Heroes - People still enjoy seeing the hero win.

Devine powers rarely appear as monsters however. In classical literature gods usually assume an active, but indirect influence on the story. When gods do appear as monsters it is usually in a maimed or diminished state. This puts them on a different level as the rest of the divinities and allows them to be moved into the category of monster. They are now, no more than an obstacle to be overcome by the hero.

Heroes

Different cultures have many different monsters throughout their literary history. Although there are differences, there does seem to be a consistent pattern of development, that can be found throughout the world. Just as the language and grammar develop so too do the characters develop. Many early works such as Beowulf and Homer's Odyssey portray mortal men with super human strength against savage monsters. In these works the monster is a dependant character. They do not possess great intelligence or even a previous background or history. They simply exist to be slain by the hero. These monsters generally lack depth, and the only detail given to them is usually descriptive of their physical appearances.

In a time when many elements of everyday life remained unexplained, these "shallow" monsters served an important purpose. People often had little or no understanding of the natural events and disasters that happened around them. These unexplainable threats often appear in literature as monsters. Often times, as with Charybdis the whirlpool, these "monsters" are easily recognizable by modern readers. At the time however assigning a monster to these phenomenons gave the people something physical to latch onto and believe in.

As time wore on and people began solving the mysteries of life monster began to evolve. Changing from simple beasts created to explain the unexplainable into dynamic characters created to entertain the reader. This shift did not occur overnight; rather it was a gradual literary development that took place over literally thousands of years. Making the monster a dynamic character, interesting in their own right, rather than a fanciful challenge for the hero, opened new doors for literature. No longer are authors bound to the standard quest with an undefeatable hero. The focus can even be shifted to the monster rather than the hero, and the good guys chances at victory have been cut.

Allowing the monster to win also means it will most likely be the main character for part, if not all, of the piece. Making the monster the main character means the monster can no longer be a flimsy character lacking background and emotion. They must now be given the qualities literature has so long reserved for heroes and gods exclusively. It is not uncommon to read about a monsters childhood, or reasons for their behavior above trespassing, greed or a sore paw. These elements of detail allow the monster to come alive and become in fact truly intriguing characters.

People still enjoy seeing the hero win. This is likely because most find it easier to relate to a man or woman, with or without super natural powers, better than they can relate to a ten-foot tall grotesque or a blood-drinking demon of the night. For this reason monsters will probably always play second fiddle to the hero. Though their rise from dumb beasts to dangerous intellects has forever changed the monsters role in modern literature.