Beowulf An Archetypal Hero

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Archetypal warrior heroes share three qualities. They all share courage, cleverness, and sacrifice. They each set out on a journey to either protect or prove. Although each of the three had their troubles, they still fought for their causes.


The minotaur is a very fearsome monster, half man, half horse, standing twice as high as any human. It’s tough skin and speed make the minotaur a force to be reckoned with. A horrific beast it is, but a warrior named Theseus from the Greek myth “Daedalus and Icarus”, proves his worth by entering the labyrinth and defeating the minotaur. He sacrifices his own life to prove that he could live up to his promise of defeating the beast. Even after the minotaur was defeated, he proceeded to exit the labyrinth …show more content…

He would arrive at night, wake up townsmen, and wreak havoc upon the hall of Heorot. All seemed lost until, one night, an outsider named Beowulf arrived to be the protector of the town. In the Anglo-Saxon myth “Beowulf Fights the Three Monsters of the Far North”, it states “Every night now, men died defenseless in the hands of Grendel – no sword could pierce the thick skin of this monster. Bravely, Beowulf volunteered to sleep by the door of the hall.”
Then during the night, Grendel attacked Heorot once again, but this time, he had a challenge. Beowulf sprung from his slumber to swing his sword at Grendel, but it shattered on impact. Then using Beowulf’s incredible strength, he tore Grendel’s arm off of his shoulder. Grendel then hobbled into the darkness to die.


Hunahpu and Xbalanque, the Mayan hero twins, were intelligent beings, knowing healing rituals, and being able to outsmart The Lords of Death. Their fathers weren’t as smart, as they chose to do all the wrong things. While Hunahpu and Xbalanque are out doing The Lords of Death’s trials they have to do many things, like sacrifice themselves to a greater power, and to be revitalized. The myth quotes, “When they were sent to the Razor House, sharp blades were supposed to cut them to pieces. But they convinced the blades that their job was to cut up animals, not hero twins.” saying that they’re dedicated to being victorious against The Lords of

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