she acts forthrightly, accepts the consequences of their actions, and tries to do their duty even when they are scared spitless and, especially, even when they fail.

In the halls of the Elven King Bilbo could have gone home, but being the hired burglar, he decided to earn his pay once more. That was a heroic act, in that Bilbo was neither brave nor a fierce warrior, nor a cunning thief. Bilbo had the Ring (a power he took with guile, not luck, from Gollum), but even with the Ring, Bilbo needed determination, action in the face of adversity, and confidence in the face of fear. He found those qualities inside himself, giving him the wherewithal to rescue the dwarfs.

This was not luck or stumbling bravery, but the heroism of a reluctant, everyday, person.

Bilbo shows his true Heroism in his principled, and entirely just, stand against the jealousy and rage of Thorin Oakenshield. We should all hope that we have within us the ability to face an armed adversary, ready to defy wrong, and ready to suffer defeat if righteousness doesn't prevail.

This is the true Heroism of Bilbo. That, when his responsibility and moral standards were necessary, an ordinary, pipe smoking, chubby little person took up the standard of righteous action and marched forward, fearful of death, but resolved to do the right thing.

Answer 3

He is a reluctant hero and quite a hero by hobbit standards. Think about how Tolkien describes the hobbits. For example a normal hobbit would probably never even see a sword or commit an act of violence in their lifetime. Bilbo on the other hand carried sting and used it! This in my opion took great courage (um – for a hobbit ;-)).

Answer 4

I don't know that I would consider him either. In a sense the character exists as a metaphor for humanity. In essence, is life better with knowledge of the evil that exists, or is ignorance bliss? The character depicts the extraordinary aspects of the common man and his experiences. I read somewhere that Tolkien was intending to make his stories a sort of epic, yet imaginary, synopsis of human history. The ring and all associated with it represent the pitfalls of humanity, were the hobbits represent the naivete and purity of the abscence of said things.

Answer 5

Lucky...finding the ring, finding the swords and gold hidden by the trolls,

Hero...going into Smaug's lair alone, fighting the spiders, alone...

Mixture of luck and Hero...getting the dwarves out of the Woodelves jail and using the barrels to hide them in...

So I would have to say that he was both...but then...most heroes are.

Answer 6

I just think that Bilbo was very lucky because he could have been killed by Gollum in the cave.

Answer 7

A reluctant hero.

Answer 8

he was a hero because he was very small and had hairy bare feet
but Frodo was a bigger hero although he was smaller.

Answer 9

He was lucky but I would say that lucky or not he did have balls... I mean, he did fight when he had to.

Answer 10

lucky