What Are The Similarities Between Odysseus And Beowulf

“I 'm coming home, I 'm coming home.Tell the world I 'm coming home. Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday.” This song beautifully represents the goal of Everett and Odysseus. Odysseus, a mythical hero, and Everett, a century old hero, both were trying to get home. Even though they had the same goal the people who helped them, the children they wanted to see, and the challenges they faced once they got there were really different.

A man runs into a burning building to save his elderly neighbor. A doctor goes to a third world country to offer free health clinics to the poor. The teachers who gave their lives to protect the students at Sandy Hook. These people are all perfect examples of what a hero is. A hero is someone who honored for his or her brave actions and noble merits. However, in an epic poem, there is a particular type of hero portrayed; an epic hero. An epic hero is born of nobility, obtains superhuman capabilities, and embarks on some sort of journey. Beowulf is a story of the epic hero, Beowulf who is courageous, arrogant and endures a treacherous journey. The Odyssey written by Homer brings the reader on a perilous journey with Odysseus who is courageous and arrogant. Though Beowulf and Odysseus are both epic hero’s they share many similarities and many differences on their journeys.

A hero's journey is a pattern of narrative identities that appears in many dramas, storytellings, myths, and psychological development. The journey consist of twelve different steps and in the story Beowulf we read about the magnificent and rough journey that Beowulf and this men accomplish. Many people question if Beowulf is considered a hero and if what he did was good. The journey that he embarked on, leads me to believe that Beowulf is a hero and always will be.

A key difference between the two characters is the ego contrast. Beowulf, from beginning to end showed nothing but modesty. He single handedly managed to rip off Grendel’s arm, yet he didn’t boast the slightest bit. Theseus on the other hand grew egotistical after saving the Athenians from the Minotaur, and from there on he seemed to believe he was the bravest king alive, “Am I not the bravest king alive? Look what I did to the Amazons! Look at what I did to the Minotaur...”

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.

In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.

Homer’s 24 book epic, The Odyssey, focuses on Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his development as a human being during his seemingly everlasting journey home from the Trojan War. The epic contains several trials and tribulations along with numerous adventures that help shape Odysseus into a well-rounded human being. As the epic develops, one notices that is unlike Homer’s pervious characters because Odysseus is more dynamic rather than static.

What qualifies a person to be called a hero? Officially a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Most people think of a superhero, like Batman or Spiderman, or someone closer to them such as their mother or their life-saving doctor. Heroes tend to be the main character in a story. Beowulf and Odysseus are two famous epic heroes in the texts Beowulf and The Odyssey. 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.

While the Aeneid and Odyssey are both considered epic masterpieces the heroes of these poems are not as similar as they first appear. One of the greatest differences between Odysseus and Aeneas is the priorities in each of their lives. These priorities not only reflect the idea of a hero, but also the differing values of the cultures of their authors. For Odysseus, personal glory, pleasure, and comfort are his primary priorities. In contrast, Aeneas constantly suppresses his desires, prioritizing the future of the Trojans and obedience to the gods. Odysseus and Aeneas each embody the focus of their individual cultures, with Odysseus fixated on himself, like the individualistic Greeks, and Aeneas motivated by the idea of achieving something

Odysseus has many trials throughout his adventure. The Homeric usual hero is what he is set up as but unlike most of them he redefines himself. Homer’s creation of Odysseus as a dynamic character through the stories within stories and conflict explores the importance of the evolution of characters despite his apparent hero status within Greek culture

The book “The Odyssey” and the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” are very similar in their plots. The character Odysseus from “The Odyssey” is comparable to the character Ulysses Everett from “O brother Where Art Thou” because they both overcome many obstacles along their journey and are put into similar situations. As you read these two stories, it is very easy to see the comparisons, and understand them fully.

Imagine what it would feel like to be away from your home for 20 years and to not be able to find your way back. In this epic The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus and his 720 men are in the same situation and face many conflicts that make their journey back home a lot harder. Odysseus proves himself as an epic hero, which is someone who is almost perfect but has a few flaws to keep them from this, by continuing throughout the story to fight and lead his men back home. Odysseus is an epic hero because he’s brave, he’s smart, but he is also very conceited.

“The Odyssey,” by Homer, outlines the journey of Odysseus after the Trojan War. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, who is summoned to fight in the Trojan War as a fine leader. The “Hero’s Journey” represents the path, usually taken by the hero of a story, of personal change and accomplishment. Odysseus from “The Odyssey” goes through this journey throughout the epic because many features from the “Hero’s Journey” are portrayed in “The Odyssey.” A few major milestones in the hero’s journey are the Call to Adventure, the Tests and Supreme Ordeals, and the Master of the Two Worlds.

In the beginning of story writing, authors portrayed heroes with human-like flaws. They were greedy, ambitious, stubborn, and even cruel. Their perception of being a hero was totally different to what we have now. Despite those characters having severe weaknesses, they were and still are heroes. Odysseus, ruler of Ithaca is the main character in Homer’s epic. Odysseus is a strong headed man with prowess at fighting. Throughout the story his only goal is to return home after 10 years of exile and reunite with the love of his life. He defies the gods and is in a constant battle of survival. On the other hand we have Beowulf. He is the heir of the Swedish throne and a renowned and Impudent monster slayer. He is constantly driven by fame and riches. The only similarity they have is their guile attitudes. The following facts are comparisons and contrasts of both characters that will demonstrate why Odysseus is the best representation of a hero. A hero must be benevolent and thinks first of others interest rather than their own. During the stories, each character has their own purpose and motivation during their journeys. Lastly, they both have different reactions to their problems and act differently to them.

Odysseus, King of Ithaca was categorized as an epic hero. It is clear why he is described this way, and all in all, understandable because the ancient greeks valued different qualities in people and heroes a person would nowadays. For this reason, Odysseus could be seen as a hero in the eyes of the ancient greeks but not in the eyes of people today. The greeks during Homer’s time chose to ignore his traits that people today would see as major flaws. Despite all of this however, Odysseus from The Odyssey by Homer, was and is the epic hero that the greeks saw him as.