Archetypal characters, Grendel and Humbaba, can be compared and contrasted. Their stories have numerous similarities as well as differences. They are each the feared personas of their respective stories. The fact that they would be considered the villains of their stories is their first similarity. Grendel strikes fear into the people of King Hrothgar’s land. He hates humans so much that he begins relentlessly killing humans. Humbaba is in charge of protecting a cedar forest. If any person enters this forest and begins cutting a single tree down, Humbaba is responsible for stopping said person with any means necessary, including killing them. Grendel and Humbaba are also similar because they are each represented as extremely strong and powerful …show more content…
Grendel is described to have claws or talons. Words such as demon, guardian of crime, and shepherd of evil are used to give him a devilish appearance. He is also depicted as a great monster. Humbaba is first described as an awesome being, not human, but being. He is said to be huge and hulking, monstrous even, in his every body part. This is where there similarities end. While both of these characters kill people, they do it for quite different reasons. Grendel kills humans out of pure hatred of them. It is not said exactly why he hates them, but simply that he seethes with resentment towards them. On the contrary, Humbaba only kills people because the gods require it of him. He himself has no anger, hatred, or resentment for any person. He is simply a slave to the gods’ wishes. The stories of Grendel and Humbaba also take place in different places. Grendel’s story takes place in Denmark, which explains why he is depicted as an almost dragon-like character. This makes sense because in other literature from similar areas depict dragon-like characters as well. Adversely, Humbaba’s story takes place in Mesopotamia. The story has some possible roots there, as it is believed that there might have once been a king named Gilgamesh of Uruk, in