Three Heros, A Similar Journey - Essay Example

The work The Odyssey unveils the adventurous life of Odysseus the hero, and his journey towards homeland. Thesis statement: The research on different journeys of the heroes in Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and The Odyssey prove that their journeys are similar in some way or other (special references to Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Odysseus). Comparison: Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Odysseus The comparison is based on four factors: similarities, problems, gain and effect of the journeys conducted/ undertaken by Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Odysseus. A. Similarities shared by their journeys In his adventurous journey, Beowulf primarily aims to defeat three of his enemies.

His status at Geatland as a hero encourages him to help Hrothgar (a Danish king), to defeat and kill a beast and its mother (Grendel and his mother). In the work Beowulf: a new verse translation, a translation by R. M. Liuzza, Hrothgar points out about Beowulf that “he has thirty men’s strength, strong in battle, in his handgrip” (65). Later, he undertakes another adventurous journey to kill an unnamed dragon at Earnanaes in Geatland. On the other side, Gilgamesh’s adventurous journey is similar to Beowulf’s journey.

For instance, his journey to the Cedar Mountain, with his companion Enkidu, was to accomplish their dangerous task of defeating Humbaba. This journey and victory encourages them to undertake another adventurous task to kill the Bull of Heaven. One can easily identify that adventure is the motivation for Beowulf and Gilgamesh. The epic poem The Odyssey mainly focuses upon the adventurous life of Odysseus, the hero. The epic poem unveils Odysseus’s homeward journey after participating in the Trojan War.

One can easily identify that Odysseus’s adventurous journey is similar to the other two adventurous journeys because his aim was to lead an adventurous life away from his homeland. Like Beowulf and Gilgamesh, Odysseus is not attracted by a peaceful life in his homeland with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. In short, the similarities shared by the journeys of Beowulf Gilgamesh and Odysseus include their noble aim and unending passion towards adventurous life. Besides, they were heroes at their homelands and were brave enough to fight with supernatural forces. B. The problems they did encounter during their journeys The problems encountered by Beowulf during his first journey include the fight with Grendel and his mother.

As pointed out earlier, Beowulf’s status as a hero encouraged him to undertake this dangerous journey and to fight with supernatural elements. This proves that Beowulf was ready to face problems in his life and to help others. Later, Beowulf became the king of Geatland. When a dragon began to attack his people, he decided to fight with it and to kill it. During the battle, Beowulf was severely injured and it resulted in his death in the end. One can easily identify that the natural obstacle faced by Beowulf include the rocky dwelling place of the Dragon and the cave in which Grendel’s mother used to live in.

On the other side, the problems faced by Gilgamesh include the fight with Humbaba and a supernatural element, namely the Bull of Heaven. But his companion Enkidu helped him to overcome the problems during their journeys. In the work The epic of Gilgamesh, translated by Maureen Gallery Kovacs, Gilgamesh is described as “There is on one stronger than he”