What is an epic hero in the world of today and in the past as well? An epic hero is, a brave and noble character in an epic poem, who is admired for their great achievements. Over the years the term epic hero means a lot of different things throughout history from Beowulf to MacFlecknoe. Each of these heroes as they were called liked to fight and have many great battles or showing your loyalty to the kings and queens of that time period. Nowadays heroes are based on how they look and what they represent to the generation of that time period like, Batman or Captain America. During World War 2 Captain America was seen as a huge symbol for American justice during that time. Riddle me this, it runs, but cannot walk, sometimes sings, but never talks, lacks arms, has hands; lacks a head but has a face, what is the answer to it. The answer to it is a clock, a clock has hands that move around the clock like, the circle of life that an epic hero or normal person has to be all that they want to be. But, the two epic heroes I’m going to be talking about don’t come from that time period.
They come from poets of the 18th century whose stories will live on forever in the word of the texts. In the epic story of Beowulf, Beowulf fights the Monster Grendel and his mother and the mighty Dragon that guards the treasure in the dark cave. While in the in story of Canterbury Tales, there is a knight who does whatever King Arthur tells him to do, he is very loyal to the king. Today I will be comparing the knight and Beowulf together to show a heroic comparison between the two different characters. The Knight and Beowulf are two fictional characters that spend most of their time fighting with each of their stories. The Knight’s Tale is the first work to be told of the journey to Canterbury, and provided the General Prologue tales. Chaucer’s portrait of the Knight is unlike some of his other works, which have a lacking way in satire and having a high quality of irony in it. The Knight’s description is showing us that he is an experienced soldier, a noble and a serious man all the way around. The tale of the knight is a chivalric romance a type of writing that was very popular among the aristocracy people during the Middle Ages. This type of literature is celebrated with the adventures of the knights who were loyal and had the honor and was a service to the ladies. The Knight from The Canterbury Tales, the knight is seen as a nobleman who fights for religious wars, meaning he fights for God. In Canterbury Tales, religion is the main topic and the knight is the most respected and is very humble and modest. Also, the knight believes in God and goes to church in his battle clothes just to be with God. While in church the knight asks God forgiveness for slaying people in the battle that took place. The Knights Tales of Canterbury also talk about love and what love represents in the story.
A quote that will represent what is love, “He cast his eye upon Elymea and therewithal he blended, and cried A!” (219-220,638). It also talks about how the knight fell in love with Emily and will do anything to win her heart. Another piece of information about the Knight is that the knight was a man that stood for honor and being truthful, “A Knight there was, and that a worthy man, That from the time that he first began to ride out, he loved chivalry, trouthe and honor, freedom and curteisye” (43-46, 320). Meaning, that the knight was a reputable man who, loved his job and was very trustworthy to the king.
Another article that shows how much the knight respected the king is called, “The Knights Tales” which talks about, how much respected the knight was and what the knight meant to the people of that time period, the history of the knight a quote, that will support this “We stryve as did the hounds for the boon; they fought all day, and yet her part was no. There came a kite, while that they were so wroth, and Baar awry the boon bitwise hem bote” (1, 1771). Meaning that, even in battle the knight proved that he can fight against any type man or beast.
In addition to the knight’s bravery, the knight also showed that he could dress well by wearing, “He rood but, homely in a medlee cote, Girt with a cent of silk, with Barres Smale, of his array say I no longer tale” (330-332, 344). Meaning that the knight, was dressed in a simple colored coat, with a silk belt around it that had thin metal bands around it and there is nothing else to say about his appearance. Also, the knight fought many battles at different places to prove his worthiness and loyalty to the king, “At Alisandre he was when it was Wonne; Full often time he had the board biggonne above all nations in Pruce; In Lettou had he resided, and in Ruce, No Christen man so often of his degree;” (51-55, 320). Meaning, that the knight was at Alexandria when it fell and he often was the head of the table over other knights who have come in from different parts of the world. He raided many lands like, Russia and Lithuania in his times of battles. No Christian man has fought as many times as he did through the ranks of knighthood as he did.
An article to support this is called, “Biblical Analogy and Secondary Allegory in Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale” and which talks about, two major strains of interpretation of the story, that have been viewed as capturing of being a fully pagan religion. The analyses with much respect, leading to the conclusion that Chaucer’s intention within the tales is to condemn paganism by showing the deficiency or to take apart it. To show the philosophy or Christian ethos in the story. Many scholars suggest that Chaucer suggests a Christian solution by implication of Christian tales like, The Parson’s Tale in Canterbury Tale. While the knight stood for honor and being loyal to the king, there was Beowulf was a man who stood for being great and being kind of cocky with his attitude. In the epic story of Beowulf, Beowulf fights the Monster Grendel and his mother and the mighty Dragon that guards the treasure in the dark cave. Beowulf is seen as a mighty hero and Beowulf was written around 8th century England, a classic poem that is considered the oldest epic in British Literature. One of the longest surviving Anglo-Saxon poems. It tells of the exploits of a noble and brave Scandinavian heroes who battles and defeats a monster by the name of Grendel who preyed on the Danish knights. Also, the way God was used to show him as an epic hero type to slay the monsters, Grendel and others that are hurting King Hrothgar and his people. King Hrothgar also talked about how GOD raised him in power and placed him over all men. How GOD has the power of all things and life is a gift from GOD. Beowulf’s courage and faith are shown throughout the poem, “None of the wise one regretting his ongoing as much he was loved by the Geats and they urged on to adventure” (114-119). Beowulf fought Grendel and his mother and risked his life for his fellow warriors. The character Beowulf is shown as a similar hero of the Biblical times, David who took down the giant named Goliath with a sling and a rock that was hurled at Goliath’s head. Beowulf can be seen in this story as a Christian hero.
