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Characteristics of a villain in literature
Comparing heroes
Villains in literature essay
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Maximus is a hero often compared between Beowulf because both stories are tales of good versus evil. In both stories the heroes are both well respected heroes who fought for what they believed in and were the most loyal men you would ever meet. In both stories the good and evil manifested through the themes of Man vs. Man, and Man vs. Fate and Destiny. In both stories the hero is often the one who helps the people while evil is represented as wicked. In Beowulf Grendel was jealous of the herot hall because he was all alone with no friends and Commodus was jealous because his father Marcus Aurelius appointed Maximus to be the next caesar instead of him his own son. In both tales they both beat the odds of surviving as Beowulf survived Grendel …show more content…
One of the characteristics that both heros share is that they are both very loyal maybe one of the most loyal people you will meet in their time. Maximus was one of the most loyal generals of rome and Beowulf was a very loyal soldier for whoever he worked for. Both men had heros instinct in the sense that they would both help whoever was in need of help. They were both men that were raised to be warriors but became more than just another soldier they became heroes. Both men had very similar characteristics even though they were born in two completely eras of …show more content…
One difference was that Beowulf was a known hero to most and known for defeating monsters and saving people. On the other hand you have Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. In Maximus quest for vengeance there is only one true antagonist in the story and that is Commodus son of Marcus Aurelius . In Beowulf there were many antagonist in the story such as Grendel, Grendel's mother and the dragon. For Maximus his true quest was vengeance nothing more but for Beowulf all he really wanted was to leave behind a legacy and to be remembered even after he dies. They both may have a lot of similarities but they also have quite a few differences as
While fighting the Dragon Beowulf shows feats of strength and courage that define him as a hero. The classical hero displays a special quality that separates him from the rest of
In the poem Beowulf, which Seamus Heaney translates to modern English, the character Beowulf bravely conquers all enemies thrown at him, including sea monsters and other perilous creatures. This allows him to gain fame throughout Geatish and Danish lands. His righteous deeds cause the previous heir, Hygelac, to appoint Beowulf to king before he dies, and Beowulf bravely leads his country until he perishes protecting it. On the other hand, in The Last Kingdom, by Bernard Cornwell, the Danes capture a young English boy by the name of Uhtred, and integrate him into their war driven society. Uhtred learns various battle tactics by general Ubba, whose ruthlessness in battle grants him fame and riches. When Uhtred goes back to the English,
The two heroes, Beowulf and Oedipus, are very similar in some aspects and also quite different in others. The first similarity in the depiction of hero is that both heroes are of aristocratic birth. Beowulf is the cousin of Higlac, who is King of the Geats. Oedipus is the adopted son of Polybus and Merope, the King and Queen of Corinth. Furthermore, his real parents are Laius and Jocasta, King and Queen of Thebes. Another similarity is that both heroes end a period of suffering by abolishing a monster. Beowulf ends the suffering in Herot by killing the monster Grendel. "A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel, / Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering / Forced on Hrothgar's helpless people / By a bloodthirsty fiend." (lines 482 - 485) Oedipus is responsible for ending the Sphinx's reign of terror upon the city of Thebes. He does not physically kill the monster as Beowulf does; he merely answers the Sphinx's riddle. When he does so, the Sphinx kills herself. A third similarity is that both heroes are challenged by another character in the story.
The similarities between Beowulf and Michael start with their fathers. Beowulf's father was a great warrior who had earned a reputation as being strong and courageous; however, Beowulf's father was killed and never saw his son do great things. All of these traits of Beowulf's father are similar to that of Michael's dad. Michael's father, James Jordan, was a great professional baseball player who had earned a reputation as a hustle player and a good lead off man. James was killed later in life, and was never able to see his son do great things. Just like Beowulf's father.
