Epic stories started many years ago, in fact there are many epic heroes we have never heard of because they were merely passed down by voice. Luckily two epics were told by so many generations that they could be written and recorded: Beowulf and The Iliad. A man named Homer composed The Iliad around 700 B.C. 1000 years later Beowulf arose around 750 A.D, by an unknown author. In the epic The Iliad, Achilles is the epic hero and point of the story. Beowulf and Achilles were both courageous warriors and epic heroes that grew tremendously in different cultural backgrounds. Both men were mighty and honorable warriors of their generation and country. “That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime/ Knew at once that nowhere on earth/ Had met a man whose …show more content…
Because of them, many epics began to be later written; “An epic is a long narrative poem that celebrates a hero’s deeds” (Little pg 34, 6-7). These epics are very important, but intense poems that tell a strong pointed story. Although through the centuries of being orally passed on, these stories can tend to evolve slightly. Later on, these stories where recoded. Without heroism from these great men together, epics would have no chance in this complex world. Both great men arose in completely different times and beliefs. Both of these stories were composed nearly 1400 years apart. “For this, this gold, these jewels, I think/ Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth – For all of this, that His grace has given me” (Beowulf 805-808). By this time most people were monotheistic. In the days of the Trojan War people were mostly polytheistic. The author in Beowulf states that there is one almighty god that gives him grace, while Homer speaks of Gods like Zeus. Besides their different beliefs and time frames, both heroes shared many of the same characteristics. Beowulf and Achilles were strong worriers that fought for beliefs and others. Although Beowulf fought for different reasons than that of Achilles, they both fought for glory and honor ultimately. Granted there are many other epics in the world, I believe that these to heroes are the
A large part of being an epic hero is reflecting a trait from his society. In Greece, all of the people abided by the Xena Contract. It stated that all Greek people had to be very hospitable, and the
An epic hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to endure overwhelming obstacles. In Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, three heros named Perseus, Theseus, and Hercules exhibit different traits that affect their journey in a positive or negative way. Perseus receives supernatural help, Theseus displays incredible strength, and Hercules has a fatal flaw that will end tragically, these qualities are what classify each as an epic hero.
The Odyssey is one of the most famous pieces of writing to this very day. Most have either heard of or have read this work within their high school or college years. This writing is what is called today an epic poem. An epic poem is a long narrative that normally entails the journey or struggles of an ancient hero. In The Odyssey the hero is Odysseus, and his adventures of being held captive and his escape back to his home are detailed in this narrative.
A Man of Loyalty, Patience, and Determination In the epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus’ heroic deeds are recounted through a narrative that describes his arduous journey from the Trojan War to his homeland of Ithaka. This journey makes Odysseus an epic hero. An epic hero is a brave and noble character who is admired for his achievements. Traits of an epic hero are necessary for the journey Odysseus goes on to reach his homeland.
An Epic Hero is a character who’s legendary or heroic actions are central to his culture, race or nation. Beowulf and Odysseus both share some of the seven hero traits; for example being superhuman, fighting monsters and going on a quest. They do not exhibit the exact same traits or in the same way, for example the intervention of the divine world, but they both demonstrate the qualities of an Epic Hero. Both Beowulf and Odysseus prove they are superhuman. Beowulf is able to take down Grendel and Grendel’s mother.
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
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.
An epic hero is someone who is characterized commonly on their nobility and bravery. However ,there are more attributes epic heros can posses. For example Odysseus, the protagonist in Homer's retelling of “The Odyssey”, shows many forms of excessive arrogance and pomposity. After conquering Troy, Odysseus and his men set off on their way home.
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.
An epic hero is defined as a person who exemplifies the highest ideals of his culture. Odysseus shows he is a great hero in the epic poem written by Homer, The Odyssey. The epic is about Odysseus’ struggle to return to his homeland after the Trojan War. It took him ten years to get back to Ithaca. He displays bravery in his encounters, cleverness in his ideas, and confidence in his power.
An epic hero is defined as “a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events”. One well known epic hero is Odysseus from Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. Although he is well known and often used as an example of an epic hero, Odysseus is far from a perfect epic hero. He often fails to protect his crew from harm and returns home without them. Odysseus’ behavior and lack of control over himself and the crew result in the crew being put into difficult situations that could have been avoided had Odysseus controlled them better. In The Odyssey, Homer uses characters who must face various difficult challenges to expose Odysseus’ poor leadership skills, arrogance and inquisitiveness.
A hero was a figure in a literature who went beyond the human’s limitation. Among countless heroic literature that were published, The Epic of Gilgamesh was the first Western Literature that portrayed an epic hero. Since the epic was written between 2150 and 1400 BCE, Gilgamesh was the Western Literature’s first known hero. Although each hero had similar characteristics, each hero had different situations and personalities, which led to different heroic archetypes. Depending on each situation and journey, the hero had different roles in literature such as either an epic hero or a tragic hero.
Beata Hanson Mrs. Desilva English 12 30 September 2015 Achilles vs. Beowulf Who is the better hero, Achilles or Beowulf? They are both epic heroes yet they are extremely different. One is a young, moody “hero” and the other is a seasoned warrior. Also, Achilles had refused to fight because of a quarrel he had with his commander while Beowulf never turned away from a chance for glory. However, they did have one thing in common, compassion and they put things aside for what was right.
An epic hero is one of great strengths and supernatural abilities. Beowulf is unable to be harmed by certain weapons, and Hercules has great strength. They also both go on a quest. Beowulf seeks to kill the evil Grendel, Hercules set out on a quest to complete the 12 labors.
The Epic Hero of The Odyssey The Odyssey is a tale of a great hero trying to get home. An epic hero. An epic hero is a courageous and honorable person. Homer’s character Odysseus exemplifies this in many ways.