Harry Potter: A Comparison Of Beowulf And Harry Potter

This shows bravery because he is fighting a creature who has sharp claws that have snatched up and killed 30 men with ease. One final trait that Beowulf shows would be strength. Beowulf demonstrates strength when in the epic poem it says '' That shepherd of evil,

Characters in almost every story have a hero and a evil. That that evil could be nature, a person, or even a unimaginable monster. The hero tends to have traits that are easily relatable and more importantly what we look for as a good person and a good main character. In the epic “Beowulf” by Seamus Heany, we value Beowulf as a Hercules. A mortal man who is the strongest man alive yet, still mortal.

Joseph Campbell defines a hero as “someone who has given his life to something bigger than himself.” In the epic poem, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney and the novel Harry Potter and the Source’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling, both follow The 17 Stages of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. Beowulf and Harry Potter prove they are heroes and fit into Campbell’s pattern because of their bravery, perseverance and courage throughout each story. In Beowulf, the main character Beowulf, demonstrates courage throughout the poem and Campbell’s Monomyth helps prove his heroic journey.

Firstly, both stories’ main protagonists represent the positive expectations of good individuals in their respective societies. In turn, the monsters and antagonists of the stories represent the marginalities of Anglo-Saxon society and the lowly peasants of English society. Lastly, both books explore similar themes of greed and wrath through the characterization of a dragon, and Tolkien builds upon social commentary present in Beowulf to create a statement about the social illnesses that lead to the Great Depression. At first glance, these works of art seem vastly different and unconnected. However, careful observation reveals that pieces of prose and poetry written throughout history have a tendency to repeat literary themes, borrowing from one another and morphing ideas to create more relevant and more compelling

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 definitely displays multiple examples of courage, such as fighting Grendel barehanded and going to fight a dragon alone, but the most pronounced example is when Beowulf goes to fight Grendel’s mother, his second trial. Her home is a disgusting, murky lake that’s “infested with… sea-dragons / and monsters” (1425) and so deep that “the mere bottom has never been sounded by the sons of men” (1367-1368). Even the creatures that live around it would rather die than dive under the water’s surface. Beowulf makes a big deal out of how terrifying her home is, expressing how the warriors who arrived at her home were “not man enough / to face the turmoil of a fight under water / and the risk to [their] life” (1468-1470). But Beowulf is willing to.

Throughout history, there are great men and women who proved to be heroes through their actions. The actions that made one a hero varied depending on the time and place; in one society, great warriors were heroes, and in another, clever leaders. However, the qualities of a hero are unchanging, no matter what actions he/she performs. In order to be a true hero, the qualities one must possess are the willingness to persevere, courage, and selflessness. Beowulf demonstrates these qualities many times throughout the poem proving that he is a true hero.

The poem “Beowulf” and “The Hobbit” by John Tolkien both talk about a hero in terms of his physical, emotional and public being that can be identified to be different. Although the idea of how they define a hero is similar, both writings have similarities of heroism, killing a dragon and creatures that are unordinary to the human eye. Heroism can be seen in “Beowulf” from the protagonist Beowulf, his bravery is shown by him killing nine sea monsters in the ocean by himself. Beowulf is brave and noble in his battles, fought without fear and struggle while clashing with monsters bigger than his size. He had pride that was unpredictable to the old and wise (Beowulf).

Heroes are usually those who have great power and use this power to help or protect others usually putting themselves in danger. Beowulf exhibits this by travelling to Hrothgar’s Danish land, on the basis of fate, to put himself in danger and fight Grendel. A modern day “hero” that demonstrates these qualities would include a fictional character such as Superman. Superman battles many evils over the course of his fictional career in order to ensure the wellbeing of others. In all different time periods and in all societies, a hero represents hope and the good that contrasts the evils of our world.

The story of Beowulf has to do with a Hero who is the leader of the Geats. Beowulf had three major battles: Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the Dragon. As it is in most stories the hero always wins. Beowulf did whatever he had to do to win. He did not win easily, but he made it happen.

Throughout history, people of all cultures and beliefs have created stories of great and mighty heroes containing the virtues admired in that age. In times long ago, when the Anglo-Saxons were at their height, one of these stories was the tale of the mighty hero Beowulf, depicting the very image of  the age's virtues and ideas.   Now, in this booming age of technology, we've turned to heroes such as Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione.        Not only strong, courageous, and honorable, but also being the very mightiest of all warriors on the earth

He makes an argument of this certain perspective and advocates that we have simply just have neglected the origins of the values as well as just laid our focuses on what is demanded of and what is accepted of. He states whatever is deemed useful, resourceful, and helpful we see as being something good. Thus, the usefulness is seen as a good value. He goes to argue that the values as well as one’s that are not from actions come from the consequences within

Values are those things worth fighting for, and those things worth sacrificing

Harry Potter Literary Analysis Jaeheon Shim September ,2016 Harry the Magical Hero A hero is a person who does good things to the community for the good of others. They go out and sacrifice their things for the good of others.

Adventure leads to all those values by allowing yourself to experience life and everything it has to offer, the good and the