Essay Comparing Beowulf And Achilles

Beowulf is a hero. He sails to a country that isn’t his own, slays a horrifying monster and that monster’s vengeful mother, and dies defending his country. Achilles is a hero. He is a mighty warrior in battle, seeks out revenge for his fallen friend, and returns the body of his enemy. These two heroes show some similarities. For example, both men are very narcissistic. Beowulf shows this during his boast, when he requests to battle alone, and when he wears no armor in battle. He acts as if he is invincible. Achilles portrays narcissism when he gets angry and threatens not to fight because he knows they need him in battle, and when he is talking to Hector Achilles speaks as though he is above him even though Hector is a prince. Another way these heroes are similar …show more content…
For instance, Beowulf is selfless. He sails to another country twice and both times, he slays a beast that has plagued the land. Years later, he attempts to free his country from the wrath of a dragon, and it ends up costing him his life. Achilles on the other hand continues to demonstrate his narcissistic personality through selfishness. He abstains from battle because he is irritated that things are not going the way he wanted. This in turn leads to the demise of his best friend Patroclus. This infuriates him further and Achilles feels that because something was taken from him he must take something back. Though both Beowulf and Achilles are heroes in their own stories, Beowulf is a better representation of a modern day hero. He has a yearning for adventure. He looks for trouble and is drawn to danger, embarking on treacherous quests. He is selfless in nature and puts others before himself even if there is a good chance he will not prevail. He is also courageous and takes on several tasks that would paralyze others in fear without batting an eye, and even fights Grendel with no protective covering or weapon. Beowulf is the consummate depiction of a modern day