On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History (Barnes & Noble Digital Library)

What trait defines a hero? For Carlyle, it’s absolute sincerity, firm belief in one’s principles, and an inherent spark of the Divine. In this compelling series of lectures, delivered in 1840, Carlyle uses various examples of great men throughout history—divided into six categories and including Dante, Odin, Luther, and Napoleon, among others—to convey his notion of a hero.