Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Odysseus

Grendel is considered an outcast, even though he did

Dictionary.com defines the word hero as “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”. This word originally comes from the Latin word hērōs and the Greek word hḗrōs, and another word for hero is idol. This word is usually used when a person wants to talk about someone who is admired and followed by many people. A hero is definitely not a villain person. An example of the word hero is: In this essay, I will be discussing the different actions, personalities, beliefs and achievements of two heroes Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King and what did each stand

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.

From Abe Lincoln to Superman, Odysseus to Gandhi, famous heroes have risen out of society in each generation be it in the real world or in literature. The common thread between them all is the journey that they embark on: the hero’s journey. Today, a hero is defined by some heroic act, which illuminates bravery, nobility, or selflessness. A hero behaves in a extraordinary way on behalf of another person or a cause at great risk to themselves. We idolize them because they represent the greatest values we want society to stand for.

"This just means that all his strengths could also be a weakness. In conclusion, to be considered an epic hero they have to have these qualifications. An epic hero should have an outstanding wisdom, good strengths, and have to be brave and not afraid to do something that endangers their life. Odysseus had been really recognized for his good qualities he had that no other could have had besides him.

Grendel who is the monster, hated to see the men celebrate their joy after winning victories. In Return, it made Grendel Upset in the movie and textbook when he discovered the men celebrating he goes into the hall once they all were asleep and attacked him. It upsets the Danes that he had killed their men. Beowulf then heard the news and gathered his strongest men to attack Grendel. They plotted on how Beowulf could destroy Grendel for what he did to the men.

Odysseus must brave a sea filled with treacherous monsters who want to kill him and put himself in danger several times. When he and his crew came upon Polyphemus’ cave he didn’t back down he fought for his men. Odysseus even devised a plan he got the cyclops drunk and was able to blind him and told him his name was “nobody”. Odysseus blinded him he cried out saying that nobody blinded him When the other giants came to his rescue they thought that a god had attacked him.  Odysseus and him men then escaped the cave by tying themselves to the sheep.

There is a natural instinct to survive, no matter the cost, but Beowulf doesn’t seem to have that instinct. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf constantly tempts fate just for a better story to tell around the table. Beowulf values glory and riches over his own life. Beowulf shows heroesque characteristics by performing brave deeds, risking his own life for glory, and being glorified for his actions. Beowulf first shows his heroism by performing brave deeds.

[…] These make-believe individuals are thus crafted to be hero prototypes—individuals possessing powerful heroic qualities that we easily recognize and admire” (Scott 32). These fictional characters allow the audience to get a firm grasp onto something that they strive to be, not only for entertainment, but for inspiration and educational purposes as well. Heroes are designed for the audience to admire and respect. Scott and Goethal perfectly describe the obstacles that heroes must overcome in saying, “Struggle is a central, inescapable part of the human experience.

Odysseus Essay: Odysseus of Ithaka. Some historians have argued for years that he is a noble hero, and others say he is just a man trying to get home from many hardship and challenges, however Odysseus is the definition of a hero. During Odysseus’s journey it becomes evident that Odysseus is a hero like the legends say, he meets all the criterias of being a hero such as being brave, smart, fighting against evil, and protecting others from danger. For generations people have been correct to honor the great Odysseus, for his actions along his adventures. Although there has been some evidence that points to Odysseus not being a hero, this essay will give three reasons why Odysseus should be respected as a hero.

The story of Beowulf is all about the strength, fearless and a weakness of a man. Beowulf is a brave man he fights for his kingdom with honor. But he forgot on how to be a man to himself. Beowulf tends to fights and kills the monster which is Grendel.

In Beowulf’s time, people admired a traditional hero who destroyed evil and protected the people by fighting monsters. This was the hero’s place in his society, and today a hero’s place is still not too different in fictional work. We see similarities between Beowulf and today’s fictional heroes in that they fight monstrous villains and always have a moment where they hit a low point in their story to defend their people or complete their mission. The first way Beowulf is similar to today’s fictional heroes is that they both still fight larger-than-life villains and monsters. In Beowulf, we see Grendel, the descendant of Cain who unleashes his power over Herot.

Dear Family and Friends, The Geats lost an audacious warrior today, he was quite the man of dauntlessness and put his life on the line to protect the ones he so passionately cared about. He was a very altruistic man and knew the battles and obstacles he had to face for his people to live without worry. Beowulf's deeds will not go unnoticed. For this man was a warrior. A considerable one at that.

An epic hero is someone who has to preform heroic deeds. The King of Geatland at the beginning of the poem was Hrothgar, Beowulf is just a Geatish Warrior, once Beowulf finds out about Grendel attacking he steps in to help the tribe. Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon in this poem. The battles Beowulf fought were beyond human strength and capabilities. Beowulf’s first battle was with Grendel, whose arm was ripped off with a pair of bare hands, this became his first heroic achievement.

“When it Comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous any day as Grendel” (p. 47). claimed Beowulf. In the old English epic poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, an audacious man named Beowulf, ruler of the Geats, was valued as a hero by many. Beowulf was viewed as a gallant hero when he chose to stay with the Danes to help them, rather than returning home to Geatland. In addition, Beowulf was perspicacious. He knew what needed to be done in order to succeed.