Qualities of a Hero: Beowulf Vs. Achilles
A hero is a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In the story Beowulf, a brave, strong-willed man battles an atrocious monster named Grendel. Grendel is born evil, and it physically pains him to experience any type of joy or happiness. Grendel attacks Herot killing eight men every time he pays the Danes a visit. Beowulf battles Grendel, and takes his arm as a trophy. In the story The Iliad, a man named Achilles is heartbroken by the death of his best friend named Patroclus. Patroclus is killed by Hector, the prince of Troy. Achilles seeks to avenge the death of his best friend by mercilessly killing Hector. Achilles battles Hector, and manages to shove his sword through Hector’s throat just barely missing his windpipe so Achilles can have one last conversation. Hector asks Achilles to bring his body back to the Archean’s, and Achilles refuses. Achilles destroys Hector’s body to avenge Patroclus. These two heroes have two different stories, but they both have some
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Beowulf is even tempered and is willing to sacrifice his men to win any battle that comes his way. While Achilles has a short temper, and is offended by the losses of his men during battle. For example, Beowulf is not effected by the loss of all the men that Grendel has killed over the past twelve years, while Achilles cries for his men who are lost in battle. This shows one difference between Beowulf and Achilles’s personality. Achilles has a short temper, therefore when Hector kills Patroclus, Achilles is heartbroken, but it also very angry and wants revenge. Beowulf has an even temper, and does not get angry as easily. This shows the difference between how Beowulf reacts to certain events, and how Achilles reacts. So, the two heroes have as many differences as they do have