Comparing Beowulf And King Arthur
Many books exist that have been made into films to go along with them, but they somehow never actually completely match. In today 's society Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson), the movie added material to relate it to a more modern audience. Productions company based, the way they make their movies on they way society accepts things and on the cultural views of their audience. For example, in Beowulf (Heaney) the epic Beowulf defeated the “demon monster”, Grendel just for glory. In opposite, the film Beowulf was more compassionate and cared to know what they Danes had done to upset Grendel for him to want to kill their people.
Medieval literature shows the change of heroes throughout centuries. For the English medieval times, two story’s heroes stand out: Le Morte d'Arthur’s Lancelot and Beowulf’s Beowulf. Lancelot, the patient, humble, and chivalrous knight, is contrasted by Beowulf, a boastful, proud, and rowdy viking. It clearly shows how stories have changed in their depiction of protagonists. Both Beowulf and Lancelot are great warriors and leaders but that is where their similarities end.
Dylan Callahan Ms. Morris English 12 8 December 2016 Beowulf vs. King Arthur A hero is defined by their achievements and acts of heroism. Each character, person, or event can be deemed more heroic than the other by looking at the motives and way they achieve the act. Beowulf and King Arthur can both be considered a hero in their time. Beowulf and Arthur are both considered to be a hero.
In the stories of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and Arthur, readers see that each story has a heroic character and problems they have to overcome. It is shown in Gilgamesh that he goes on a great adventure to the ends of the earth to figure out how to become immortal. Beowulf jumps into a bloody lake and doesn’t surface for a couple days in order to find and kill Grendel’s mother. Lastly, Arthur goes home to reclaim his throne from his son, Mordred, and kills him. There are also other similarities.
“If life is a battle, then my inner scars are medals for valor, for swiftness, for courage, for passion. Evil is the dark haired brother of Good; they walk hand in hand -- always..” -Storm Constantine We all know there’s a difference between good and evil. The real question is, how do we differentiate between the different types of each evil?
In the story Beowulf, you see many comparisons being made without even realizing it. For instance the fact that it shows Beowulf and Grendel in battle fighting each other. Grendel being the big nasty monster that hasn't been defeated before and Beowulf being this normal noble man who is willing to face the challenge and fight this monster. This story is one giant use of irony. This is shown in various ways, one being the simple fact that many immortal or great heroes have tried defeating Grendel but none have succeeded but this man "Beowulf" who is a mortal is able to beat Grendel at his own game by ripping his arm off.
He becomes king because of his courage and by defeating evil. Macbeth is over ambitious and only becomes king by killing people and even killing the ruling king himself. Moreover, Macbeth is considered a tragic hero, and Beowulf is an epic hero. They are both high ranking individuals, but they take different paths to climb the ranking ladder.
Beowulf Vs Modern Day What is a hero to you? When you think of a hero, do you see a knight in shining armor? Maybe a cape and tights? In the story Beowulf, the hero is a glorified warrior of higher class. Would that still be the case today or is it the same?
Compare/Contrast Essay Beowulf is an epic hero, who is a strong and powerful man who comes from Sweden to Denmark to help a village that is being attacked by a man-eating monster named Grendel. Arthur, is a romantic hero who is the courageous king of Camelot who is a devoted leader and will do anything to protect his kingdom and people. Even though Beowulf and Arthur are two different heroes, they both share similar traits such as devoted followers, the use of magical weapons, and courageous traits throughout the story. Both epic and romantic heroes had devoted followers that helped them throughout battles. Beowulf was very strong, but when the people of Denmark thought he needed help.
The poem and movie of “Beowulf” are very different and they are also sort of similar. There are a lot more differences between the two than you would expect and while some of them are minor differences others are drastically different. Most movies are very different from the book they are made from. The biggest differences between the movie and poem were the three battles. The three battles have drastic differences.
Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”
Beowulf and King Arthur are both portrayed as heroes and someone to look up to. Some similarities are both of them are very brave. They are also both very compelling leaders in their own respective ways. Even with their similarities they have differences in their heroic qualities such as Beowulf not really being a human in the sense that he can do superhuman things and King Arthur being a normal human being. It's also interesting to note that King Arthur was more of a hero for his character whereas Beowulf was more of a hero in the sense that he slays monsters and dragons.
As has been noted, many of Beowulf 's characteristics are also shared by traditional epic heroes. He 's brave and never "cowers", defeats previously unbeatable monsters, comes from nobility, and has incredible superhuman strength. Beowulf can be compared to any other epic hero, and the similarities found between them will be never ending. However, there are other characteristics that the king of the Geats possesses which make him be very different from most epic heroes. First, there is the issue with Beowulf 's lack of a moral compass.
Stories contain many characters with some that stand out more than the others. A person is considered the protagonist depending on who is telling the story and what story is being told. The protagonist is the main character in a literary work. Whether good or evil, the audience sympathize with the protagonist and understands the motif of the character. Beowulf is a protagonist whose encounters with evil proves him to be a strong heroic warrior.
Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.
More about Comparing Beowulf And King Arthur
Comparing Beowulf And Heaney's
1291 Words | 6 PagesCompare And Contrast Beowulf And Lancelot
318 Words | 2 PagesBeowulf Vs King Arthur Research Paper
643 Words | 3 PagesHow Are Beowulf And Arthur Alike
1724 Words | 7 PagesComparing Beowulf And Lord Of The Flies
689 Words | 3 PagesCompare And Contrast Beowulf
186 Words | 1 PagesMacbeth Vs Beowulf Research Paper
588 Words | 3 PagesCompare Beowulf To Modern Day
469 Words | 2 PagesCompare And Contrast Beowulf And Arthur
492 Words | 2 PagesBeowulf Compare And Contrast Essay
631 Words | 3 PagesAnalysis Of The Epic Poem Beowulf By Burton Raffel
821 Words | 4 PagesEssay Comparing Beowulf And King Arthur
720 Words | 3 PagesCompare And Contrast Epic Hero In Beowulf
2075 Words | 9 PagesThe Knight And Beowulf Comparison Essay
656 Words | 3 PagesCompare And Contrast Beowulf And Modern Day Heroes
665 Words | 3 Pages