Beowulf And Creon Essay, Research Paper
Beowulf is an Anglo-saxon common people heroic poem written by an unknown writer. It was written in the 8th century. Antigone is an Ancient Grecian calamity written by the dramatist Sophocles around 430 BC. Although the two plants were written during two different clip periods, in two different topographic points, and are different sorts of literature, they contain many similarities in the mode in which they depict an heroic poem hero and a tragic hero.
Beowulf tells the narrative of one of the most epic work forces of Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is able to utilize his super-human physical strength and bravery to supply people with a sense of security, and is willing to travel into danger despite possible injury to himself. He encounters terrorizing monsters and the most barbarous animals, but he ne’er fears the menace of decease. Beowulf is the ultimate heroic poem hero who risks his life countless times for great award and for the good of others. Antigone is a tragic drama in which the chief character Creon suffers many losingss and undergoes emotional hurting and torment. A mark of the expletive on the House of Oedipus by relation, Creon is besides a victim of destiny. At the terminal when realized his error, he forced to populate, cognizing that three people are dead because of his ignorance, which a penalty worse than decease. He is classified as the tragic hero.
The two heroes, Beowulf and Creon, are really similar in some facets and besides rather different in others.
Firstable, both heroes are of blue birth. Beowulf is the cousin of Higlac, who is King of the Geats. Creon is the brother of Jocasta, the Queen of Thebes.
Second, both of them have strong senses of responsibility. Beowulf is ever devoted to his people, his male monarch, and their security. For illustration, when he goes to murder the firedrake, he has no aid, he realizes that the firedrake is more powerful, and he likely will non return from this conflict, he still goes along with this because he was the male monarch and it was his duty to supply security for his people. ( Unknown, 370-374 ) When the current male monarch Eteocles was killed in the Battle for Thebes, Creon took the throne with a sense of aggression towards the enemy of Thebes. He wants to protect his state and experience responsible for his land, he does non desire people of Thebes take him for an easy male monarch and hence do other jobs arise. Therefore he punished a treasonist, and punishes anyone who sided with the treasonist. None shall decorate him with burial or plaint, but leave him unburied, a cadaver for birds and Canis familiariss to eat, a ghastly sight of shame. ( Sophocles, 9 )
Third, both heroes have character defects that reinforce their functions in hard state of affairs: their hubris. Beowulf possesses goodness by stating the male monarch of the Danes that he is honored to assist the land. Beowulf shows high quality in the narrative. I sold my life for this hoarded wealth, and I sold it good. ( Unknown, 76 ) He was excessively certain of himself, and ne’er brought the right arm to contend with, his blade broke into spots after striking the firedrake. ( Unknown, 113 ) Beowulf one time was challenged by Unferth, he says, No adult male swims in the sea as I can, no strength is a lucifer for mine. & # 8221 ; ( Unknown, 253 & # 8211 ; 254 ) Beowulf goes on touting to Unferth, & # 8220 ; Nine was the figure of sea-huge monsters I killed. What adult male, anyplace under heaven s high arch, has fought in such darkness, endured more wretchedness or been harder pressed? & # 8221 ; ( Unknown, 294 & # 8211 ; 298 ) Creon s haughtiness gets him into heated arguments, statements, and confrontations with hello
s followings, such as the guard, his victims, Antigone, Now verily I am no adult male, she is the adult male, if this triumph shall rest with her, and convey no punishment. ( Sophocles, 13 ) and even the wise visionary Tiresias who has ne’er been incorrect. When done speaking with Creon, Tiresias says, He may pass his fury on younger work forces, and larn to maintain a lingua more temperate, and to bear within his chest a better head than now he bears. ( Sophocles, 83 )
Furthermore, Beowulf and Creon had true epiphanies. Beowulf s tragic realisation is that he knew that it was his clip to decease when contending with the firedrake, because he believed in the Lord. He still thanks God for his comfortable life-time and he requests that the gold that he fought and died for be distributed to his people and a tower be erected in his name. For this, this gold, these gems, I thank our Father in Eden, Ruler of the Earth, for all of this, that his grace has given me. ( Unknown, 385 ) When Creon realizes that all of the incrimination for these deceases remainders on him entirely, he undergoes great agony, and leaned valuable lessons of morality, moderateness, piousness, wisdom and humbleness. Woe for the wickednesss of a darkened psyche, obstinate wickednesss, fraught with decease! Ah, ye behold us, the sire who hath slain, the boy who hath perished! Woe is me, for the deplorable sightlessness of my advocates! Alas, my boy, 1000 hast died in thy young person, by a timeless day of reckoning, suffering is me! Thy spirit hath fled, non by thy folly, but by mine ain! ( Sophocles, 94 )
Finally, Beowulf and Creon both suffer the wrath of destiny. Throughout all Grecian calamities and myths, people and even Supreme beings have attempted to hedge their destiny, but have ne’er been able to make so. Sad was his spirit, restless and ready, And the March of Fate immeasurably near ; Fate that would strike, seek his psyche s hoarded wealth, and cover asunder the spirit and flesh. Not long was his life encased in the organic structure! ( Unknown, 372 ) At the terminal of Beowulf s narrative, destiny was shortly to run its class and he would free his life in conflict with the firedrake. When Creon losingss his future daughter-in-law, Antigone, by originating her decease, his boy through self-destruction, and his married woman by self-destruction every bit good, he suffers the great hurting and torment. Creon is affected by destiny through the expletive of Oedipus, as the chorus recites: But awful is the cryptic power of destiny: there is no rescue from it by wealth or by war, by fenced metropolis, or dark, sea-beaten ships. ( Sophocles, 79 )
A difference between Beowulf and Creon is that each has different qualities that qualify them as heroes. Beowulf is classified as an heroic poem hero because of his physical strength and courage. & # 8220 ; Beowulf, Higla s follower and the strongest of the Geats-greater and stronger than anyone anyplace in this world. & # 8221 ; ( Unknown, 131 ) Creon is a tragic hero because he fights for the right, makes a pick that consequences in agony, attempts to change by reversal an unfairness, has a character defect, and despite his attempts, becomes one of the destiny s victim. Come, thou most welcome destiny, appear, o come ; convey my twenty-four hours s concluding day of the month, make full up their amount! Come speedy, I pray ; Let me non look upon another twenty-four hours! ( Sophocles, 91 )
These two characters were written for two wholly different intents. Beowulf was written to be recited by professional poets or scops. The scops would entertain the warriors and more significantly, animate them the dark before of conflict. Creon was written to educate the Grecian people. Through him and other tragic heroes, the Greeks learned several moral lessons and were reminded of the power of the Gods.
