The Essence of a Hero: Beowulf vs. Harry Potter

Throughout time, the idea of a hero has been altered year by year, depending solely on the cultural values of each time period. With this in mind, it is easy to see why an ideal hero in Beowulf’s time, around 700 A.D., would differ from a hero in the 21^st century; the cultural morals from one time period to the next would have been evolving continuously. Though the stories of Beowulf and Harry Potter have an almost 1,300 year gap, some of the values of the two cultures that inspired these stories have key similarities, though also major differences. In both Beowulf and the Harry Potter series, bravery and loyalty, or simply friendship, are valued above all. But in Beowulf’s time, physical strength, and trophies of this strength, were admired and sought after; violent acts were a sign of power and committed freely and without penalty. In Harry Potter’s time though, our time, mental capacity and how you choose to use your abilities is valued; success isn’t a slain enemy, but instead one conquered, usually through your own wit. These similarities and differences reflect the same discrepancies in the two cultures that created these pieces of literature and their famous heroes.

            One attribute that sets Beowulf and Harry Potter apart from the ordinary is their courage. Without this audacity, Beowulf and Harry would have no adventures or victories to set them apart from the average man of their time. Besides his unforgettably tremendous strength, if Beowulf did not have the bravery to sail to Denmark to aid Hrothgar in the battle against Grendel, his story would not be worth passing on generation after generation. Heroism was what guided him through his first victory against the mighty Grendel, who terrorized the mead hall of Herot, and what advanced his reputation of a typical soldier to a hero, or the type of man whose culture admires and looks up to. You can come to this conclusion from the way that Beowulf is written; not from one author but instead a story passed around by oral tradition until being written as a manuscript. Because Beowulf was being constantly tweaked by its story tellers, you can gather that Beowulf was shaped as the true ideal conqueror. Harry and Beowulf have a major connection; both men are thrust in to positions of influence, but it is their bravery that makes them worth remembering. In Harry’s instance, he was already set for greatness but it was his own character strengths that kept him from going to the wrong side of the battle being fought. When he comes in contact with the Sorting Hat during his first year at Hogwarts, he is asked if he would like to be placed in the Slytherin house, where he could belong. By choosing Gryffindor, the house known for having pupils both loyal and brave, Harry sets for himself a moral standard that he continues to follow for the next 7 years of his education, and on to the rest of his life. Bravery, no matter if you are in the 21^st century or 700 A.D., is a feature sought after by all of mankind, and so in result, brave men are often remembered as also great men.

            Another characteristic of both Beowulf and Harry that sets them apart is their special attention to the power of loyalty and friendship. Just as Beowulf would be weak without his men, Harry would not live through triumph after triumph if it was not from the help of his close group of friends, including Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger. Beowulf is a capable and strong man, but it is the support from his fellow soldiers that makes him great. In the last scene right before his death, Beowulf goes to fight a dragon, which has been attacking his kingdom, with a group of his men, though he plans on completing the task alone. When Beowulf, now frail with old age, proves to be no match for the dragon, and begins to become heavily wounded in battle, only one of Beowulf’s men, Wiglaf, comes forward to aid his lord. Wiglaf’s bravery against the beast, and his loyalty to Beowulf, develop him as a secondary hero in the story. The death and funeral that follows are greatly foreshadowed in the beginning of the story, when the ruler Shield Sheafson dies and is set to sea with his treasures. This is similar to Beowulf, who is also buried with the treasures he has accumulated. Beowulf’s loyalty to his men, and in return their allegiance to him, is what secures his spot as a hero even after death. By the extravagant funeral Beowulf receives, it says a thing about his standing and also about this time period in general; treasures and trophies of greatness are something to carry even to the afterlife. In Harry Potter, a valued asset is having a deal of loyal friends, especially in times when family member may turn upon family member. In a great friendship, people come together and share their best characteristics; it is this assistance from his friends that essentially keeps Harry alive. Time after time, so many occasions it is impossible to say, Harry relies on the support of his friends and guidance of the elders in his life to escape the man who is out for him, Voldemort, time after time.

            Finally, a feature that sets apart Beowulf and Harry, as well as setting apart their two separate cultures, is how greatness is measured for both heroes. In the story of Beowulf, it is his physical feats that being him recognition from men. After defeating Grendel, with only his bare hands, Beowulf keeps a trophy in the form of Grendel’s dissembled arm. This trophy of his victory embodies what is valued in Beowulf’s time; physical strength and a strong lean towards violence. To be considered to have defeated his enemies, Beowulf must conquer them in a physical and brutal way, usually ending in their death. In contrast, in our time, where Harry Potter’s world is modeled after, victory can come from a conquer that is much less bloody and barbaric. Mental capacity is valued over actual physical strength, though strength is something sought after as well. The ability to clash with your rival and defeat him with not just with a sword swipe to the head is something now to be proud of. This lean, towards a new type of victory, shows our move away from barbarism, and our outlook on people as individuals with strengths and weaknesses besides physical things. All through the Harry Potter series, Harry stayed away from using the Killing Curse, and instead “stunned” or disarms his rivals. In the final scene of the whole series, Harry faces Voldemort and disarms him in the final battle instead of aiming to kill, though Voldemort in the end dies from his own Killing Curse that bounces off Harry’s spell. This final fight is a symbol of everything Harry stands for; pureness of heart, bravery, and wit. Symbols like this, spread throughout the series, shapes Harry Potter’s world in ways simple narrative could not.

            In conclusion, what marks Beowulf and Harry Potter as equal heroes, though with a 1,300 year span between them, is their bravery, loyalty, and friendship values. These similarities in moral standards in the two separate cultures defines our general grasp at what a hero is, also in the same way their differences makes a point. In Beowulf’s time, of 700 A.D., physical strength is what is sought after, though in our time, as a modern hero, Harry conquers his enemies through his wit and intelligence. Beowulf and Harry are both modern heroes of their times, but times so far apart that their standards are notably separate and marked by the cultures of what years of transformation can do.