The Makings of An Epic Hero—A Comparative Essay Literature and culture have shown repeatedly a vast array of heroic figures. From Hercules to Harry Potter, these heroes certainly come from a mixed bag of backgrounds and circumstances. All heroes share uniform traits and tendencies that characterize them as such. Likewise, heroes also demonstrate similar flaws. This duality constitutes the makings of an epic hero—specifically, blueprint examples such as Beowulf and even Gilgamesh. Beowulf fulfills the epic hero archetype by boasting the otherworldly abilities of an epic hero as well as the detrimental downfalls and fulfills this archetype more so than Gilgamesh because when it comes to fatal flaws, Beowulf simply possesses less of them.
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Upon hearing of the scourge of Heorot, Beowulf immediately journeys from the Geatland to an unbeknownst land to serve as a “match for Grendel” (Beowulf, 1245). This alone becomes instrumental in illustrating Beowulf’s role as the epic hero of the story. Not only does Beowulf choose to take on Grendel with “no weapons” (Beowulf, 1250), but he also strips himself “armorless” (Beowulf 1250), or essentially naked, to face Grendel fairly. While this may seem counterintuitive, Beowulf felt a call to face and defeat Grendel in a very raw and primitive way, an urge only an epic hero might experience. Nonetheless, Beowulf does not exist without his flaws. Although Beowulf has a mostly victorious track record in conquest, some could say his overconfidence could lead to his ultimate demise. Even the indebted king, Hrothgar, after the defeat of Grendel’s mother, warned Beowulf to not “give way to pride” (Beowulf, 1275) in reminder of the fleetingness of strength in this life. Beowulf’s valor and pride most definitely define him as an epic hero, if nothing
Upon hearing of the scourge of Heorot, Beowulf immediately journeys from the Geatland to an unbeknownst land to serve as a “match for Grendel” (Beowulf, 1245). This alone becomes instrumental in illustrating Beowulf’s role as the epic hero of the story. Not only does Beowulf choose to take on Grendel with “no weapons” (Beowulf, 1250), but he also strips himself “armorless” (Beowulf 1250), or essentially naked, to face Grendel fairly. While this may seem counterintuitive, Beowulf felt a call to face and defeat Grendel in a very raw and primitive way, an urge only an epic hero might experience. Nonetheless, Beowulf does not exist without his flaws. Although Beowulf has a mostly victorious track record in conquest, some could say his overconfidence could lead to his ultimate demise. Even the indebted king, Hrothgar, after the defeat of Grendel’s mother, warned Beowulf to not “give way to pride” (Beowulf, 1275) in reminder of the fleetingness of strength in this life. Beowulf’s valor and pride most definitely define him as an epic hero, if nothing