Essay Comparing Beowulf And The Hobbit

What makes a hero heroic? What helps a savior save people? What makes a victor victorious? We are introduced to many different heroes in both Beowulf and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. There are certain characteristics about heroes that make them so fantastic and unique. Throughout both of these works, we see these certain characteristics in our heroes that include: a sense of strategy in every thought and plan, bravery and courage in every action that is taken, and a great sense of determination no matter what the task at hand may be.
In order for one to be a great hero, one must be very strategic and intelligent about the way he goes about certain missions. Bilbo Baggins showed his strategic abilities when on the mountain side by the goblin’s lair when he distracted Azog and his apprentices from beheading Thorin, and ending his life. This heroic act represented how strategic Bilbo was because he came up with the perfect plan to rescue Thorin in a split and impulsive decision proving his strategicness. If Bilbo would have developed a poor plan in the little amount of time he had, it could have lead to the death of their group’s leader Thorin. This example of Bilbo changing the attention of the orcs onto him showed how strategic a good hero must be, because in order to be successful in one's missions, a hero must be able to
No matter one’s shape or size, if they have the qualities of a true hero like the ones above, then they can be whoever they want. Heroicness is not measured by physical appearance, as we saw with Bilbo Baggins, but by one's values and attitude. There are many heroes in our everyday life that share these values of bravery, strategy, and determination including firemen, policemen, and even the teachers that shape the next generation. With these three principles under one's belt, he or she can become a hero, no matter who they