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Throughout the existence of our world many epic tales have come and gone. These stories contain bravery, courage, and utter power; traits that make these epic tales so famous and beloved. Two examples of epic tales following beloved heroes would be Beowulf and Perseus. These heroes contain similarities such as their spirituality and abnormal abilities; as well as their differences involving their upcomings in their world.
A strength that both Perseus and Beowulf possess is their spiritual connections. In the epic story of Beowulf, his faith is a reoccurring topic that is brought up frequently.
His faith in God is especially seen when he is battling his foes. "He'd have traveled to the bottom of the earth, Edgetho's son, and died there, if that shining woven metal had not helped-and Holy God, who sent him victory, gave judgement for truth and right, Ruler of the Heavens, once Beowulf was back on his feet and fighting" (507-512). In this scene Beowulf is fighting Grendel's mother and when he is saved by his armor he believes that this was a sign from God.
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His faith gives him everlasting determination, for if he did not believe in God then he would not contain the courage to walk into battle. Along with this, Beowulf's connection with God is shown through his belief in fate.
"I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins" (620-622). In Beowulf's final battle he holds such bravery due to his belief in fate. He refers to fate as God's choice, if Beowulf dies in this battle then he believes that God has meant for that to happen. His connection with faith is what makes him the beloved hero everyone knows. Perseus can also be seen having spiritual connections like Beowulf. However, instead of God, Perseus is actually communicating with the Greek gods. His father, Zeus, reached out to him to warn him about Hades and the destruction that he will cause. Andromeda, the love of his life, was in a life-threatening situation due to Hades. For this, Perseus will do anything to save her. After learning that killing the Kraken would allow him to have his revenge against Hades, Perseus agrees to help. He and Argos' finest soldiers embark on a quest, to fight for his love Andromeda. On his journey he ended up defeating the Stygian Witches, Dioskilos, Medusa, Scorpions, and Calibos, as well as the Kraken. His connection with the Gods allowed him to gain insight on how to kill the Kraken and ultimately defeat Hades. He learned from the Gods that Medusa's head is what Perseus needed to kill the almighty creature that Hades summoned. Ultimately, Beowulf's and Perseus's connection with their God, or Gods, allowed them to gain glory and save the lives of one's they truly cherished.
Power is another trait that strengthens both Beowulf and Perseus. For Beowulf, his power is his utter strength. He contains the ability to take on enemies with his own bare hands. Beowulf proved himself a noble warrior when he was able to defeat Grendel using his physical strength instead of a sword. Grendel had survived so many attacks due to his bewitching on weapons such as swords. This means that he could not be damaged by any weapons, however when Beowulf comes along this catches Grendel by surprise because he was defeated by pure strength. "He twisted in pain,
and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke" (337-340). Beowulf did not use any weapons besides his own hands, which allowed him to damage Grendel and rip off his arm. Perseus's power was also his physical strength as well as his courage. Perseus's strength of power allowed him to survive the many battles he encountered on his journey, and ultimately allowed him to defeat Medusa. On his journey his courage kept him going as well as his determination to save his love, Andromeda. Perseus's strength is what got him through the many hardships that came his way, as he defeated the Stygian Witches, Dioskilos, Medusa, Scorpions, and Calibos. Once he discovered where Medusa's lair was he traveled there and eventually cut off her head with his mighty sword. The head of Medusa was what he needed to defeat the Kraken, and overall save Andromeda.
Although these two heroes contain many similarities, they also have their differences. For example, although however mighty Beowulf may be, he is simply a mortal. A mortal who is son of a king, and eventually becomes King himself. Perseus is not just simply a mortal, he is a demigod. The son of Zeus and a mortal woman, this grants him strength that no mortal could ever possess.
Beowulf vs Perseus. (2019, Dec 12). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/beowulf-vs-perseus-essay
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