The use of an epic hero in English literature has been displayed throughout many cultures and time periods. The epic heroes in Beowulf, Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Song of Roland can be analyzed and compared throughout the ages depending on the culture. In this paper, the writer will compare and contrast the characteristics of each of the epic heroes, determine their influence on the culture in which they lived, and detail why these characters are considered archetypal.
The epic heroes within Beowulf, Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Song of Roland can be compared and contrasted to showcase the similarities and differences between each hero. In Beowulf, the epic hero, Beowulf, displays the qualities of loyalty and courage …show more content…
Know that I have bartered my last breath to own this fortune, it is up to you to look after their needs. I can hold out no longer.” (Beers 37). This quote epitomizes loyalty because Beowulf is staying devoted to the people of Herot and asking Wiglaf to look after the people's needs. In addition, Beowulf shows courage when he says, ”This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth. I shall win the gold by my courage, or else mortal combat, doom of battle, will bear your lord away.” (Beers, 34). This statement that Beowulf makes displays mass amounts of courage because he wants to fight the dragon on his own to save the people of Herot. Furthermore, Beowulf is boastful when he declares, “I would rather not use a weapon if I knew another way to grapple with …show more content…
In Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, to be a hero was to be a warrior. A hero had to be strong, intelligent, and courageous. Similarly, warriors had to be willing to face any odds and fight to the death for their glory and people. The epics Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and The Iliad all display elements of Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf is shown as an epic hero of Anglo-Saxon time when the narrator in Beowulf states, “Together Beowulf and the young Wiglaf kill the dragon, but the old kind is fatally wounded. Beowulf, thinking of his people, asks to see the monster’s treasure.” (Beers, 37). This quote displays Beowulf’s loyalty to his people, which was a vital characteristic of an epic hero during Anglo-Saxon time. Similar to Beowulf, Achilles is shown as an Anglo-Saxon epic hero when he says, “Now come, you sons of Achaea, raise a song a triumph! Down to the ships we march and bear this corpse on high- we have won ourselves great glory. We have brought magnificent Hector down, that man the Trojans glorified in their city like a god!” (Beers, 66). This statement made by Achilles shows he took Hector down for his people in order to save their town. In comparison, Gilgamesh is displayed as an epic hero during the Anglo-Saxon time when the epic clarifies, “Gilgamesh in horror saw him strike the back of Enkidu and beat him to the ground until he thought his friend was crushed to death. He stood in horror saw him
The epic heroes within Beowulf, Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Song of Roland can be compared and contrasted to showcase the similarities and differences between each hero. In Beowulf, the epic hero, Beowulf, displays the qualities of loyalty and courage …show more content…
Know that I have bartered my last breath to own this fortune, it is up to you to look after their needs. I can hold out no longer.” (Beers 37). This quote epitomizes loyalty because Beowulf is staying devoted to the people of Herot and asking Wiglaf to look after the people's needs. In addition, Beowulf shows courage when he says, ”This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth. I shall win the gold by my courage, or else mortal combat, doom of battle, will bear your lord away.” (Beers, 34). This statement that Beowulf makes displays mass amounts of courage because he wants to fight the dragon on his own to save the people of Herot. Furthermore, Beowulf is boastful when he declares, “I would rather not use a weapon if I knew another way to grapple with …show more content…
In Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, to be a hero was to be a warrior. A hero had to be strong, intelligent, and courageous. Similarly, warriors had to be willing to face any odds and fight to the death for their glory and people. The epics Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and The Iliad all display elements of Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf is shown as an epic hero of Anglo-Saxon time when the narrator in Beowulf states, “Together Beowulf and the young Wiglaf kill the dragon, but the old kind is fatally wounded. Beowulf, thinking of his people, asks to see the monster’s treasure.” (Beers, 37). This quote displays Beowulf’s loyalty to his people, which was a vital characteristic of an epic hero during Anglo-Saxon time. Similar to Beowulf, Achilles is shown as an Anglo-Saxon epic hero when he says, “Now come, you sons of Achaea, raise a song a triumph! Down to the ships we march and bear this corpse on high- we have won ourselves great glory. We have brought magnificent Hector down, that man the Trojans glorified in their city like a god!” (Beers, 66). This statement made by Achilles shows he took Hector down for his people in order to save their town. In comparison, Gilgamesh is displayed as an epic hero during the Anglo-Saxon time when the epic clarifies, “Gilgamesh in horror saw him strike the back of Enkidu and beat him to the ground until he thought his friend was crushed to death. He stood in horror saw him