Similarities Between The Hobbit And Beowulf

The journey of an epic hero is a literary story that is repeated time and time again in a variety versions. One of the oldest examples is the epic poem Beowulf and one of the latest examples is the movie The Hobbit. In both stories, the main characters, Beowulf and Thorin, go through trials and display certain qualities that qualify them as heroes. The three trials that Beowulf and Thorin go through in Beowulf and The Hobbit reveal the heroic characteristics that both of them possess or learn to possess. Both Beowulf and Thorin are willing to fight against wicked creatures when no one is able to in order to protect their people or others in need. Beowulf not only willingly risks his life for the Danes against Grendel and his mother (his first

In Beowulf, Unferth tries to rile up Beowulf, viewing him as not as glorious as the stories claim, but once he kills Grendel and begins his hunt for Grendel’s mother, he realizes his words were wrong. He tries to apologize by lending Beowulf his own sword, Hrunting. Beowulf gladly accepts the sword and even states “‘to that far-famed man I bequeath my own / sharp-honed, wave-sheened wonder-blade. / With Hrunting I shall gain glory or die’” (1489-1491). Beowulf’s ability to accept Unferth’s apology instead of holding a grudge shows he is forgiving and humble about others. Thorin does a similar thing but in reverse. In The Hobbit, Thorin demonstrates his ability to apologize to others after Bilbo bravely saves Thorin from being killed from his battle with Azog. When they are finally safe from danger, Thorin, realizing his misjudgments, immediately apologizes to Bilbo, stating he was wrong for saying and thinking such negative things about him. Thorin is willing to admit his wrongs and correct them, which is incredibly noble and heroic for a dwarf as Gandalf tells Bilbo they are very prideful and stubborn. These heroes’ ability to accept apologies or to learn to apologize shows they are humbling and willing to accept the faults of themselves or others, another heroic

Beowulf definitely displays multiple examples of courage, such as fighting Grendel barehanded and going to fight a dragon alone, but the most pronounced example is when Beowulf goes to fight Grendel’s mother, his second trial. Her home is a disgusting, murky lake that’s “infested with… sea-dragons / and monsters” (1425) and so deep that “the mere bottom has never been sounded by the sons of men” (1367-1368). Even the creatures that live around it would rather die than dive under the water’s surface. Beowulf makes a big deal out of how terrifying her home is, expressing how the warriors who arrived at her home were “not man enough / to face the turmoil of a fight under water / and the risk to [their] life” (1468-1470). But Beowulf is willing to. Not only does he plunge into the terrifying lake but he goes to fight Grendel’s mother alone. All the witnesses are amazed he completed such a task. Thorin demonstrates this similarly in his fight against Azog. Azog is a monstrous, pale orc that murders any foes, including Thorin’s grandfather and father, in his way of conquering others. Thorin bravely battles against this enemy with nothing but his weapon and a tree branch as a shield. His close friend and advisor Balin claimed that his victory against Azog showed that Thorin was truly a brave leader that could be followed. Their bravery emitted from them in their trials reflect the common qualities shown by