Beowulf And Achilles: In Search Of A True Hero

Achilles, son of a goddess, has superior strength and fighting skills to any regular human, and as a baby he was dipped into the river Styx by his mother, leaving no part of his body vulnerable to attack but where she held him by his ankles. Beowulf on the other hand is the strongest man in the world of his time, having the strength to rip of the arm of a large monster named Grendel, and he is extremely tough, being able to survive the surge of a dragons fire breath that would have killed a normal man. Despite their physical traits, they both displayed acts of brutality and ruthlessness in their poems. Beowulf did so when he ripped off the arm of Grendel and hung it in the mead hall as a sign of victory, as well as when he defeated Grendel’s mother and took her head as a trophy. Achilles acts were almost just as vicious.

Beowulf was a hero to his people. He did so many outstanding things like for example defeat Grendel. He did what nobody else could. During that time Grendel was killing many innocent people because of his anger towards God for being punished forever for the crime of Abel’s death. There King Hrothgar lost so many people he finally wanted it to stop and that is when Beowulf came in.

Beowulf went to Herot to face Grendel. He accepted the quest to save the lives of innocent people and to seek fame. Beowulf was very brave about his approach to the monster. When Beowulf killed Grendel and his mother, he had heroically purged Herot of its evil. He then became a ruler of the Geats.

The hero Beowulf fought with honor to save a kingdom, whereas Achilles fought for fame and revenge. The hero Beowulf fought to save the kingdom of Herot, ruled by the king Hrothgar. A monster, named Grendel, has terrorized this kingdom; so Beowulf comes to defeat Grendel. He defeats the monster, but angers Grendel’s mother in the process.

Everyone is often told tales of heroes and their adventures but not very often are people told of epic heroes. The epic tale of Beowulf transcribed by Richard Barber and the tale of King Arthur adapted by Richard Barber both show many characteristics of a literary hero. Both Beowulf and Arthur display bravery a trait valued highly in their societies, each characters actions determine the fate of a group, and the two also fight against overwhelming odds. Courage or bravery is the ideal that the hero is ready to face their foe despite fear or danger. Bravery is an epitome that many societies uphold as one the greatest traits a hero must have.

Beowulf was distinguished as a hero by the fact that he was a selfless, and did not return to Geatland when given the opportunity. After he had ripped off Grendel’s arm leaving him crippled to bleed to death, he had the opportunity to leave the Danes and return back to his homeland. However, he chose to stay and slay Grendel's mother. He did this brave, heroic act to keep the Danes safe from the wrath of her vengeance on the town for the death of her only beloved son, Grendel. By him doing this, it shows that he valued the Danes’ safety more than his, and he would do critical tasks in order to keep them safe.

Bravery is one of the qualities that would make Beowulf a hero today. In the epic, he faces many powerful enemies that he must overcome. When he fights his greatest foe a dragon he is much older. His courage urges him into the battle even though his age has weakened him. Before his battle with his greatest foe he shows his

Every heroic hero acquires undeniable brave characteristics. The exciting poem called Beowulf explains the most heroic man of all throughout the poem is a hero. He displays being a great warrior by determination, self-respect, and loyalty making him an outstanding hero. He is significant and needed to all those he’s come across and is known for his strong appeal, bold and a caring person. He proves all of the assets and behaviors that a real leader possesses.

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.

Beowulf had so many characteristics that showed heroism by standing up and showing that he wasn’t scared of anything. He didn’t let nothing stop him. He was the one who saved the warriors and the cities men and women. He was a hero in the story.

Therefore, the differences and similarities have an impact on how people view each hero. However, many heroes have similar traits, in this case Achilles and Beowulf. Bravery is something that is displayed in both heroes. After Grendel was dead, Beowulf decided to go a step further and murder Grendel’s mother, “She fell, Grendel’s fierce mother…”

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.

He strangled Grendel with his bare hands. He fought Grendel’s mother by himself with no hesitation and fought the dragon to the death but in doing so Beowulf gave his life for those he vowed to protect. Beowulf’s life story is a true epic hero that will be spoken for

Beowulf and Achilles are excellent examples of the hero in Anglo Saxon culture. Both men exemplify basic manly virtues such as physical strength, courage and martial prowess, and both exhibit leadership and command respect among their peers. Nevertheless both characters possess flaws and weaknesses that make them human, and which lead to their eventual deaths. Achilles and Beowulf show many similar traits throughout both of their stories.

Battle between Beowulf and Achilles Both of them wear metal armor with helmet on their head, heavy booths and sharp shining sword on their hands. Both the Beowulf and Achilles stand against one another. They are as strong, tremendous, and brave as thunderstorms. The forest is mess up with carnage, weapons, and destruction. The bamboo green forest is new color of what was once a peaceful forest, but now it becomes the stage of ruthless battle.