Blackheart And Beowulf Comparison Essay

Bravery: The Absence of Fear or Fear Itself?

Suzy Kassem once said, “Always have faith in yourself and the universe, for one won’t get you anywhere without the other. Both must be equally strong to reach your personal ambitions, for they are the wings that will lift you to your dreams.” This is eerily similar to how the main characters in The Iliad, “Blackheart”, and Beowulf, overcame their onerous adversities and exhibited unparalleled courageousness in the midst of unfathomable challenges.

First and foremost, in the epic poem The Iliad, Achilles proves his worth by successfully executing the rancorous antagonist simply known as Hector, causing the Trojan army to collapse. The venturesome soldier shouts, “Now, come, you son of Achaea, raise a song of triumph! Down to the ships we march and bear this corpse on high- we have won ourselves great glory!” (Homer 75-76) Achilles shows how brave he is because he single handedly defeated a threatening antagonist and lived to tell the tale.

Secondly, over the course of the short story “Blackheart” written by Mark Brazaitis, the main character isn’t a mercenary

The title character boasts for a final time when he’s going to confront the unnerving dragon, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth, I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.” (5-10, 88) This is an honorable statement because it shows that, despite Beowulf being very old, he still assists people in need and is willing to battle one last time against a superior antagonist, but with personal aspirations for prestige or wealth if he was going to die fighting for what was right for the deprived people of southern