Throughout the history of human existence, scholars have wondered what characteristics found in ancient literature exemplified in their corresponding ancient societies and how these classical works influenced said cultures. One way to answer these questions is to look at famous literary works and the epic heroes that comprise them. Characteristics of epic heroes such as those found in Beowulf, Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and the Odyssey often reflected traits that were seen as favorable within the societies in which they were written, which, in turn, led to these archetypal heroes greatly impacting surrounding societies. When comparing and contrasting epic heroes such as Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Hector, Achilles, and Odysseus, it becomes evident that …show more content…
This characteristic is also seen in Odysseus when he and his men had to face vicious monsters in the lines, “one hand was Scylla, and on the other... Charybdis kept sucking up the salt water” (Homer 69). Another trait present in all of the aforementioned epic heroes is extreme bravery and courage. Beowulf’s bravery is seen when he exclaims that he “...would rather not use a weapon if I knew another way to grapple with the dragon and make good by boast as I did against Grendel in days gone by. But I shall be meeting molten venom in the fire he breathes, so I go forth in a mail-shirt and shield. I won’t shift a foot when I meet the cave guard: what occurs on the wall between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides.” (Beers 33). This is similar to how Hector displays his bravery by fighting Achilles even after he acknowledges that his “...time has come!” (Beers 62) and states that, “At last the gods have called me down to death.” (Beers 62). Achilles, on the other hand, displays bravery by finally defeating the scourge of the Greeks, Hector, …show more content…
In doing this it becomes easy to identify why Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Hector, Achilles, and Odysseus all fall under the category of epic heroes. One element of an archetypal epic hero is that they almost always fight to save their people from certain danger. This concept is brought to life in when Beowulf defended “...the hall crowded with sleeping warriors, stuffed with rows of young soldiers resting together” (Beers 22) from Grendel, the evil monster from the marsh. The same idea can be seen in the Iliad when Hector faces Achilles and fights to protect “...the Dardan Gates” (Beers 58) of Troy while Achilles, the “...greatest scourge” (Beers 61) of the Trojans, battles Hector to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus and protect more Greek soldiers from facing the wrath of the Trojan. These heroes are often able to do this because of some set superhuman characteristics, which is another example of an element present in archetypal epic heroes. Many of these superhuman traits have previously been mentioned such as the superhuman strength of Beowulf and Gilgamesh or the cunning of Odysseus when he outsmarted Polyphemus (Homer 117). Odysseus, Gilgamesh, Hector, and Achilles also all showed inhuman skill in battle against