Comparing The Hero In Beowulf And The Kite Runner

Baltasar Gracian advised us all “Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.” Being a hero is not defined by the number of people saved or by how extravagantly it is done, but rather by the nature of one’s heart. One character could save an entire town from a horrendous monster and another could simply save a friend from being shamed by his family, but both of these people would fall under the same category: a hero. Both Beowulf from Beowulf and Hassan from “The Kite Runner” exemplify what a hero truly is through their acts of courage, loyalty and selflessness.

One of the most thought-of characteristics when people hear the word “hero” is courage. Being courageous means having strength when in the presence of pain or fear. Hassan and Beowulf are alike in the sense that they were both courageous people but

they were different because while Beowulf knew that he was being courageous in saving all the townspeople from Grendel, Hassan’s courage was very innocent and he did not realize that the things he was doing were courageous, he was doing what he thought was morally right. Hassan is a wanderer when it comes to courage – he sees life as an adventure and does what he does in life in order to find himself and do what he love, which is honoring Amir (Villate 3). When Hassan stood up for Amir against Assef, he “had pulled the wide elastic band [of the slingshot] all the way back. In the cup was a rock the size of a walnut. Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef’s face (Hosseini 34). Hassan stepped in to stop Assef when he threatened to hit Amir. He did not realize that what he was doing was heroic; he was simply what was ethical to him. Beowulf, however, went into the town Herot knowing that he was going to save the townspeople. His mindset was that if Grendel did not have any weapons to fight with, it would be unfair if he did. He willingly laid himself down in the Mead Hall and waited for Grendel to come, and when he did, he snatched Beowulf up, “And was instantly seized himself, claws /Bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm,” (Beowulf 323-324) and just like that, Beowulf single handedly, unarmed, defeated Grendel and saved Herot. Obviously Beowulf’s courage acts were more extravagant than Hassan’s, but both of them saved someone else and are heroes because of it. Although courage tends to be the first attribute that people think of when they hear the word “hero,” there are others, such as loyalty, that help to complete the definition of a hero.
Being loyal is such an important characteristic of a hero because it proves that the person is reliable and devoted, just like Hassan and Beowulf were to Amir and the people of Herot and the Geats. The loyalty and dedication shown by them only emphasize their heroic personality even more. Hassan can easily be considered the most loyal character there ever was; he sacrificed everything he had for Amir. When “Baba came right out and asked. ‘Did you steal that money? Did you steal Amir's watch, Hassan?’ Hassan's reply was a single word...‘Yes’” (Hosseini 88). Even though Hassan did not steal the money or the watch, he gave up the respect and trust that Baba had for him in order to prevent Amir from getting in any trouble. Beowulf was loyal to Hrothgar, for he owed Hrothgar a favor, and when the time came that Hrothgar needed him, he came quickly, stating “...That this one favor you should not refuse me- /That I, alone with the help of my men, /May purge all evil from this hall...” (Beowulf 258-261). He did not hesitate or even question the deed that Hrothgar needed; he simple came because he was needed. Being loyal shows the respect and love a person has for someone else, and tells everyone that is watching that that person is willing to do anything for anyone else. In addition to courage and loyalty, being selfless is yet another outstanding characteristic of being a hero.
The quality of selflessness portrayed by Hassan and Beowulf shows the immense love and gratitude that they have for their people.

Hassan’s selflessness stretches from the very beginning to the very end of the novel, and is shown in the most ultimate way when Hassan wont give up the kite he ran for Amir to Assef. "Amir agha won the tournament and I ran this kite for him. I ran it fairly. This is his kite.” In the end, Assef raped Hassan, and Hassan lost all of his dignity in that selfless act of not giving up the kite. Beowulf’s selflessness is shown when he arrives to the Mead Hall and is preparing to battle Grendel. He tells Hrothgar and his men that “...the monster’s scorn of men /Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none /Nor will I. My lord Higlac /Might think less of me if I let my sword /Go where my feet were afraid to,” (Beowulf 262-266). He was not thinking of himself and how he could beat Grendel easier, but he was thinking of Grendel, and how it would not be fair for him to have no armor while he, Beowulf, had shields and swords. So he sacrificed his armor in a selfless act, and fought Grendel bare handed in order to make a fair

fight.
In the face of bullies, cowards, and cold-hearted people, heroes do not back down due to fear or concern, but rather stand up for what and whom they love. Everyone has the potential to be a hero, for the qualities that come with the hero characteristic are ones that can easily be achieved by anyone. In the epic poem Beowulf and Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” the main characters, Beowulf and Hassan, are heroes, shown by their acts of courage, loyalty, and selflessness.