An epic hero is a character in an epic poem who is admired for large achievements and great deeds. Beowulf and Achilles are epic heroes for some of the same reasons, but their culture makes them different. The story of Beowulf was written in the fifth century, but was based around the time period of somewhere between the middle of the seventh century A.D. and the end of the tenth century. Beowulf wanted to help people when he could, even by risking his life. The story of Achilles fighting in the Troy war was written in the 4th century A.D. Achilles was very upfront about wanting glory from his people, he always didn’t want to help his people. Both stories tell the great deeds done by Achilles and Beowulf, proof of how they both were epic heroes. However, their cultural differences does set them apart from each other. Beowulf fulfills his role as an epic hero by protecting his people and going above that and crossing the sea and protecting the Danes …show more content…
In the Iliad on page 81, lines 205-208 it states, “Think a bit, though: this may be a thing the gods in anger hold against you on that day when Paris and Apollo destroy you at the gates, great as you are.” In those lines it tells that Achilles knew that going to fight, he would most likely die. Being an epic hero means sacrifices. Achilles made a huge scarifies by going into a battle knowing he may not come out alive but still going. While Beowulf and Achilles were alike, they also had differences. Beowulf and Achilles both have very different cultures that make them who they are. Beowulf was thought of as a selfless person, while Achilles was thought of as a selfish person. Achilles was a lot different from Beowulf because he fought for revenge, “Hector, had you thought that you could kill Patroclus and be save?” (Beowulf,80). When Hector killed his best friend, he killed him to get revenge of the death, that is something Beowulf didn’t
Beowulf and Achilles are both heroes with similar traits, such as both cunning in battle and they are both looking to seek revenge on a certain nemesis. Beowulf shows his dominance in battle by killing the dreadful monster, Grendel by ripping its arm off. He also then eliminates Grendel’s mother; while Achilles kills his arch nemesis, Hector, by stabbing him directly in the neck. Beowulf wants revenge on Grendel for killing the innocent Danes of his kingdom, while Achilles shows his trait for revenge by killing Hector, the man who killed Achilles’s cousin. An example of this trait is stated by Achilles “Now my soul would have he stand and fight, whether I kill you or am killed.
Gilgamesh and Beowulf are both heroes from an Epic. An epic is a story about a hero’s adventures and the obstacles that they have to overcome. Both characters have differences, but they also have strong similarities. One major similarity that both characters possess is that they are very prideful. This characteristic is common in many heroes, but it often leads to their downfall.
Achilles, son of a goddess, has superior strength and fighting skills to any regular human, and as a baby he was dipped into the river Styx by his mother, leaving no part of his body vulnerable to attack but where she held him by his ankles. Beowulf on the other hand is the strongest man in the world of his time, having the strength to rip of the arm of a large monster named Grendel, and he is extremely tough, being able to survive the surge of a dragons fire breath that would have killed a normal man. Despite their physical traits, they both displayed acts of brutality and ruthlessness in their poems. Beowulf did so when he ripped off the arm of Grendel and hung it in the mead hall as a sign of victory, as well as when he defeated Grendel’s mother and took her head as a trophy. Achilles acts were almost just as vicious.
Beowulf does not fight Grendel for personal gain or only for the glory, but for the people under Hrothgar’s rule that have been killed and harassed. After fighting and killing Grendel, Beowulf displays his selflessness as he decides to help Hrothgar by putting his life on the line again because he chose to kill Grendel’s mother. Achilles is a selfish person completely unlike Beowulf. Achilles is selfish I the sense that he cares only for himself, his pride, and his friend. He fought Hector only because his own feelings were hurt when his friend died.
Achilles is a fierce warrior who leads his army called the Myrmidons. Beowulf starts his heroism by going to the land of the Danes who's king is Hrothgar. Beowulf sails there with his army called the Geats. He comes to the rescue of Hrothgar and his kingdom. Hrothgar tells Beowulf about a monster named Grendel who has been terrorizing the kingdom.
Beowulf is considered a mythic hero because there are three types of passages in “ The Hero with a Thousand Faces”. The first type is the separation, which is where the hero decides to go on an adventure to do good things and save lives. An example of this is when Beowulf hears about grendel and decides himself to go and make a difference and defeat Grendel. The second type is initiation, which is the hero actually doing the things that
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/
Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.
They both fight battles that are mythological and impossible for a normal man to fight in. Beowulf fights the monster Grendel, and Gilgamesh fights the guardian monster Humbaba. They both defeat their enemies, something that someone that does not possess their strength and courage could not do. But Beowulf is selfless and fights only for his people, and not himself. Gilgamesh on the other hand is selfish and takes advantage of his people.
Beowulf declares that he “drove five great giants into chains, [and] chased all of that race from the Earth.” He is immensely overbearing at that point because he is too proud of his achievements. Being excessively prideful does not exactly label Beowulf as a hero. Beowulf assumes all of the courageous acts he fulfills will make him
In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero, however in today 's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior. That’s because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments.
Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be
Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable
They both go through the “Hero’s Journey,” and display many characteristics of a hero. Beowulf, however, better fits the qualities of an epic hero due to his unselfish personality, his fearlessness, and his nobility. One reason Beowulf is the better epic hero is because his intentions and motives were selfless. He always fought to save the people, not for glory or treasures.
Ironically in his efforts to gain fame and riches, Beowulf 's traits overlap with those of an epic hero. More important than Beowulf 's lack of morality though, is the warrior 's lack of growth throughout the story. Usually, in epic poems, the protagonists change