Beowulf Glory and fame is important in a heroes mind. It’s more important than anything else in their life and territory. Respect and knowledge gained from their own people meant the world to them, and more important their identity as a warrior. Heroes do not have to persuade their story to their people and how they did it, the outcome of their war and victory would tell the story of how great and brilliant they were for it self. This explains the life of both Achilles and Beowulf. Both warriors fought with pride and power, but they had different personalities and ideas of leadership.
Both great stories were oriented towards gaining glory and showing strength. Achilles fought and goes into Troy only for his own fame, while Beowulf fights for his value and goes in to Journeys to show everyone else how first-class of a warrior he is against monsters that are bigger than him. There are many examples that show how two great warriors are compared in a similar and different way. There fighting style was similar in a way that they were seem as an immortal from by those around them, they were unstoppable and had many strengths. Achilles was the son of a God, which dad him smart and agile.
He had stamina and was very fast and accurate with his moves. Beowulf fighting style was more of strength and power. He cared more about beating a monster with his bare hands than using a weapon like Achilles did. Achilles was a prideful warrior who only believed in his own will and his own way. As a stubborn warrior many people from his army did what he commanded and didn’t question is motives or actions. If people did not do what he said to do, he would become savage Just like he acted towards Agamemnon who has betrayed by taking his prize.
A perfect example is on lines (1 . 342-355). His words hold meaning, obeying his orders is the only answer. Even though Agamemnon does not follow Achilles orders, his hatred and stubbornness are shown towards someone that he has no control of. In other words he cared more about himself then his people. But his strength and ability to fight is missed from the war that his own people are fighting are losing and until Achilles returns. Which shows that he’s their leader and the toughest. Beowulf on the other hand had a different personality then the great Achilles.
He was a warrior that cared more about peace and the protection of his people. He did not want evil to come to the Danes, so he would use his strength and power to avoid it. Beowulf shows us that he wants peace when he sleeps overnight at the hall to stop Grenade from attacking the Danes once again, “l have heard moreover that the monster scorns in his reckless way to use weapons; therefore, to heighten Haggler’s fame and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and- death fight with the fiend. ” (433-440).
This explains that by beating him with his hands he will beat the evil of Grenade with his bare hands. This shows toughness and peace towards himself and the Danes that have been getting massacred by the monster, Grenade. The difference between both warriors is that Beowulf takes more responsibility to stop evil. While Achilles knows his people are getting beating bad, he still chooses himself to go help them right a way. He did not care about his people as much because it en did en would d nave PU them on his shoulders trot the start would not have cared for an apology for being betrayed by one person.
The actions of Achilles are the leading forces to his best friends death and his own. Achilles gives permission to Patrols to go fight while he sits and wait for an apology of Agamemnon. Patrols, asking Achilles for permission to Join the war “Give me your armor to put on your shoulders; The Trojan might suppose I was you, old back, and give the Saccharine’ sons a breather, for breathing spells in war are very few. Then, tit a shout, fresh men might easily turn tired men from the ships toward the city.
So, like a fool he begged; for it would bean evil death and doom for himself he asked. ‘ (40-47018). This is when Patrols dies in war, because Achilles lets him fight because he will not go into war because of the humiliation and abandonment from his own people for his pride. This is a perfect example of the difference between Beowulf and Achilles. Beowulf would not send someone else to fight for him. He would do it with his bare hands and power to show how great he was. While Achilles is showing us that by making his people to beg him to fight will make him.
This causes a lot of good men die because of Achilles and specially his best friend; Patrols. On the other hand Beowulf was always ready to put his own life in front of anyone and would volunteer and go first in to battle. This leaves Beowulf as a caring hero and Achilles as a snob warrior that only cared about himself. Even though they have a lot of things that are different, both stories are similar. Killing and glory was first in their mind and that is all that mattered. Both Achilles and Beowulf in my opinion are tragic heroes in their story.
Even though they both did great things and were great fighters, they had one major mistake. We know that Achilles had too much pride, which led him to his death. Beowulf also had a large ego thinking he could fight anyone at any time. This leads to his major flaw of being self-confidant, thinking that he could take humongous monsters (the dragon) with out the help of others. Both men are still known as being great warriors’ and that is why we are reading bout them still in the 21st century and discussing their heroism. They are known as great warriors and fighters.
In my opinion and from the reading, Beowulf is known as the hero who cared more about his people. He is remembered as ” the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame. (lines 318(:)-82). Achilles last actions of killing Hector and dragging his body to his camp, is seen as a savage to his own people and Hector family in lines 345-350, 24, we see how mean and rude he is as a warrior. Glory and fame were brought in to their lives y their actions until one major cause led them to be remembered as heroes.