The author shows that there is evil within the story such as the monsters, Grendel, his mother and the Dragon who took Beowulf’s life. The author introduces Grendel at the beginning of the story, as an evil like the monster it is said that the monster Grendel is to bore the mark of Cain. That he’s a monster who lives in a swap, a quote that shows the essence of Grendel, “Grendel, is a monster who hunts and kills people, lives in the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell, but not on earth, He was created in a like slime way, conceived by a pair of those monsters who were born of Cain descendants, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel’s Death” (17-24). So now Beowulf decides that enough is enough and goes to avenge his people by fighting the dragon. Beowulf gets injured while fighting the dragon. The dragon spits out fire towards Beowulf that it melts the sword that he has with him.
Then the dragon bites down into his neck and wounds him deeply, but, Beowulf does deliver the last blow to the dragon and kills it. In most pagan stories, the evil spirit/beings are seen as an enemy to the hero of the story. Beowulf fights to kill and to be able to obtain bragging rights. The author shows that fights with imaginary monsters is a conflict between light vs. dark and right vs. wrong. An article to support this is called, “Good and Evil; Light and Darkness; Joy and Sorrow in Beowulf”. Which talks about, People who like, the old English, are largely concerned with the agriculture and scantily provided with the artificial light, watched the sunrise and sunset with an interest less common in a complex, urban society. It was true in Chaucer’s time that was the observation of waxing and waning of the light in the 8th century, when darkness took over as fear, waste lands included a willing acceptance of tales of giant monsters lurking around.
The demon monster Grendel was a giant monster who, roamed around the city of Heorot and attacked. Consumed by darkness Grendel is irritated by the fabrication of Heorot. It is precisely why Grendel is shown as a monster of darkness that Beowulf is like a light that comes to Heorot and destroys the darkness to bring back in the light for everyone to appreciate again. Another article I read on Beowulf is called, “Cycles and Change in Beowulf”, which talks about, the changes in Beowulf and how each change has affected him in a way. The readers experience a sense of futility and doom that was the face of the late 20th century political and social turmoil that was often valued in the epic of Beowulf for its skill in creating a powerful sense of doom.
Both stories are very similar to each other, they both kind of have the same religious beliefs and the both go on a major quest that any great warrior will go on for their king. The reasons for heroic status that the Knight and Beowulf received are to be disputed between each other. Also, Beowulf is not just an epic hero to The Scandinavian Pagan times, he is also compared to the modern day heroes of the world today like, Batman. There is an article that compares Beowulf to batman which is called, “Beowulf to Batman: The Epic Hero and Pop Culture” and it talks about how Beowulf and Batman are compared to each other. In addition, it talks about how, even with the pop romances that are a concern for today’s modern era of people with the moral truth of “incarnating the Good within people who are evil”. The movies and television shows and comic books show this way of thinking. Like the “Lone Ranger” who is shown as a “champion of justice”. While Batman is described as “fighting for the righteousness and taking down the criminal”. People in the world of today tend to admire and identify themselves with The Dark Knight, for example not only is he a clean cut guy, he is also intelligent, athletic and he is also very rich as well.
The plot of the first part of Beowulf shows the chaos that is going on because, the monster Grendel and his mother have been attacking the city of Heorot. This scene shows the near collapsing of the area and shows what the hero Beowulf tends to do about it. While the final sequence of the story shows, Beowulf with the dragon and it embodies another formulaic plot of the hero who comes to terms the struggle of self-preservation. However the hero’s antagonistic views are depicted as being unresponsive to the community and the community’s values which they stand for. The antagonist may also represent an alien community or the community within itself, but, the facts that he acts as the keeper of the law unto himself is not taken lightly by everybody who knows about that hero. In the story Beowulf stresses this that the monster Grendel is a descendent of Cain, which he inhabits a place of no man’s land where the influence of the community ends and the reign of terror beings.
So yes are there epic heroes out there still around today, I say yes because, even though they are written only in the text and only remembered during certain events they are still around. Even though the movies, play/show heroes on the big screen fighting crime and trying to save the world, that’s it, they are just actors trying to make money off a movie they made that’s how Hollywood is. So don’t wait until a movie comes out with a new hero or a new comic book that you have been reading kills off the hero in the book. Go read some of the old ancient British Literature in the past to find some epic heroes that you might like there instead.