Gilgamesh Vs Beowulf

Epics were traditional poetries that recited legends of heroic figures from ancient societies to portray significant societal values. The archetype of an epic hero was primarily someone who showed unparalleled strength and bravery through perilous journeys and demonstrated morals that were respected by their society. Even though epics emphasis the hero’s strengths to represent the societal ethics, heroes’ weaknesses also reveal societal teachings of morality. Epic heroes, such as Beowulf and Gilgamesh, did promote their societal teachings by demonstrating how their weaknesses affected the outcome of the stories. Beowulf was portrayed as a courageous and honorable warrior who defended his society from evil, but he reveals a trait of egotism

Both boasted and demonstrated their strength by performing dangerous quests, establishing their own pride. Pride can be referred to as a sense of feeling proud of one’s accomplishments, but pride can be portrayed as a feeling of superiority, a feeling both heroes have displayed. Beowulf takes pride in his bravery and strength and conveys a sense of self-importance when he came to Hrothgar and proclaimed, “my name is Beowulf, my purpose, to bear / unto Healfdene’s son, your lordly leader / a message meant for the noblest of men” (307-309). We see Beowulf announces himself to covey his self-worth and importance, demonstrating a strong sense of pride in his abilities. With his pride, Beowulf took on many dangerous creatures and boosted his opinions on himself, increasing his arrogance. Gilgamesh was no better. He bragged about how “there is no rival who can raise his weapon against him,” and imagines the glory in his death, “should I fall, I will have established my fame. / They will say: ‘It was Gilgamesh who locked in battle with Humbaba the / Terrible” (1. 50, 2. 89-92). Gilgamesh’s pride motivated him to believe in his strength as a hero, leaving him to base his actions solely on his instincts. Pride blinds the heroes from reality to let them indulge in their fantasies for being a great hero, leaving the heroes to see no flaw in

Beowulf’s selfishness revealed his self-focused life doomed his kingdom. The impetuous Gilgamesh portrayed a deviance to the community’s advice. Both of these weaknesses developed from the excessive pride these two heroes had gain, but these weaknesses lead the heroes to a realization about the importance of their community. The epic Beowulf and Gilgamesh appear to illustrate the moral of serving your community, in which everyone plays a part to help the community prosper. Beowulf and Gilgamesh were seen as heroes in their communities that had to live up to the standards set for a hero. Both demonstrated strong warriors that communities could look up to for protection, and they impressed the identity of a hero. Their selfish, impetuous, and pride help them thrive through challenges they faced and increase their confidence; however, when there was nothing left to conquer for society, society expected them to convert back into society and serve their community in different ways. This was where Beowulf and Gilgamesh’s weaknesses affected the most since they created issues in their communities that went against their moral of servitude. The identity of a hero is admired and praised among communities, but only when needed, leaving Beowulf and Gilgamesh as outcast. Society places morals and standards that both discourage and encourage the identities of heroes to