Heroism In The Life Of St. Leoba

A hero is traditionally someone who is characterized with idealistic qualities, such as courage and nobility. In The Life of St. Leoba, translated by Talbot, Rufolf used imagery to display the theme of heroism by portraying the main character Leoba as a hero through her overall description, her ability to make the guilty confess, and her capability to control the weather to save the innocent. The descriptions and imagery that Rudolf provides of Leoba allow her to be viewed as a hero by the reader. “…Leoba’s reputation for learning and holiness had spread far and wide and her praise was on everyone’s lips” (Rudolf 109). Her entire life revolved around her religion, and this made her a hero in the eyes of many during this time period. She was a divine being and displayed this in every aspect of her life. For instance, she ate in moderation and was never unsatisfied with the food she was given …show more content…
The storm had made the skies dark and caused individuals and their families to seek shelter in the church because they were fearful of their lives (Rudolf 112). “…Boldly opened the doors to the church. Standing on the threshold, she made a sign of the cross, opposing to the fury of the storm…stretched out her hands towards heaven and three times invoked the mercy of Christ” (Rudolf 112). Afterwards, the storm vanished and Leoba was portrayed a hero once again by saving everyone from the storm in a manner that the common individual would not have been able to accomplish. Overall, there are many clear descriptions included in this text. In The Life of St. Leoba the author Rudolf offers images of Leoba as a divine person, her clearing the name of an innocent nun, and also saving the lives of people and their families from a terrible storm. All of these descriptions show her in an idealistic light and allow her to be seen as a