Brandon
Blake Brandon
English 4 Honors
Block 1A
Mrs. Howley
22. February. 2012
Epic Heroism through Beowulf, A Tale of Two Cities, and Gladiator
It’s funny how time has a way of altering the way things of the past are viewed in modern
society. Nowadays, a hero can range from television or comic book characters, to police officers,
to firemen, to athletes, and even to your average person by performing a lifesaving or life
altering act. In the past however, a hero was someone who had done something extraordinary
and had some elusive quality that made them so special. These heroes were of epic statures and
stories about epic heroes became popular to an unimaginable degree with poems and songs, and
other literature. Epic heroism is depicted through the epic poem Beowulf interpreted by Burton
Raffel, the epic movie Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott, and the epic novel A Tale of Two
Cities by Charles Dickens.
Dating back to the times of the Anglo Saxons are accounts of epic heroes. One very
famous account would be the epic poem Beowulf interpreted by Burton Raffel. Beowulf is the
epic hero in this epic poem and his actions throughout are of the most inspiring magnitude. One
example of this is shown through some inspiring words of Beowulf, “Let your sorrow end! It is
better for us all to avenge our friends, not mourn them forever. Each of us will come to the end
of this life on earth: he who can earn it should fight” (Raffel 1384-1387). Beowulf is trying to
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rally Hrothgar and his men to stand up to a vicious perpetrator despite losing a close friend.
Grendel’s mother deliberately took the life of Hrothgar’s friend and Beowulf is displaying a
quality of a true epic hero. He seems to be a man on a mission and is willing to fight for what is
right to the death for that is the greatest honor. Beowulf may look like a mere mortal but his
supernatural strength shows exactly why he can be the epic hero that he is. This supernatural
strength is depicted by, “Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by giants,
strong and blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons but so massive that no ordinary man
could lift its carved and decorated length. He drew it from its scabbard, broke the chain on its
hilt, and then, savage, now, angry, and desperate, lifted it high over his head” (Raffel 15571564). In his battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf is able to exert some of his epic strength on
acquiring the nearly impossible to acquire sword that ultimately allows for him to defeat the
monster and restore peace for Hrothgar and his men. Even though Beowulf has super human
qualities, he remains mortal which is evident in his battle with the dragon. He fights valiantly but
old age catches up with him as he suffers a deadly wound from a bite. The dragon ends up slain
and although Beowulf passes away, his memory lives on. Beowulf is definitely an epic hero post
death as he is remembered by, “The bearers brought their beloved lord, their glorious king, and
weeping laid him high on the wood. Then the warriors began to kindle that greatest of funeral
fires: smoke rose above the flames, black and thick, and while the wind blew and the fire roared
they wept, and Beowulf’s body crumbled and was gone. The Geats stayed, moaning their sorrow,
lamenting their lord” (Raffel 3140-3149). Beowulf had imposed his will do defeat those who
threatened those around him as well as protecting his peers by risking his life no matter the
stakes. There is no question about the fact that the epic poem Beowulf interpreted by Burton
Raffel is a true tale of epic heroism.
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This epic poem describes an epic hero from a time past but how would he stand in the
eyes of a present day reader? Comic book characters are the typical view of a modern hero,
“They each do the best that they can to better the world. They use their powers to protect others”
(Ed Z. Ved 1 of 1). While this has become the prototypical basis for a hero in modern society,
that’s not how it always was. Beowulf was a legend of a different era. “Beowulf does what he
thinks is best for his reputation, not what is best for the world, just as Unferth tells him when he
says that ‘it was sheer vanity that made you venture out.’”(Ed Z. Ved 1 of 1). Beowulf would
perform certain duties that would end up helping others; however, that isn’t the true intention of
Beowulf. He is a man who must prove himself now in order to be remembered throughout the
future generations. His intentions are not true to that of a modern hero but he does help out to
epic proportions like a modern hero would do. Beowulf should be viewed as a true epic hero
because he is able to perform super-human tasks like killing Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and
helping to ultimately slay the dragon. He does these three tasks not only to receive fame and
memories from others but also to help out neighbors and his own people. In the end, Beowulf
sacrifices his own life in order to protect his people from ultimate doom and he should stand out
as a hero for that reason.
In the case of movies, epics must comprise of the following: deal with the great ambition
of a mythical, historic or heroic person, accentuate human drama on a grand scale, and must
contain a remarkable setting with extravagant features. One example that entails all of the
qualities of an epic is the movie Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott. The ambition of the main
character Maximus is rooted from the dastardly deeds of Commodus. Maximus was to be in
power but Commodus kills his own father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Commodus is in power of
the Roman throne and he is responsible for the deaths of Roman General Maximus’s wife and
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son. Maximus is then imprisoned and hopes to get back at Commodus for what he has done to
his family. Maximus is at peace with whatever happens to him at this point but he hopes to be
reunited with his family in the afterlife. Commodus wraps up what Maximus has gone through in
order to make things right by saying, “The general who became a slave. The slave who became a
gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story! But now, the people want to
know how the story ends. Only a famous death will do. And what could be more glorious than to
challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena?” Maximus’s ambition is great enough for him
to defeat an Emperor which is epic in its own but the ways in which he defeat Commodus truly
accentuate human drama on a grand scale. Just about everything Maximus must go through in
this movie happens on a grand scale. He wins a battle early on by displaying great courage. This
courageous battle scene is epic with fire, death, blood, and intense combat all in one. Maximus
must also go through slave trade. This slave trade is done on a somewhat grand scale in that
people were all bidding on the slaves and Maximus is on stage for anyone in the crowd to
purchase. When he is bought by the gladiator manager Proximo, he is thrown out into the
gladiator ring. These battles are epic in that they are battles to the death with the winner being
the only left to live. Maximus performs heroically in these battles and comes out victorious. He
ends up earning his way into a battle in front of Commodus. This gladiator battle is to enact and
old slaughter in which Maximus and his fellow gladiators are to be the ones slaughtered.
