Lee Robertson, a man of great fidelity, is known to quote, “faith in God has not saved people from hardships and trials, but it has enabled them to bear tribulations courageously and to emerge victoriously.” This is precisely what every Greek and Roman warrior needs to know. God may allow suffering, but he will always turn it into something beautiful, allowing humanity to grow and move passed their pain with His help. In both Virgil’s Aeneid and Beowulf by an unknown author, the authors’ focus on the idea that faith can strengthen one’s will, even in the darkest of times. Beowulf, however, is stronger due to the motif of faith itself, and how those on God’s side always come out on top, no matter the circumstances.
Although both heroes believe …show more content…
This Christian God is inerrant due to his pure divinity, and allows Beowulf to have free will to make his own decisions. Because of the Almighty is constantly watching over him at his side, Beowulf is able to make choices that benefit him. God truly has Beowulf’s best interest in mind, and walks with him through each and every battle. Throughout the poem, Beowulf is fighting off evil with God at his side. When a close call occurs and Beowulf is able to wound the evil Grendel unscathed he says,” Nevertheless it was granted to me by that I pierce the monster with my sword point…”(Unknown 28). Since God was with Beowulf during his battle with Grendel, Beowulf was able to come out on top, knowing that the Lord was with Him and on his side. He even goes as far as to claim that God himself allowed Beowulf to escape with his life, further proving that Beowulf’s faith is in a God that truly cares for him and not about what he could get out of Beowulf. Although Beowulf and Aeneas have faith in God and the gods respectively, Beowulf’s faith is stronger and more pure than Aeneas, seeing as his Lord watches over him out of concern rather than how to use Beowulf for his own …show more content…
Aeneas is the epitome of what it means to be pious, even though it leads to his suffering. However, much of his pain is not self-induced as the gods and goddesses once again use him as a pawn to achieve what they yearn for to occur. Each and every time Aeneas receives a message from a god or goddess, it ends with him suffering. For example, after the he stumble upon his dead wife, her ghost proclaims, “…the great mother of the gods detains me here on these shores” (Virgil 378). Her message rings loud and clear to Aeneas, who know knows that his own mother, Venus, had physically held Creusa back, intending fully for her to not live to see another day. The fact that Aeneas’ own mother wished for him to escape with only his son’s life and his own is an immediate red flag, showing the suffering Aeneas has to endure in order to remain in the gods and goddesses’ favor. The Olympians continue to point Aeneas in directions that lead to his sadness and despair, and lack any remorse for what they have caused. With each and every instance of pain that the gods cause him, Aeneas manages to hold himself together. However, he finally breaks down after speaking with his deceased wife, saying, “With this she left me weeping, wishing that I could say so many things…” (Virgil 378). His heart is so broken that all Aeneas can
Although both heroes believe …show more content…
This Christian God is inerrant due to his pure divinity, and allows Beowulf to have free will to make his own decisions. Because of the Almighty is constantly watching over him at his side, Beowulf is able to make choices that benefit him. God truly has Beowulf’s best interest in mind, and walks with him through each and every battle. Throughout the poem, Beowulf is fighting off evil with God at his side. When a close call occurs and Beowulf is able to wound the evil Grendel unscathed he says,” Nevertheless it was granted to me by that I pierce the monster with my sword point…”(Unknown 28). Since God was with Beowulf during his battle with Grendel, Beowulf was able to come out on top, knowing that the Lord was with Him and on his side. He even goes as far as to claim that God himself allowed Beowulf to escape with his life, further proving that Beowulf’s faith is in a God that truly cares for him and not about what he could get out of Beowulf. Although Beowulf and Aeneas have faith in God and the gods respectively, Beowulf’s faith is stronger and more pure than Aeneas, seeing as his Lord watches over him out of concern rather than how to use Beowulf for his own …show more content…
Aeneas is the epitome of what it means to be pious, even though it leads to his suffering. However, much of his pain is not self-induced as the gods and goddesses once again use him as a pawn to achieve what they yearn for to occur. Each and every time Aeneas receives a message from a god or goddess, it ends with him suffering. For example, after the he stumble upon his dead wife, her ghost proclaims, “…the great mother of the gods detains me here on these shores” (Virgil 378). Her message rings loud and clear to Aeneas, who know knows that his own mother, Venus, had physically held Creusa back, intending fully for her to not live to see another day. The fact that Aeneas’ own mother wished for him to escape with only his son’s life and his own is an immediate red flag, showing the suffering Aeneas has to endure in order to remain in the gods and goddesses’ favor. The Olympians continue to point Aeneas in directions that lead to his sadness and despair, and lack any remorse for what they have caused. With each and every instance of pain that the gods cause him, Aeneas manages to hold himself together. However, he finally breaks down after speaking with his deceased wife, saying, “With this she left me weeping, wishing that I could say so many things…” (Virgil 378). His heart is so broken that all Aeneas can