While many heroes exist, one stands out that closely resembles the epic hero Beowulf. This mighty warrior’s name is Odysseus. Through careful analysis of the great epic Beowulf, one can see that there are many similarities to the epic The Odyssey. Although Odysseus and Beowulf can be seen as the hero in the tale, they differ in the way they strategize and the reasons for fighting. While Beowulf wants glory and fame, he uses his physical strength to achieve it. On the other hand, Odysseus fights to go home and uses his mental strength in the process. In both tales, the men go through many trials and tribulations. Despite their differences of strategy and strength, Odysseus and Beowulf both learns loyalty, deceitfulness, and the true importance
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. My first reason why Odysseus is an epic hero is he’s brave.
Heroes face god-like judgment though the obstacles they face, and they let it extend to the judgment of their identity and their characteristics. This is what all heroes have to traverse in their tales, it places their actions into effect, to show who they are in the face of adversity. This is done by many heroes from many tales, such an example could be Beowulf, in his journey as an old king famed at a young age, slayer of monsters, but one stands from him and all others: Odysseus, the brave king from Homer’s epic the Odyssey. This tale speaks of the journey of Odysseus returning home from the Trojan war, facing wrath of gods and other abominations in his realm. His actions throughout his trek home shows some of the traits that Odysseus possesses,
In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus proves to be an epic hero due to his cleverness. On his way home from a ten year war, Odysseus encounters many journeys where he uses very clever tactics. These journeys help him figure out who he is and what all he can do. For
Homer's The Odyssey revolves around one protagonist Odysseus and his journey home. Odysseus, the epic hero of the story, is traveling for ten years to return home after the Trojan War. In the story, Odysseus is forced to encounter many obstacles before reaching Ithaca. There are many ways the reader could say that Odysseus is an epic hero. In The Odyssey, Odysseus personifies the ideal epic hero because he faces supernatural foes, he receives supernatural help, and he displays courage.
Epic heroes have epic strengths, and handle much more than any normal human ever could. Most epic heroes have commonalities with one another, Beowulf from Beowulf and Odysseus from The Odyssey are an example of this. Beowulf and Odysseus exhibited strength and longevity through all of the respective adventures. The amount of similarities between these characters is extensive. Although Odysseus mirrors Beowulf there are some key differences in their relationship to their gods, strengths, and motives; society can change what happens to a hero and what a hero values, but not how a hero behaves.
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. Odysseus’ story truly begins in Homer’s epic, The Iliad. In this epic Odysseus goes through a large amount of character evolution as the poem develops.
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!
In the Odyssey, we find Odysseus is trying to get back home. Odysseus goes through many trials that attempt to stop him from reaching his goal that Odysseus desperately needs and desires, this is not the case in Beowulf. In Beowulf we find our hero is attempting to murder all evil within his land. Beowulf is trying to kill and defeat many enemies to earn respect from everyone. The two epics express similar values and ethics, but through different
“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.
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. Both Beowulf and Odysseus prove they are superhuman. Beowulf is able to take down Grendel and Grendel’s mother.
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. The first step in the hero's journey is called the “call to adventure” this is when something is disturbed from external pressure of from inner conflict.
This withdrawal from the traditional hero who seeks fame and glory, offers a refreshing perspective of the definition of a hero. Similarly, Odysseus possesses qualities similar to Bilbo. However, in The Odyssey by Homer translated by Robert Fagles, Odysseus’ heroism is based on several qualities and actions. Odysseus is known for his cleverness and ability to think on his feet. When Odysseus and his men were trapped inside Polyphemus, the cyclops' cave, Odysseus devised a plan to blind the monster and escape.
This eventually caused him and those around him to suffer the consequences of those actions; even death. While he was successful in finally taking back his home and reuniting with his wife and son and reclaiming his throne it came at a cost. Odysseus portrays the qualities of mortal leadership- leadership that must be ethical even though exercised in an imperfect world where decisions may literally mean life and death (Dobel 215). Beowulf’s character in this epic poem doesn’t need to grow, as Beowulf’s skill’s and battlefield courage remain the same till the end, even if he makes things harder for
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.
Hercules is very similar to Beowulf, an epic hero. They both share certain qualities, including some that make them desirable to each one's culture. Beowulf is valuable to the Anglo-Saxon people, and Hercules to the Greek people. Although Hercules was originally a foolish boy who made mistakes, he grew into a fabulous hero who is there to save the day. Hercules is a Beowulf-style hero because he has qualities of an epic hero, and is treasured by a group of people.