Gilgamesh And Beowulf Comparison Essay

“Nor have I seen a mightier men-at-arms on this earth that the one standing here:unless I am mistaken, he is truly noble. This is no more hanger-on in a hero’s armour.” (244-251 Beowulf) The epic poems of Beowulf and Gilgamesh are two old english stories that have similar, yet differentiating, heroes that partake in journeys that seem more than humanly possible. Both are of very famous literature that have been apart of English history for centuries. The factors that are of most obvious in their similarity, and diversity, are their leadership styles, personality, and the quest that they go on.

Foremost, differentiating leadership styles are the most prominent difference between the two noble warriors. While they differ greatly, they are also similar in the fact that they are …show more content…
Gilgamesh’s quest was one with one single goal, to live forever. Beowulf’s quest can also been seen as having one goal, and that one goal is to protect his people with his life. Not only do they have one goal, they both have a “sidekick” or brave friend that helps them during the quest. In Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh has Enkidu to help him throughout his story and to fight the monsters. Not only does Enkidu assist him in battle, Enkidu’s death is the reason Gilgamesh changes into a more understanding and wise ruler. Beowulf, on the other hand, fights solo throughout the story, yet in the final scene, while fighting the dragon, Wiglaf helps him fight the dragon and is the only reason the dragon is defeated. While there are many similarities, a major difference is in the context of the story. Beowulf is a king that stays in and protects his land from monsters, while Gilgamesh goes out and defeats demons in the search for immortality. Yet, another similarity between the characters is that both end with the hero's dying in a noble and treacherous way, as one dies trying to gain god status and one dies defeating the