FREE ESSAY ON LITERARY HEROES: BEOWULF AND ODYSSEUS

LITERARY HEROES: BEOWULF AND ODYSSEUS

Literary Heroes:
Beowulf and Odysseus
Reading through Beowulf I began to compare it to the last great epic I read, Homer's The
Odyssey. While The Odyssey and Beowulf are each examples of both historic and modern
ideas of heroism, the acts of Beowulf's hero seem to fit better within its context. 
Beowulf exhibits many obvious heroic qualities, such as his strength and confidence in
battle. These along with more subtle diplomatic actions serve to define him as both a
great warrior and leader. 
Beowulf shows both wit and patience in his swift retort after Unferth challenges his
skill. Later, after proving himself by dismembering Grendel, he accepts Unferth's sword
to face Grendel's mother. This offering can be seen as an act of apology or forfeit on
Unferth's part and reveals another side of the hero: forgiveness. Beowulf did not deny
Unferth his repentance, nor did he ridicule him upon his conceit. 
In contrast with Beowulf's concrete depictions of good versus evil, The Odyssey focuses
more on the gray areas of punishment and revenge. A main theme throughout the poem is
vengeance, either by the gods or by man, and the unforgiving world of The Odyssey
reflects in its hero's actions. Indeed upon Odysseus' return to Ithaca he is almost
bloodthirsty, choosing not to reveal himself as king to drive away the suitors, but
instead to bide time in the guise of a beggar until he can slaughter all who've wronged
him. 
Beowulf's wrath is swift and justified. He plays no games with his opponents. Beowulf
even shows respect to his foe and honorably faces them with no undue advantage. 
A classic example of the honor usually associated with heroes lies in Beowulf's decision
to use neither sword nor armor when facing the monster Grendel in Heorot. Beowulf instead
opted, in the name of fair play, to fight the monster on it's own terms. Unsurprisingly
Beowulf conquered his foe in true idolic form, tearing Grendel's arm from his torso with
only the strength of his grip and the power of his arms. This is what we cheer for in
such stories, this is the satisfying victory over evil by the true embodiment of good:
the hero. 
Odysseus' confrontation with the great Cyclops, Polyphemus, looks cowardly and
dishonorable by comparison. Where Beowulf bravely stood and fought Grendel with only his
bare hands, Odysseus waits for Polyphemus to slip into an alcoholic coma before blinding
him. Later he uses this handicap to escape.
In contrast to the nobility of Beowulf in the battle with Grendel, Odysseus' dealings
with Polyphemus seem almost petty. Odysseus chooses to check his honor at the door in
favor of trickery and deceit.
Beowulf embodies all the things we usually associate with heroism: diplomacy, confidence,
strength, intelligence and more. His nobility and benevolence is displayed aptly in his
dealings with Unferth, in his road to the Geatish throne, and his actions upon obtaining
it. Beowulf's epic battles, and even his dramatic death at the hands of the great dragon,
serve to paint a portrait depicting the true literary hero.
This unbridled heroism does carry with it a few negative connotations, however. For
example, it is ironic that while we only follow Odysseus through a fraction of his life
in comparison with Beowulf's, the development and evolution of his character is far more
evident. It is clear that Odysseus learns from his mistakes and grows as a person through
his adventures, while Beowulf undergoes only superficial evolution, growing from boy to
man. 
In the end, our society's schema of heroes are aptly fulfilled to a certain extent in
both poems; but while The Odyssey tries more to humanize the hero, Beowulf firmly
solidifies its hero's super-human niche in the annals of history.