Roland And Beowulf Comparison

The use of an epic hero in english literature been displayed throughout many cultures and time periods. The epic heroes in Beowulf, Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Song of Roland can be analyzed and compared throughout the ages as well as shown contrastly depending on the culture. In this paper the writer will compare and contrast the characteristics of each of the epic heroes, determine their influence on the culture in which they lived, and detail why these characters are considered archetypal.

The epic hero’s within Beowulf, Gilgamesh, The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The song of Roland can be compared and contrasted to showcase the similarities and differences between each hero. In the epic Beowulf, the epic hero, Beowulf, displays

This is no greater evil now than it was when the Cyclops had us cooped in his hollow cave by force and violence, but even there, by my courage and counsel and my intelligence, we escaped away. I think that all this will be remembered some day too. Then do as I say, let us all be won over.” (12.208-213). He is showing his intelligence in this quote because he convinces his friends not to give up because they have already escaped and they will be remembered for this in the future. In another quote, Odysseus’s courage is shown “Then I shoved the beam underneath a deep bed of cinders, waiting for it to heat, and I spoke to all my companions in words of courage, so none should be in a panic, and back out.” (9.375-377)This shows his courage because even though his friends want to give up he is persuading them to keep on going. Odysseus’s sensitivity is revealed when the epic states “So the famous singer sang his tale, but Odysseus melted, and from under his eyes the tears ran down, drenching his cheeks...Such were the pitiful tears Odysseus shed from under his brows, but they went unnoticed by all the others” (8.521-532). This epic simile

Simalar to the epic hero Odysseus, in The Song of Roland, the epic hero Roland has virtues of strength, charisma, and well-spokenness. Roland’s ability of being well-spoken is shown when he says “Wage war the way you set out to do: lead the army you have summoned to Saragossa, lay siege to the city, put all your heart into it, and avenge those the villain had killed!” (14.210-13). He is being well-spoken here because he is convincing the army to go out and do what it set out to do, avenge those the villain killed. Roland’s charisma is shown when he says “Ganelon, come forward and receive the staff