Compare And Contrast Beowulf And The Iliad

Two amazing epic hero stories, Beowulf and The Iliad take us threw the most starling battles of their times. Beowulf came from a very unique place and has a lot of history to it. “Beowulf the oldest surviving epic poem in English. Scholars contend that the poet may have lived anytime between the middle of the seventh century A.D and the end of the tenth century. In the fifth century, bloody warfare in northern Europe had driven many Germanic Speaking tribes, including groups of Angles Saxons, and jutes to abandon their homes.” “The Iliad came from the ancient Greek world. Today most agree that the author of the Iliad was indeed a 800 and 600 B.C and was born either in western Asia Minor or on one of the nearby Aegean island.” Two epic hero’s
One of the creatures he fought against was named Grendel. “Grendel saw that his strength was deserting him, his claws bound fast, Higlac’s brace follower tearing at his hands. The monsters hatred rose higher, but his power had gone. He twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke”(lines333-340). The monster Grendel stated to realize his strength was no math for all those strong men, So he was being defeated and getting angry about it. Achilles another amazing epic hero battles one of his enemies Pallas with humongous anger for killing his best friend. “Achilles drove his point straight through the tender neck but did not cut the windpipe, leaving Hector able to speak and to respond. He fell aside into the dust”…. (165-169). In this quote Achilles already had the upper hand of the war and won the fight he stab the spear right threw Pallas
Beowulf was trying to help the Deans out. “That night Grendel came again, so set one murder that no crime could ever be enough, no savage assault quenches his lust for evil.” (49-53). Grendel would bother the Deans for no reason, just for the fun of it. So Beowulf feeling great, might, and brace decides to help out with this problem they had.
The Main reason Achilles fought was to get revenge for his best friend, Patroclus whom he held dear above all others. To show hector how he felt, or how Patroclus must have felt. “Indeed, he had in mind for Hector’s body outrange and shame. Behind both feet he pierced the tendons, heel to ankle. Rawhide cords he drew through both and lashed them to his chariot, letting the man’s head trail.” He had it in his head that he was going to humiliate Hector and have his father beg for his body, and also to mock his dead