The Hero in Beowulf in Hamlet

Throughout literature, the idea of the hero has changed to represent a number of differing. Heroes were originally personified as being an individual who were not bound by limitations, as well as demonstrating an archetypical sense of moral judgment. Later on, contrasting adaptations of heroes started to form in which the hero of a story would typically exhibit traits that would closely resemble the limitations and troubles that ordinary people faced. For the most part, a contemporary “hero” is simply looked at as the protagonist in the story. Acclaimed heroes in literature, such as Beowulf and Hamlet, when compared to one another can give a person a better sense of the changes in the hero. Although they both are the main characters in their stories, there are noticeable distinctions between each one’s motives and approaches to conflict.

The first thing to point out about both Hamlet and Beowulf was simply the fact that they were both the protagonists of their stories. The stories were centered on the two having to overcome adversity and conflict. Although their defined con...