Beowulf vs Achilles
Beowulf and Achilles
Ilyas Wilkinson-Hayat
When tales are told of valiant heroes in history, a handful stand out as some of the most well-known and revered of them all. Although the two in the title are not as famous as Superman or Spiderman, this does not make their tale any less epic. Both Achilles and Beowulf brought a new style of hero to the table. The two heroes had their flaws, however paid it back in spades with the bravery displayed in their respective epics. What is interesting about these two heroes is that their stories were written in completely different time periods, by peoples who were geographically extremely far apart. Beowulf was written in the (estimated) early eighth century in Denmark, while the Iliad (Achilles tale) was written by Homer many millennia ago in ancient Greece. However both heroes exemplify the qualities most heroes attempt to exhibit. The following are short summaries of both the stories of Beowulf and Achilles as well as their respective heroic traits. First, I will start off with the tale of Beowulf. The poem opens up with a description of the genealogy of the high King Hrothgar of Denmark. This king builds a great mead-hall named Heorot, a place where warriors from all over can gather for a night of drinking and eating. This time of prosperity though soon came to the end. Grendel, a fierce monster with mighty strength, started killing the Danes, some sort of complaint about the noise. Once word gets out of how these warriors are being killed off ruthlessly without any successful attempts at retaliation against this demon, a Geatish warrior named Beowulf steps into the scene. Once Beowulf arrives, he is welcomed warmly by king Hrothgar into his mead-hall. Beowulf’s men were treated to a feast, but during the event, Beowulf was taunted by a Dane named Unferth. Here we first get a glimpse into what type of man Beowulf is. In response to Unfert’s taunts, Beowulf boastfully recalls his past accomplishments. We are given
Ilyas Wilkinson-Hayat
When tales are told of valiant heroes in history, a handful stand out as some of the most well-known and revered of them all. Although the two in the title are not as famous as Superman or Spiderman, this does not make their tale any less epic. Both Achilles and Beowulf brought a new style of hero to the table. The two heroes had their flaws, however paid it back in spades with the bravery displayed in their respective epics. What is interesting about these two heroes is that their stories were written in completely different time periods, by peoples who were geographically extremely far apart. Beowulf was written in the (estimated) early eighth century in Denmark, while the Iliad (Achilles tale) was written by Homer many millennia ago in ancient Greece. However both heroes exemplify the qualities most heroes attempt to exhibit. The following are short summaries of both the stories of Beowulf and Achilles as well as their respective heroic traits. First, I will start off with the tale of Beowulf. The poem opens up with a description of the genealogy of the high King Hrothgar of Denmark. This king builds a great mead-hall named Heorot, a place where warriors from all over can gather for a night of drinking and eating. This time of prosperity though soon came to the end. Grendel, a fierce monster with mighty strength, started killing the Danes, some sort of complaint about the noise. Once word gets out of how these warriors are being killed off ruthlessly without any successful attempts at retaliation against this demon, a Geatish warrior named Beowulf steps into the scene. Once Beowulf arrives, he is welcomed warmly by king Hrothgar into his mead-hall. Beowulf’s men were treated to a feast, but during the event, Beowulf was taunted by a Dane named Unferth. Here we first get a glimpse into what type of man Beowulf is. In response to Unfert’s taunts, Beowulf boastfully recalls his past accomplishments. We are given