Furthermore; Beowulf reaches his lowest point in the hero cycle when he’s faced with three numinous phenomenons. First he encounters Grendel the monster who has been killing the Geats. His quest is to defeat Grendel and save the Geats. Although at first Beowulf appears to be losing the battle he is able to defeat the monster by tearing its arm from its socket. The second phenomenon Beowulf encounter is Grendel’s mother who desires revenge for her son.
Rikki never gives Nag the chance and attacks him immediately. Nagaina finds out firsthand on how forceful a mongoose can be. Word travelled fast through the neighborhood from animal to animal that Nag had been killed. “Nag is dead-is dead-is dead!” sang Darzee(19). Nagiana is convinced she must avenge her husband’s death by following through with the plan to kill the family.
In the poems the Iliad and Beowulf heroes such as Achilles and Beowulf came from communities that were war minded. Whether these heroes succeed or fail in battle determine the height of their honor. The protagonists in both epics have similar supernatural qualities, are trusted with maintaining the fate of there country, fought for glory and fame, were aided by the gods, and faced a fate that led to death. The dynamic adventures that these stories take you through are complex, leaving the impressions that an intricate and very real tale has been told. The chief elements of an epic include: a depiction of the societies values and what is important to the people concerning the epic such as the warlike behavior shown in both the Iliad and Beowulf; heroes such as Achilles and Beowulf that are unafraid of the opposition they face and have courage in front of impossible odds; mythical creatures like Grendel and impressive beings such as Apollo that provide a challenge to the hero; settings like the heavily protected Troy and haunted Herot that capture the mind’s eye; and tales of wars and the battles that encompass them.
The true definition of an epic hero is a character that will take on any challenge even it risks death, posses’ godly strength and ability, and finally will valiantly sacrifice themselves for the good of their people and ideals. In this case, Beowulf is the spitting image of an epic hero. Not only does he fit the description but also he emits pure heroism in almost every thing he does from fighting Grendel to the Dragon. Beowulf portrays the epic hero in the following ways such as taking on seemingly impossible challenges like his swimming competition with Breca, possessing godly and superhuman strength when fighting Grendel and his mother, and finally sacrificing himself by fighting and defeating the Dragon while also dying for his people. Beowulf could not fit the image, attitude, and qualities of an epic hero any more perfect.
Even their definition of what is right or wrong may be different than other people. The heroes in the Beowulf and Iliad stories are Beowulf and Achilles, which show some of the basic heroic traits. I will compare and contrast the traits that make Beowulf and Achilles heroes, which are strength, speed, and bravery. Beowulf’s most interesting and heroic trait is his strength. In the story of Beowulf there are many demonstrations of Beowulf’s superhuman strength, but there is one event that stands out the most.
In both stories, Gilgamesh and Beowulf set out to conquer threatening gods outside their city. Beowulf defeats Grendal, a monster who was constantly killing members of Heorot. Gilgamesh kills Humbaba, an evil spirit of nature far in the cedar woods. Another similarity was the revenge from the gods. In Beowulf, Grendal’s mother seeks to destroy Beowulf for killing her son Grendal.
Similarities can be made between Achilles and Aeneas as well as Hector and Turnus. However, there are distinct differences as well. Achilles is known for his strength and skill. Achilles is recognized throughout Troy as an unstoppable force. “I dread this murderous man-he’ll burst right through our walls” said one Trojan warrior when describing Achilles (Hom.
Each battle is a representation of good vs. evil. He fights Grendal who is a hideously gruesome monster that would feed on the people of Denmark. He battles Grendal’s mother who kills the king’s closest friend for revenge, and the dragon was guarding a treasure and would kill any man who dared to pass. Another example of how the battles are similar is that Beowulf cannot kill his enemies with normal weapons. In the fight with Grendal, his men’s swords could not penetrate Grendal’s skin.
It’s no understatement that Heracles and Achilles are well respected names in Greek mythology. While they both would make great modern day heroes, Achilles fought for his own personal glory while Heracles fought for others. Achilles was destined to be an outstanding hero before he was born. The goddess of justice and law predicted Achilles would be stronger than his father. When he was born, his mother held him by the ankles and dipped him into the river of Styx so he could become immortal.
Passion Vs. Pride In The Iliad Achilles is motivated by pride, however in Troy he is propelled by passion. Greeks placed great importance on honor and in The Mortal Hero it is said “Honor to the Greeks is something that is won by a man’s prowess, his ability to fight and be victorious on the battle field” (Schein 62). In The Iliad Achilles is motivated by glory, he would rather die young and achieve glory by going into war. He believes his reputation is all that counts because he is a warrior and the best of the warriors.