Abstract：Literature is the art of written works. Literature is a creative form of words used to display the writer’s idea and feeling which grows from common life and appears holy and above life. However, the cognizing function of literature is not only the comprehension about the emotional life experiences, but also the understanding to the essence of the social reality. Taking relative research results and literature theory as guidance, the paper aims to study how and what, in the literary works, heroes are created in fictions both in the east and west. Yang Guo in Shen Diao Xia Lü and King Arthur in Le Morte d’Arthur are taken as examples to the study, hoping to display in detail the similarities and differences in the characterization of their images.
Firstly, the knowledge about the literature and fictional art are introduced. Secondly, it tells the notions of hero in different literary forms such as WU XIA in eastern culture while KNIGHT in western culture. And thirdly, facts and evidences about background, personal life experience, attitude, and ups and downs etc are all taken into analysis and consideration to prove that however different those images or figures are in different cultures, the essence of heroes and heroism in people’s heart remains the same, which means the combination of nobility, honesty, bravery and morality.
Key words: literature theory; characterization; comparison; essence
摘要：文学是展现作者源于生活、高于生活的见解的创造性结果。通过文学创作，作者不但可以阐述对生活经验的感悟，而且能够抒发其对社会现实本质的认识与理解。在对于英雄形象的理解以及如何解读英雄的内涵方面，东西方文艺创作的表现手法也存在着不同。
本文从文学与小说的功能入手，将英国文学的传奇人物亚瑟王与金庸笔下的“神雕侠”杨过作为研究分析对象，通过小说对人物的经历与故事情节的分析进而对比东西方文学在英雄形象方面理解的异同。研究采取对比的方法分析武侠与骑士在不同文化中表象的异同。通过杨过与亚瑟王的英雄故事渊源、背景、经历、为人处世态度等方面的探讨论证，认为，尽管不同的文化在人民心中会孕育不同的英雄形象，但是无论表象在不同文化环境中如何迥异，英雄的本质都是一样的：他们都是集高尚、忠实、大无畏和美德于一体的理想的化身。
关键词：文学理论；英雄；对比；本质
