Beowulf vs. Harry Potter

In countless ways Beowulf and the Harry Potter series can correlate through specific themes, events, etc. In ways they contradict each other, and in some, they concur thoroughly. Throughout both the book and the series they have roughly the same central idea which is to vanquish the evil that remains in a fixed world and bring it into safety again. Each character has his individual weaknesses and powers, which are used to their advantage during the course of the story.

Beowulf’s powers involve physical super strength. Harry’s powers aren’t as much as physical strength as mental and magical powers. Both make faults in some of their actions which sometimes causes failure. Beowulf shouldn’t have let his gluttony and arrogance outweigh his wit when fighting the dragon, otherwise it would probably have spared his life. Like Beowulf, on occasion, Harry thinks before he acts. His follies aren’t always life threatening, and they can actually turn out to be life-saving. Both cases are a battle between good and evil that affects all. Unlike in Beowulf, not only must Harry fight evil, evil has its followers and he must work around them while Beowulf confronts only the chief of evil itself. The two must not only fight for their lives, but they also fight for the well-being of others. Harry’s fight is for safety and, in a way, he is forced into it, but he accepts it. Beowulf fights predominantly for further glory, pride, and treasure. They each have their own “army” but a lot of their struggles are engaged independently and in special cases rely on their allies. Harry might be a hero, but he was born an ordinary wizard unlike Beowulf who was born into the royal family. Harry was also looked down upon by those who saw him ...

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...character and even Beowulf when he dies. His last words seemed considerate instead of selfish. Although Harry is a hero he still has authority over him because of his age, unlike Beowulf who is the son of a king and is older. Harry’s battles didn’t just involve physically fighting like Beowulf’s did. He had to find weaknesses in the Dark Lord and use them against him to finally kill Voldermort after several fights. In the end of both tales good triumphs over evil and the wicked is ultimately defeated perpetually. Harry goes on to live an honorable life among his friends, but Beowulf dies a noble man for the welfare of his people giving his throne to someone else deserving. Even though both endings are concluded in somewhat of a sad note, they both give you a sense of accomplishment because of the overall victory over what used to rule the world they lived in.