Beowulf And Achilles: In Search Of A True Hero

“True war heroes traditionally were those who were able to overcome danger, those for whom their true character came out under stress” (Cannon 3). A true hero starts off with a call to action where he or she must make the decision of whether to go or not. When the hero decides to go they will embark on a journey that will transform them into the hero they are now. Similar to Beowulf when Hrothgar asked for his help with fighting Grendel. Beowulf then sailed across the sea to Hrothgar’s kingdom and rid the Danes of Grendel saving thousands of lives while risking his own. That same process applies to Achilles. Agamemnon, king of Greece, went to war with the Trojans with the knowledge that Hector commanded of one of the best armies in all of

Beowulf was a hero that was called to action by the King of Danes, Hrothgar. Beowulf came to Hrothgar’s kingdom with one goal in mind and that was to slay Grendel. He finally got his chance to fight Grendel when they were in the mead hall, Grendel broke through the door, and Beowulf cut off his arm with the door. He was then crowned the King of the Danes. In his final battle Beowulf had to fight a dragon that was terrorizing his kingdom and when he was killed one of his men stepped up to slay the dragon in honor of Beowulf. In similar fashion Achilles was called to action by Agamemnon when the Greeks went to war with the Trojans. Achilles accepts Agamemnon’s call half-heartedly due to the two of them not getting along the best. Achilles refuses to fight the Trojans until they reach the Greek ships. His attitude would soon change when he learns that his cousin has been killed by Hector. Learning this Achilles then challenges Hector to a duel that would leave Hector lifeless. Achilles and Beowulf were both great heroes that have many

Beowulf demonstrated bravery when he fought Grendel’s mother without any armor. Likewise, Achilles showed great bravery when he fought Hector one on one in front of the gates of Troy. Achilles illustrated extraordinary leadership skills when he stormed the beaches of Troy with his men so that the Greeks could establish a foothold. In the same way Beowulf showed great leadership skills when he lead his men to fight the dragon that would later kill him. Beowulf and Achilles have many traits that are similar, but at the same time they also have some differences.

Beowulf was willing to go to battle for another king while Achilles was more reserved and was reluctant to go to battle for someone else. When Hrothgar called for Beowulf’s help in battling Grendel, Beowulf jumped at the first chance he had to battle Grendel. However when Achilles was called upon by Agamemnon to help fight the Trojans, he waited in his ship until he caught word that his cousin was killed. Beowulf and Achilles were different in many ways, there is one of them that is a better hero than the