Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Odysseus

Not only were the characters in Beowulf powerful, but they all had their own sources of motivation that encouraged them to use it. “Grendel was the name of this grim demon, haunting the marches, marauding round the heath and the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time in misery among the banished monsters, Cain's clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts(line 102- 107). 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

Hercules is a Beowulf-style hero because he has qualities of an epic hero, and is treasured by a group of people. 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 flexible leadership style, however, is dependent upon everyone doing his duty and, on the island of Helios, this particular strength is also a weakness. "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 was known to have attacked innocent soldiers, however; Beowulf attacks, and kills Grendel whereas, his mother will soon take out revenge on his killer. 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.

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. Heroes separate themselves from the rest because they don’t allow struggle to stop them from achieving great things” (111).

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.