Macbeth vs Beowulf - 874 Words

Beowulf and Macbeth Beowulf, identified as an epic hero and Macbeth, identified as a tragic hero both are very similar and different in their own ways. The epic poem, Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney and the tragic play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare both have heroes as the protagonist of the story. The stories written in two different time periods, still can be seen with many similarities and differences. A tragic hero is of high ranking and unfortunately has a flaw that they possess which brings them to their tragic downfall and soon accepts the consequences that are to come. An epic hero is larger than life and is known to be noble and brave. Beowulf and Macbeth both possess traits of overconfidence through their actions†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, Macbeth and Beowulf are contrasted differently through the traits they display. Macbeth is more guided towards being an ambitious character which is his tragic flaw and Beowulf s trait is full of courage. Being ambitious is to achieve something eagerly and this is what Macbeth yearned for. Macbeth shows plenty of ambition such as when he orders the kill on the king in order to become king himself. â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step.....which the eye fears,when it is done, to see.† (Macbeth. I. IV.48). Macbeth wants to kill the king because this is his desire as he heard from the witches. He is willing to kill anyone that prevents him from reaching higher rank. This is a display of great ambition. Macbeth s ambition is of being in power over everyone and Macbeth even orders on his best friend Banquo because he suspects that Macbeth is ordering the killings in order to stay in higher power. Macbeth is power hungry and greedy due to his ambitiousness and in the end foresees his consequence and accepts the death that is to come. Beowulf is full of courage and displays his courage throughout the epic poem. Courage is well displayed among a warrior in the Anglo-Saxon culture. He shows courage when he declares he will fight Grendel and defeats him. His courage is what keeps him alive because he believesShow MoreRelatedThroughout a lifetime, only so much conflict could be bore upon oneself. There is always a1000 Words   |  4 PagesFrom my story Wuthering Heights to Beowulf and Canterbury Tales there are conflicts that have been exaggerated and then blown to preposterous proportions. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight there are conflicts between man and man just like there are in the world we live in today. Conflicts in books or stories could show what is going on in the real world or what an author is thinking and making up.In Wuthering Heights there could be two different conflicts man vs. man, with the conflict between HeathcliffRead MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesvowel sounds accompanied by soft consonant sounds may contribute to a tone of sleepy restfulness in a poem. Short vowel sounds plus hard consonant sounds may express anxiety, qu ick movement, anger or happiness. Why is Beowulf important? by Araby Greene, Univ. of Nevada Beowulf is both the first English literary masterpiece and the earliest European epic written in the vernacular, or native language, instead of literary Latin. The story, summarized in Bulfinch s Mythology, survives in one fragileRead MoreMedia Magic Making Class Invisible2198 Words   |  9 PagesJune) Act 1 (13 June) Maestro (13 June) The Nature Of The Beast (13 June) Whitelynx (13 June) A Defense For Emily (13 June) To Kill A Mockingbird: Who Are The People That Scout Comes To Un (13 June) Beowulf (13 June) Dead Poets Society Essay (13 June) Disney (13 June) Macbeth (12 June) The Awakening (12 June) The Dmv (12 June) The Sounstrack (12 June) Applying Quantitative Marketing Techniques To The Internet (12 June) The Yellow Wallpaper: A Stifling Relationship (12 June)