Beowulf and Siegfried - 1462 Words

The only similarity between Beowulf and Siegfried is the letter e—that is until you actually start reading the stories. Within the early moments of Beowulf and the Nibelungenlied significant amounts of correlations steadfastly intertwined a web of parallelism between the two heroic characters. Both glory-seeking and nigh invincible warriors from noble origins, the two warriors blasted through adversities in pursuit of their ultimate goals. While both eventually fulfilled their desires, Siegfried’s satisfaction was cut short by an untimely death. Although Beowulf also eventually met his end whilst in combat with a dragon, evidence suggests that this played well into Beowulf’s plans and as such only Siegfried truly met a downfall. The†¦show more content†¦Likewise, upon Beowulf’s arrival at Hrothgar’s hall he was immediately recognized as well. King Hrothgar remarked on Beowulf’s legendary reputation claiming that â€Å"[Beowulf] has thirty men’s heft of grasp in the gripe of his hand, the bold-in-battle.† (325-326) The two men have plenty in common, at least physically: overwhelming strength that is enough to overpower dozens of powerful warriors. Even more than a pure physical resemblance, both Siegfried and Beowulf had reputations that preceded them. Hagen and Hrothgar recounted stories of Siegfried and Beowulf’s conquests respectively, portraying them as valiant knights stopping at nothing to achieve success. Shortly after these initial introductions, the stories of fame begin to accelerate, and numerous similarities continue to appear. Beowulf journeyed to Heorot seeking glory by helping Hrothgar defeat the dreaded Grendel. He pledged his loyalties to Hrothgar and promised to fight off the demon to protect Hrothgar’s people. â€Å"To thy lord and liege in loyal mood we hasten hither, to Healfdene’s son, people-protector: be pleased to advise us!† â€Å"Siegmund’s son yearned to [Kriemhild] with true love. And [Siegfried and his] fearless band [of knights] drew towards Worms on the Rhine†¦ as Siegfried the hero and his following rode into Gunther’s country to the court† Similarly, Siegfried traveled to a foreign land toShow MoreRelatedSiegfried vs Beowulf Essay examples1635 Words   |  7 Pagesheroes, Beowulf and Siegfried, who differ wildly in character and temperament. Siegfried desires to establish and preserve relationships while Beowulf is out for his own glory. Though Siegfried’s modification of the definition ultimately exposes him to betrayal, his inclination to create and sustain relationships aids in solidifying his immortality on earth post-death. At first glance, the two characters presented in Beowulf and The Nibelungenlied share similar qualities of a hero: both Beowulf andRead MoreComparison Of Nibelungenlied Savagery And Good Manners1309 Words   |  6 Pagesstrategical advantage. When Siegfried first ventures to Burgundy, he immediately rushes into kingdom and challenges king Gunther. Instead of participating in war, Gunther decides that appeasing Siegfried and making an ally of him would be significantly more productive than battling him and risk losing the lives of many of his men. Gunther appeases Siegfried by being well-mannered and gracious towards him. Gunther offered â€Å"The best possible quarters†¦for Siegfried’s squires†¦Siegfried was a most welcome guestRead MoreEssay on Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology3702 Words   |  15 Pagesheroes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied, and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Some of the most striking of these parallels are: the noble and divine lineage of the he ro; the hero’s increased endurance and his exceptional combat abilities (including the use of powerful weapons and berserker behavior); the hero’s ability to attain victory against seemingly insurmountable odds or indestructible creatures; and the ritual practices of the taking of heads and the giving of rings. The epic poem Beowulf may be consideredRead MoreBeowulf Monster Vs Hero Essay1557 Words   |  7 Pagesheroic, does that cancel out their villainy? And vice versa? While Beowulf exhibits a multitude of heroic attributes, his undermining beast like qualities are hard to miss, and essentially pose the question to the reader: What is the relationship between monster and hero, and is there an overlap? The epic Beowulf blurs the lines between what it means to be a hero and villain through the manifestation of an â€Å"evil twin† story between Beowulf and Grendel. Word choice plays a large role in regards to howRead MoreSophocles Oedipus Rex: The Epic and Tragic Hero in Myth and Culture2021 Words   |  8 Pagesintentions, dedication and pursuit of noble ideas, the personal cost often becomes so great that tragedy ensues. However, it is just this struggle that causes the tragic hero to appeal to a modern audience. After all, try as we might, we are not all Siegfried, Beowulf, or Achilles. In fact, it is through the flaws that we can often most identify in our own struggle to use these archetypal stories. Certainly, the oedipal myth has formed numerous permutations in culture and psychology that are common termsRead MoreLiterary Group in British Poetry5631 Words   |  23 Pagespoetry The first page of Beowulf The earliest known English poem is a hymn on the creation; Bede attributes this to Cà ¦dmon (fl. 658–680), who was, according to legend, an illiterate herdsman who produced extemporaneous poetry at a monastery at Whitby.[1] This is generally taken as marking the beginning of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Much of the poetry of the period is difficult to date, or even to arrange chronologically; for example, estimates for the date of the great epic Beowulf range from AD 608 rightRead MoreThe Origin Of The Dragon2970 Words   |  12 Pageshero who has to â€Å"slay† the dragon (Unerman 94). In many works this is by the knight in shining armor or the wizard who must avoid its fiery blast. By the Middle Ages, dragons slaying had become an accepted occupation and saw such heroes like Siegfried, Beowulf, King Arthur, and King Lodbrok of Denmark according to Livo (Livo 567-68). American authors will usually present a dragon as not too intellectual but likeable, thereby giving young readers a sense of superiority over the dragon (Petersen 4)