Maximus is triumphant once again in front of a grand crowd at the coliseum. Maximus also goes
on to beat the “unstoppable” and undefeated gladiator Tigris. This leads to a final battle which
pits Maximus against Commodus in a one on one battle. Maximus says to Commodus, “I have
only one more life to take. Then it is done.” Commodus secretly stabs Maximus before the battle
but in heroic fashion a dazed Maximus is triumphant once more. By having these battles in the
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coliseum, the setting becomes extravagant due to the fact that the Roman coliseum is one of the
most remarkable structures in history. The crowd in the coliseum is sad to see Maximus go, but
grateful in that before he dies dramatically, Maximus is able to fulfill Emperor Marcus
Aurelius’s wish for a republic. This last act of Maximus shows just how much of an epic hero he
truly is and how he exerts his efforts towards doing what is best for his people.
Some may say that Maximus shouldn’t be considered an epic hero because he is a mere
mortal with no outstanding physical qualities. I personally find Maximus to be an epic hero
because of his actions for others and his resiliency in battle. “This characterization is close to the
classic concept of the tragic hero, a man who may be godlike but is a hero because he is
completely human (Segers 1 of 1). Movies have been made about epic heroes all the time, but
Gladiator is able to separate itself from those other films. “Like many of the great Hollywood
historical epics, Gladiator is the story of the triumph of a heroic figure over seeminglyinsurmountable odds. In this case, he is a slave taking on the most powerful man in the world the Emperor of Rome” (Berardinelli 1 of 1). Maximus is a hero who defies the odds and not only
obtains revenge over a tyrant but also frees an entire empire from its tyrannical ruler.
In A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens there are several characters who take
different approaches towards being heroic figures. Certain characters are portrayed as being good
or bad based on the plot, but when you take a look at the actual historical background for the
book, views could change. One character, Defarge, shows his heroism through leading rebels in
the French revolution. He leads them through the takeover of the bastille in France which was a
huge accomplishment in freeing the French citizens from an oppressive government. Such heroic
leadership is clearly shown through, “ Defarge himself, already begrimed with gunpowder and
sweat, issued orders, issued arms, thrust this man back, dragged this man forward, disarmed one
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to arm another, labored and strove in the thickest of the uproar” (217). Another charter battling
for heroic relevance would be Charles Darnay. Darnay tries to be heroic in that he wants to help
his family obtain safety by clearing his family’s name. Darnay takes an approach for a smaller
number of people which may make his actions seem less heroic. “ I entreat you to observe that I
have come here voluntarily, in response to that written appeal of a fellow-countryman which lies
before you. I demand no more than the opportunity to do so without delay. Is not that my right”
(256-257)? The most famous character in this entire novel for his heroic deed is Sydney Carton.
Carton goes from being an underachieving, useless, nobody who has nobody close to him. He is
the furthest thing from a hero that is until the end. Darnay is put in prison and is to be hanged but
Carton is able to sacrifice himself by switching places with Darnay in order to save his entire
family. Sydney’s heroism can be captured through, “ It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I
have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known” (382). Carton is the
most understandable candidate to be considered an epic hero, but aren’t they all heroes?
Carton isn’t viewed as a traditional hero just because of his lifestyle. He goes through life
squandering away some potential he has to make something of himself and he really doesn’t
perform any heroic actions along the way. Carton comes through when, “Defarge’s list includes
Charles Darnay and also his wife and daughter by association. Darnay is arrested and sentenced
to the guillotine. Sydney Carton, who until this point has felt wasted and without purpose, calls
on his inexorable love for Lucie to perform a classic switcheroo, saving Darnay from his fate and
protecting the woman he loves (Chand 1 of 1). Carton was able to set aside all of the failures he
had in life in order to sacrifice himself for the greater good and well-being of a family. Carton
isn’t the only character who is depicted as a hero for some would argue Darnay. Referencing
Charles Darnay, “But he is, however ambiguously, the novel's hero. It is Carton, not Darnay,
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who is the foil. In the popular imagination, their rôles are commonly reversed” (Frank 1 of 1).
Frank chooses to take an uncommon interpretation as to why Darnay is the real hero and not
Carton. He claims that Darnay is more of a modernistic version of a hero. I personally feel that
both could be viewed as heroes but Carton would be the epic hero for the significance and
aftermath of his final deed.
Heroes throughout history have made their marks by their actions. When talking about
heroes of epic statures, legends can be created by use of poems, songs, novels, stories, or by
films. Epic heroism is depicted through the epic poem Beowulf interpreted by Burton Raffel, the
epic movie Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott, and the epic novel A Tale of Two Cities by
Charles Dickens. These three sources provide the proper insight to understand what a true epic
hero is. They aren’t just someone who looks out for themselves, but instead they perform selfless
acts in order to do right by their peers or followers.