Beowulf's character is very much similar to that of Jesus' in many ways. To the Danes he is recognized as a saviour, releasing them from the bonds of fear and death that Grendel had placed on Hrothgar's people. Friederich Klaeber writes that the poet raised Beowulf, "To the rank of a singularly spotless hero, a defending, protecting, redeeming being, a truly ideal character. In fact we need not hesitate to recognize features of the Christian Saviour in the destroyer of hellish fiends, the warrior brave and gentle, blameless in thought and deed, the king that dies for his people." (Klaeber 11). The battle with Grendel is a direct conflict between the powers of good and evil. Grendel is perceived as nothing short of an incarnation of the Christian devil. Many of his characteristics resemble those of Satan; he belongs to the lineage of Cain, the first murderer, and his home stirs up visions of hell (Norton 45-48). The dragon also resembles that of Satan. Lusting over gold and riches, the dragon protects his hoard with fire and fear. In Revelation 12:9, Satan is revealed as "the great dragon...the serpent of old". In the events including the battle with the dragon, one might notice a striking similarity with that of Jesus' experience in the garden of Gethsemane (Mathew 26:36-56). It is here that Jesus ventured with His 11 disciples (minus Judas) and was willingly seized to be later crucified and killed. The disciples had done nothing to help Him while Jesus accepted His own death for the benefit of His people. Beowulf, escorted by eleven lords also confronts his own death while his men abandon him in fear. It is only one, Wiglaf, who chooses to stand bravely beside his liege-lord in battle (Norton 60-62). In likeness, Peter follows Jesus and His captors from a distance to see the outcome of the trial. In contrast, Peter denies Jesus in fear rather than help Him (Mathew 26:58-75). The Christian elements in the poem are almost clearly without question so deeply ingrained within the poem that one cannot explain it away as mere coincidence.
What is hero? A hero, under the Merriam-Webster definition, is a person who is admired for brave/great acts or fine qualities. This is a very broad definition that combines both ancient and modern belief of what --or who-- a hero should be. Beowulf is an epic poem that focuses on an Anglo-Saxon hero. As such he embodies the traits that his culture valued most. Deadpool, on the other hand, portrays the most recent ideas of what traits a hero should embody. With these examples from contrasting periods, we are still able to see similarities and differences that shows how modern and Anglo-Saxon idea of heroism reflects its culture.
The third comparison is how the both get treated with a great deal of respect. Beowulf gets respected through out the lands of his time, and by his men whom are scare with out the help and support of Beowulf. The soldiers get treated with up most respect by people not just of our country, but people for across the world that they have helped out in hard times in their country.
Although Beowulf might have been a great warrior, usually people do not think that he is the greatest warrior from a story. Beowulf had the strength and the tactics to take down tons and tons of men on his own, but did not have the wisdom of other warrior figures. Beowulf was mainly strength and toughness, and sometimes a warrior needs to have some type of knowledge to ever be able to fight. A great example to Beowulf would be Luke Skywalker. Luke is in a story that is not the same type of story but, has the same concept. The only main difference would have to be the setting and the type of movie. Beowulf is a warrior that is considered super human and doesn't really belong anywhere, because he is not truly con...
Beowulf and Superman share some of the same characteristics. The two heroes both fight for good causes. They put their lives on the line to protect others. They are also brave and strong in mind and body.
The story of both heroes is quite peculiar when comparing them to each other. Beowulf is recognized for his almighty strength of defeating monsters by himself. In a kingdom located in Denmark, Beowulf travels to aid the king Hrothgar. Hrothgar had a major problem
Beowulf represents what a modern hero truly is rather than Dante the pilgrim, because he displays qualities of courage, pride, and humility. In order to be considered a modern hero the individual must demonstrate these particular qualities, and courage, pride, and humility should be reflected in the actions they make.
Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as bravery, loyalty, and generosity, which portray him as a hero. It is interesting how modern day heroes show the much of the same qualities as Beowulf.
Throughout the story, Beowulf fights three battles against frightening monsters. Beowulf, the prince of the Geats, was a well known warrior with extreme strength who makes a promise to protect his people under any circumstance. In the poem, his strength is tested, but he uses it to save many people in battles against: Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and a dragon. Before, during, and after each of these battles Beowulf shows many similarities and differences in his actions.
Another similarity of course is violence. Violence is obviously present in Beowulf’s world. The determinant of status holds its roots in violence. The only way for a warrior to prove himself is through battle, or violence. Specifically this can be seen through the character, Unferth. He was not respected as a warrior due to his inability to win battles. He tried to find faults in Beowulf to raise his own ego. The disrespect given to this man was due to his unsuccessfulness in violent engagements.
A soldier and Beowulf are similar in many ways, for instance, they are both strong and brave. A soldier shows strength and bravery when he/she fights for the safety of our country by going to war against countries that mean us harm. Beowulf showed strength and bravery when he fought Grendel, a demonic monster who killed many of the Danes’ people. Unarmed and with the strength of just one hand, Beowulf was able to defeat Grendel. Throughout the poem, Beowulf fought in two more major battles; Grendel’s mother and a great dragon. Another similarity is that both, a soldier and Beowulf, are/were passionate about serving and protecting their people. Soldiers are dedicated to protecting those around them on the battlefield, as well as our society as a whole. Beowulf was not only dedicated to protecting his own people, but also those who had done right by his father.