Comparing Beowulf's 'Hero With A Thousand Faces'

Often-times the reader looks at a hero and notices that this protagonist is not very different from many other heroes: they all, if not most, start off by going on a journey, have a certain task to accomplish, or an evil figure to defeat. However, when the reader looks at each individual hero, the differences become apparent. For example, the reader will notice the way the hero reacts to the challenge, how he/she will accomplish it, and how they learn from their mistakes. The reader then realizes that all heroes have their own values and ideals and reflect those unique to the standards of their culture, as seen in the work by Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. For instance, during the Anglo-Saxon period it was known that such …show more content…
With such heroism seen in Beowulf, Queen Hygd Offers Beowulf to be the heir of Geatland, after the death of Hygelac, but Beowulf refuses although humbled by the offer and instead chooses to serve the young king, Heardred (Beowulf, 2375-2380).
All in all, the reader sees Beowulf and the values he holds in which reflect those of Anglo-Saxons. Through courageous acts, like taking great beasts and fighting them hand to hand, humbleness and grace when being glorified. However, even the hero, like most, shows to much pride and tragically meets his own undoing; challenging an enraged dragon that’d been wreaking havoc amongst his kingdom and ultimately being poisoned by the dragon’s bite.
As the Anglo-Saxon era fades away, and the Norman Conquest of England occurs, literature takes a slight turn. Unlike the Anglo-Saxon hero who is bold and has awesome strength, Sir Gawain from the novel poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, shows the reader how cultural values have