Beowulf and Gilgamesh compare and differ greatly in the epic hero texts. This shows many traits that shape the two epics into what is the same and different. The main reasons that compare and contrast the epics is leadership, culture, and the journey. The monsters is a big part of the epics as well because it shows how they deal with them. Like how Beowulf's monsters terrorize him, and Gilgamesh was out to get the monsters. The perfect hero is someone who fights for people, and vanishes evil with superhuman/God strength to bring the peace and or destruction. Anglo Saxons of these epics are more strict than most in this category, because they are subject for perfection.
The cultures in the two cultures take place in different. Ancient Mesopotamia, and the anglo saxon culture. Ancient Mesopotamia refers to the middle east. Anglo Saxon refers to the inhabitants of Great Britain. Beowulf and Gilgamesh hold very similar heroic parts. Beowulf has strengths that go with his fierceness that carry the problems of people on his back to stand up for them. This shows his courage throughout the epic text. Gilgamesh strength shows he will go against any man, and the people feared him. He is 2/3 god and ⅓ human. Gilgamesh fought many battles that were thought of to be impossible to win for him.
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Gilgamesh was hated by his people, but his leadership overshadowed the hatred. Gilgamesh and Beowulf strength/leadership is basically the same relating to each other. Just like after the bull killed many of the townspeople, Gilgamesh grabbed it by its tail and stabbed it in the back. This showed how Gilgamesh will stand up to protect, not just
Beowulf is extraordinary. The name sake and hero archetype of the epic poem Beowulf, transcends what it means to be a king reaching the title of hero and champion of the people. When he first is described in line 196 of the epic, the writer says,“There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful.” Beowulf will always be the time’s mightiest hero, whether he is king or not.
Beowulf has an even temper, and does not get angry as easily. This shows the difference between how Beowulf reacts to certain events, and how Achilles reacts. So, the two heroes have as many differences as they do have
Beowulf Idealism and Materialism Contrasts Old English Epic vs. Modern Day Film In the story of Beowulf, (Heaney) which takes place in 1000 AD, the protagonist Beowulf is a Geat hero who fights monsters and is known as the strongest conqueror around. The cultural values in the Novel contrasted to Beowulf and Grendel, (Gunnarsson) a movie produced in 2005, are different.
The epic poem Beowulf is about ponderous dragon, with razor sharp talons. The epic poem The Iliad is about a boundless warrior who rakes havoc one anyone that gets in their way. How could these two heroes be alike? There will to fight is one reason, but they couldn’t be any more diverse.
Epic tales are those in which a warrior is deemed a hero, performs superhuman actions, and bravely saves a nation from a deadly fate. Beowulf and Sir Gawain were and still are two famous and really good stories. Throughout these two stories we learn about their background and their beliefs. They are both considered poems. Even if one of them is an epic poem and the other is not.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, and The Song of Roland have similar characteristics and behaviors in each of their stories, but the epics derive from Iran, and France and were written hundreds of years apart from each other. The heroes from each epic display, or shows a superhuman or godlike form that sets them apart from the rest. But just like them they also had an opponent or antagonist who similarly equal to them. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh has attained this certain power from the gods of being two-thirds god and one-third man.
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.
Both have their reasons for doing what they do within their stories. Between Beowulf and Achilles they had some similarities which would range from bravery to cunningness. Achilles and Beowulf show their ability to win and not have fear when they both have to face what should be their demise. They use their cunningness to their advantage over their opponents, which is why they are able to win when they do.
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.
Comparing Beowulf and Gawain The world in Beowulf is dark and gloomy while that in sir Gawain is lighter and more positive. I agree with that statement given from the examples in Beowulf. Beowulf was constantly fighting, and dealing with death on a daily bases; whereas in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a more of a light flowy substance. Sir Gawain is Kings Arthur’s nephew where they are always happy and playful; they play games, exchange kisses, and gifts with one another.
With the battle to protect the city against the dragon, even though Beowulf was king he fought the dragon. He fought the dragon because no one else could. No one was as selfless as he was to risk his life to protect the city. Without Beowulf these monsters would over power good and there would be no balance between good and evil.
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.
Beowulf and King Arthur are both portrayed as heroes and someone to look up to. Some similarities are both of them are very brave. They are also both very compelling leaders in their own respective ways. Even with their similarities they have differences in their heroic qualities such as Beowulf not really being a human in the sense that he can do superhuman things and King Arthur being a normal human being. It's also interesting to note that King Arthur was more of a hero for his character whereas Beowulf was more of a hero in the sense that he slays monsters and dragons.
But still there are certain differences that can be drawn between them. The epic of Gilgamesh depicts the Sumerian culture and on the other hand iliad poem is set in ancient Greek culture. Even though they both grieve for the loss of their best friends, the main contrast is in how they react with this loss. Both Achilles and Gilgamesh were worried about the mortality and did not wanted to die at once in their life.
Beowulf vs. The 13th Warrior Beowulf, an Old English epic poem—written sometime between the 8th and 11th century by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, and The 13th Warrior, a 1999 action film—produced and directed by John McTiernan, share many similarities and differences regarding character, setting, plot, and theme. Because John McTiernan’s film is so similar to the epic poem, it is widely assumed that The 13th Warrior is directly inspired by and based off of Beowulf. Not only is the plot and setting of the two works very similar, but the characters and overall theme is as well.