Archetypes In Beowulf And To Kill A Mockingbird

The English epic Beowulf is able to show normal archetypes just like in most examples of literature. Beowulf follows the normal archetypes just like most novels like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Both pieces of literature are completely different, but both share the archetypes of; the outcast, the mentor, and the task.

The outcasts in the epic Beowulf is the demon Grendel. Both Grendel live at the bottom of the marsh away from everyone, however, Grendel only comes out to fulfill his murderous desires. Although in Beowulf the people of the Danes treat Grendel as a monster or the outcast because he kills, but he is smart and has cowardly moments just like normal people. When Grendel comes to the hall to murder he is met with Beowulf and

In Beowulf the mentor is Beowulf to Wiglaf, so Wiglaf could become Beowulf's successor for the crown. Beowulf alone is very honorable and is always doing as he says he will. Wiglaf learns how to become a candidate for the crown by following Beowulf and trusting himself. As Beowulf fights the dragon and enters his last hours Wiglaf steps into the light and expresses how much of a mentor Beowulf is to Wiglaf. Wiglaf never leaves Beowulf, "Remembering everything his lord and cousin had given him," (95/96). Wiglaf remembers only the good in Beowulf and is able to trust him fully even when Beowulf is on his last battle. Wiglaf is able to tell the other soldiers about how, "He allowed us to join him," (108) and how Beowulf is only ever there for them. However, unlike Wiglaf no one stayed for Beowulf to save him. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem have their house maid, Calpurnia, as the mentor. Calpurnia is the house maid, but she is also a very important parental figure in the children's lives. She stays with them all day and teaches them anything they need to know to live in the real world. Calpurnia teaches them to have manners and to love everyone no matter what skin color they may have or who they are. In both pieces of literature, the mentors show their followers how to treat others and that honor and loyalty is

As Beowulf comes to the Land of the Danes he tells all that he is there to kill the monster who terrorizes them, "May purge all evil from this hall." (166). Beowulf is so confident in himself that he tells about the time he "swam in the blackness …, hunting monsters … and killing them one by one." (155-157). The whole purpose of Beowulf going to The Land of the Danes is to show his strength and because previously his land is in debt to the Danes. However, in To Kill a Mockingbird the whole task is not to get Boo Radley outside, but to show Maycomb that Tom Robinson is an innocent man. Atticus Finch is the only lawyer in town who would take the case of Tom Robinson because Robinson happens to be of color. Tom Robinson is being accused of raping a young woman, but no one will believe he did not so it because he is black. However, Robinson did not rape her, but she was only shown to be beaten by her father. In both pieces the task is surrounded by honor; Beowulf did not back down to Grendel or any battle no matter what he was facing, and Atticus is a professional who does not care about the color of his client and only wants justice. To compare the task in both pieces is to see how the two tasks are surrounded and built upon