In our world, it is difficult to find someone who can truly be called a "hero". This is probably because society portrays heroes as Superman and Batman. These comic heroes blur the perception that some have of heroes. They believe that a hero is someone who can do anything and everything and has supernatural power. In reality, anyone can be a hero. To be considered a hero by Greek mythology, a hero must be favored by the Greek gods and usually fight and win a war like Odysseus did against the Trojans. In the epic tale Beowulf and in JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, the protagonist and in the case of The Hobbit, the members of Thorin's company have the ability and desire to save their friends and others propel them to hero status. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an Old English author and professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. Tolkien was actually born in Bloemfontein in South Africa on January 3, 1892. Tolkien did not have many memories of Africa because of his status, other than the fact that his father Arthur died there. After this, Tolkien, his brother Hilary and his mother Mabel all returned to the West Midlands of England. Mabel Tolkien would soon die of diabetes because at the time insulin was not known as a cure for diabetes. John Tolkien and his brother Hilary were taken in by a Mrs. Faulkner. By this time, John Tolkien was already showing signs of becoming and author of greatness thanks to his mastery of Latin and Greek. Greek having a lot to do with epic hero stories like the Iliad and the Odyssey might explain why, when you read a Tolkien book, you notice things about the characters that make them seem heroic. While at Mrs. Faulkner's boarding house, Tolkien developed a close relationship with the cave. He couldn't see him and thought he was either lost or dead in the cave. . Bilbo eventually removes the ring and everyone sees him again and they all continue the journey. After leaving the Misty Mountains, the dwarves reach the Great Forest of Mirkwood where Gandalf tells them not to stray from the path or they will surely be lost. Gandalf goes on an errand but will meet up with the dwarves later. In the forest, the dwarves begin to hear sounds and they can barely see what looks like a fire coming from a wood elf camp. They leave their path again, get lost and are captured by giant spiders. Except for Bilbo, he put on the ring and became invisible. He found where the spiders had taken the dwarves and began stealthily killing them one by one. Bilbo saved the dwarves from certain death using his new confidence and magical power in the ring..