Beewulf : A True Hero Of Odysseus And Beowulf

A hero can be defined in several ways. Someone can be considered a hero by the qualities he or she displays. The epic poem Beowulf, written by an unknown author, describes the most heroic man and role model of the Anglo-Saxon times. This hero Beowulf has all the qualities and traits that a true hero expresses. Beowulf, as depicted in the epic Beowulf, is the prototype of the epic hero, a larger-than-life figure who embodies the virtues and ideals of his culture.

A hero can be described as someone who goes through various obstacles and is able to overcome them. Both the Bible and The Odyssey depict heroism through two similar characters, David and Odysseus. In the Bible, David rises above all others through his heroic qualities and by ending the war between the Israelites and the Philistines with the aid of God. On a related note, in The Odyssey, heroism is demonstrated by Odysseus in the way that he conquers multiple enemies, also with the assistance of the gods. However, heroes are not always perfect and they often make mistakes throughout their journey. David and Odysseus are successful as heroes because of the positive and negative characteristics that they possess, as well as their firm relationship with the divine that ultimately assists them in overcoming their challenges. This demonstrates that individual efforts were not enough to be a hero in their community and the help of the divine was crucial.

Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.

Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.

Odysseus’s arrogance is shown throughout the poem, but it is clearly shown during his time with a cyclops named Polyphemus. When Odysseus and his men enter a dangerous cave because of their leader’s foolish curiosity and meets Polyphemus, Odysseus says “It was our luck to come here; here we stand,/ beholden for your help, or any gifts/ you give-as custom is to honor strangers,” (256-268). Here Odysseus is practically demanding that the cyclops treat him and his men with courtesy just because he is a guest. His arrogance and pride makes them stay with the dangerous cyclops even though they had a perfect chance for escaping from cyclops at the very beginning before the conversation even started. If only they quickly left with some cheese or nothing at all, Odysseus wouldn’t have lost so many men. Because of Odysseus’s arrogance, six of his men were eaten by the cyclops. Another example when Odysseus arrogance is shown was just

Odysseus is described as a god-like man. He is cunning, sly, suave, strong, confident and self-possessed. He accomplishes many great events like that of defeating the Trojans, slaying the suitors and travelling to and back from Hades. When on the beach in Phaeacia he confidently “stalked as a mountain lion exultant in his power strides through wind and rain and his eyes blaze and he charges sheep or oxen or chases wild deer” , and when he sees Nausicaa “He launched in at once, endearing, sly and suave” . Athena found him to be “so winning, so worldly wise, so self possessed!” . Neither does he lack in ingenuity, King Nestor said that “No one...could hope to rival Odysseus, not for sheer cunning–at every twist of strategy he excelled us all” . Odysseus has a large and gallant reputation to fulfil, but when he first makes an appearance in the book he is crying on Calypso’s island. Crying is often seen as a weakness in a man, but this makes Odysseus more endearing as it reveals the labour of his love.

The trait of heroism is something that has changed over thousands of years. Today’s heros have different traits than those heroes of the Trojan War. However, a few have survived the test of time. Many of modern day heroes, as well as past heroes, do hold these long enduring traits, like Nelson Mandela, Marcus Luttrell, Louis Zamperini, and the fictional Iron Man. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey by Homer, portrays the traits necessary to be dubbed a hero. One is a hero if he or she shows leadership, bravery, resilience, and creativity throughout their actions.

A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.

Odysseus displays his pridefulness in the Odyssey with his uncautious actions. He takes pride in his strength, virility, and quick wit. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus leaves home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and he sails overseas to return home with his crew. He is known throughout the story for being prideful and heroic, but his pride is more harmful than helpful. Sometimes Odysseus lets his crew get into dangerous situations that effect their lives and slow their journey. He is hotheaded and often doesn’t think about how his actions will impact his future.

Another case of his pride blinding Odysseus is when he could not control his men: “Temptation had its way with my companions,/ and they untied the bag.” (Book X, 52-53). Odysseus cannot control his men, and this causes the whole ship to be blown back to Aiolia. Another way in which Odysseus is not a legend is because he loses the entire Ithacan fleet throughout the whole journey, like in Ismaros and Lamos. His hubris blinds his sense of judgment, and as a result of his carelessness, he kills two generations of Ithacans. His ego and selfishness causes great losses, thus he is not a great legend.

Odysseus was an arrogant yet successful warrior during the Trojan War shipwrecked at sea due to him angering the gods with his arrogance and selfishness

Throughout the history of epic literature, heroes have been an integral part of many different cultures. Some of these heroes are fierce and powerful, renowned for their skill in battle, while some others and clever and cunning, able to talk their way out of any difficult situation. These traits usually emphasize the values of the cultural from which the hero came, and depending on the culture,traits viewed as heroic may drastically differ. Although there exists a plethora of traits any one hero may have, there are three core characteristic that, in my opinion, a hero must have to be considered a hero: the courage to face hardships, the willingness to make major self-sacrifices for the benefit of others, and most importantly, the dedication to do what it takes to reach their goal.

In the bible in the book of Joshua 1:9 it says “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the lord your god is with you wherever you go.” A Hero is someone who does nice things or saves a person from something. Homer wrote a book called The Odyssey, which was based on Odysseus, who is considered a hero and is tested by the Greek gods. In the story Scylla & Charybdis, Odyssey knew if he went against Scylla he would lose some men. However, he took the chance and went through it just to get back home. In Ancient Greeks he is a hero, but he's not considered a modern day hero.

Odysseus’s crew hurried to hush him because they had not escaped yet. But Odysseus continued to gloat. Polyphemus then prays to his father Poseidon to curse Odysseus and never let him go back to see his family again. Then Polyphemus picks off another mountain cliff throwing towards Odysseus’s ships, but this time the peak lands behind them pushing them away from the Cyclops Island. So that is one reason I think Odysseus shows he has a cocky trait.

Within the Anglo-Saxon culture, becoming a well-known warrior and successful in war was a major factor in being recognized as the best of the best. Beowulf follows the story of a young warrior, Beowulf, fighting his way up the ladder of success who represents a typical hero from the Anglo-Saxon time period. Throughout the poem, he is met with vicious creatures from the supernatural world which tend to create violent obstacles that he must overcome to create a certain image of a superb thane. By developing the character of Beowulf through his direct and indirect involvements with monsters, the poet reveals his desire for reputation which can lead to pride and his death.