18th Century Heroes Contrasted and Compared to Beowulf

18^th Century Heroes Contrasted and Compared to Beowulf

Heroes cannot be located easily. It can take centuries for a hero to emerge in a society. Often, heroes are selfless leaders that unite people for a common cause (Sims and Gore 3). They initiate sweeping changes and radical transformation for the betterment of the future generations. They lead people in the times or war or economic hardships. Most importantly, heroes can risk their lives to save that of another person. George Washington, Beowulf and Russia’s Peter the Great are historic figures that performed heroic deeds for their countries during their time. Beowulf is a mythical character that demonstrates courage while Peter the Great and Beowulf exhibit distinct leadership style that resulted in liberty, freedom and prosperity for their respective countries.

Beowulf’s story begins with an attack by Grendel—a mythical monster. The heroic figure is informed of an attack on King Hrothgar’s palace.  Beowulf immediately volunteers to fight with the monster and to restore dignity in the kingdom. He handpicked fourteen strong men to join his army. Grendel killed several members of the nobility before Beowulf could launch an attack on him. However, the unfolding events fueled his anger, forcing him to engage in a hand-to-hand combat with the beast. In the end, he decapitated the mythical beast hence becoming a savior and a hero to the kingdom.

Beowulf’s actions are similar to those of George Washington during a fight to liberate the Americans from the British oppression. He was a natural leader that became a Commander In Chief of the newly liberated US army. He volunteered for a dangerous task of passing a message to the French that occupied the British territory in the United States. He understood the consequences of his actions, especially if the French were not pleased with the warning message. However, he had to prove that he was a brave man that Governor Robert Dinwiddie can rely upon. Similar to Beowulf, he led his team through tough terrain and harsh weather conditions. He bravely passed through the hostile territories mostly inhabited by the Indians (Sims and Gore 62). At times, armed French forts passed near his location, thus a threat of a risky encounter. He passed the message after nearly a month, but the French did not heed to the calls. Therefore, it forced George Washington to make a return journey that took him 2 more months. He nearly died during the ordeal. Dangers lurked from all direction but could not shake the courageous Washington.

One of the most heroic deeds of the first US president occurred in 1754. He participated directly in the Indian French battle. British fortress captured hundreds of French soldiers in the River Valley of Ohio. George Washington had an army of fewer than 300 men. He was a military strategist because he built makeshift forts in soggy lowland that provided a tactical advantage. George Washington often utilized his surroundings for an accomplishment of his goals. His heroic story contrasts with that of Beowulf because he lost the battle. French army captured all his soldiers though they were released later. Because of this humbling loss, the Indian French War lasted for another decade.

Peter and Beowulf share similar heroic traits because both were leaders. It is important to note, however, that Peter’s heroic deeds did not stem from wars. Rather, Russians and Europeans applaud him for introducing modernity to the age-old Russian culture (Riasanovsky 24). Unlike George Washington, Peter the Great was a member of a Russian royal family. As such, his fate as a Russian Tsar was already sealed. He was the 14^th child of Alexis the Czar and had two brothers. When he ascended to the throne, Russia was severely underdeveloped in comparison with the rest of Western Europe. Early Russian leaders strongly rejected the Western culture hence were overshadowed by the Reformation and the Renaissance era.  It resulted in decades of isolation from the rest of the developed world.

Peter the Great introduced extensive policies and reforms set to re-launch and restore Russia to its rightful place on the global map. A strong opposition emanated from the medieval aristocratic loyalists in the country, but Peter the Great withered the brewing storm. He conceived a formidable naval force and introduced a Western style of command for the country’s army. In addition, he encouraged the secularization of the Russian system of educations and wielded greater control of over the state's Orthodox Church (Wilberger and Womack 103). Besides, he created new territorial and administrative divisions. Peter the great handled real-life leadership responsibilities whereas Beowulf is mythical being performing tasks nearly impossible in the real world. Monster beings did not exist in the 18^th Century Russia but they symbolically represent the challenges that crippled the Eurasian country.

Beowulf is classified as a hero because 50 years later, a giant dragon maliciously attacks his kingdom and terrorizes the subjects. Beowulf makes a decision to fight the dragon himself without the help of his army. He had the interest of his people at heart (Bradman et al. 43). He also intended to stamp his authority as a fearless, courageous and a strong leader. As he engages with the beast, he learns that defeating the dragon single-handedly is not going to be easy. In fact, the hardness of dragon’s skin makes it resistant to an iron sword. In the end, the beast fatally wounds Beowulf in a crashing defeat.

Unlike peter the great, Beowulf successfully passes the throne to Wiglaf. It is true that his life tragically ends with the story. However, he dies after securing treasure from the hoard of the dragon. His heroic deeds are reflected in George Washington’s retirement from the leadership after securing the freedom and independence of the country from the British. Today, many Americans celebrate the heroic deeds of the founding father with an understanding that the Union would be non-existent were it not for his wisdom and natural leadership. In a sharp contrast, there are mixed reactions towards Peter’s heroic deeds and leadership style (Wilberger and Womack 8). Some view him as an oppressive leader that crashed the Baltic States and engaged in unnecessary battles. On the other hand, analysts criticize Beowulf as a selfish leader driven by an obsessive need to become a powerful leader. The urge drives him blindly to his death. The mere fact that his life became the ultimate sacrifice for his people is enough for him to be classified as an epic hero. All the three leaders received a befitting burial after their death.

In summary, it is clear that the George Washington, Peter the Great and Beowulf share similar traits as heroes. However, sharp differences exist in their goals, motivations, and roles in the society. Besides, it is undeniable that each leader intended to have his name inscribed in historic documents.

Works Cited

Bradman, Tony, and Tony Ross. Beowulf the Hero. London: Orchard, 2011: 3-148. Print.

Riasanovsky, Nicholas V. The Image of Peter the Great in Russian History and Thought. London: Oxford University Press, 2013: 32-54. Print.

Sims, Camelia, and Laura Gore. George Washington: A Timeless Hero. Los Angeles: ZANA International, 2012: 1-77. Print.

Wilberger, Carolyn, and William R. Womack. Peter the Great: An 18th Century Hero of Our Time?Banbury, Oxfordshire: The Voltaire Foundation, 2012: 7-231. Print.