English Literature

To whom much is given, much is expected. And this is the tragedy of being a hero. In the play Oedipus the King, the character of Oedipus is at firs portrayed as the wise one who solved the sphinxs riddle, saved Thebes and became its king. Self determination and confidence round him up, albeit with a mix of hot temper and uncontrolled anger. Beowulf, on the other hand, is the brave and all time warrior of Geatland. Steadfast loyalty to his people and a sense of pride for his successes in battle make him the ultimate hero. What is strikingly common to the two characters, however, is the paradox of their strength being their weakness. In fact, as both the play Oedipus and the epic Beowulf show, their ruthless self confidence and determination pushed them to their fall. It is because society expects a lot from its heroes, that most go into their extremes and ruin their lives.

Oedipus is the man who dared to tempt fate. His confidence is embodied in the belief that he holds his destiny in his own hands. After overhearing a drunk refer to him as a bastard, he immediately consulted an oracle to know how it is possible that he, the son of a king, would be a bastard. Instead, he is told that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Like his real father, King Laius, Oedipus determines to change the wheels of fate. He decides to run away from the palace of Corinth, so as to avoid the oracles prophecy. Unknown to him, this one move, trying to run away from fate, brought him closer to the destiny he sought to evade. He was determine to make things happen his way, but in so doing orchestrated his own destruction.

Beowulf exhibits this trait when he sought to kill the dragon. As king, he was getting old and most likely, weakened by age. But then, he was the most respected warrior that Geatland ever had. Even when it was obvious that challenging the dragon was suicidal, his confidence, perhaps with a tinge of pride, compelled him to take a dangerous course.

But the difference between the two is the circumstances and motives of their actions. Oedipus could not be said to be inspired by the bravery of Beowulf. On the contrary, his self confidence, the conviction that he can do it, or rather he ought to do it, was fed by the fear that the prophecy could be fulfilled if he stayed. Thus, essentially, he was running away from a crisis, rather than facing the challenge. We see a troubled man, not willing to be there when it came to pass. Regardless, we cant say he is exactly a coward, because he has chosen a cause of action which he is determined to pursue to avoid the abomination that the prophecy portends. His motive, however, is not to save or protect like Beowulf in time of a crisis, but to avoid the possibility of it happening. It is at this point that the nave side of his determination is unmasked. If he had the iron determination of a true hero, he would stay and wait for the prophesied time. And instead of fulfilling it, he would simply refuse to kill his father or marry his mother. With the knowledge of the oracle, to kill or not to kill his father is something he would have done willingly. It was this self confidence and determination to be away that ironically brought him nearer to fulfilling it, and closer to his ruin.

Upon becoming king of Corinth, an oracle reveals that the calamity that had plagued the country was rooted in the murder of King Laius. Once again, Oedipus is so determined to get the killer and punish him. When his wife(and mother) Jocasta casually mentions that Laius was killed at a three-way crossroads (symbolic of his trinity nature for being husband and son to his mother, and father to his siblings), he becomes even more determined, but partly to be certain that the man he killed on his way from Corinth could not be Laius. A sense of fear, once again, feeds his determination to know the truth.

Beowulf, contrastingly, is truly confident of himself to the bone. And he seems to realize a lot is expected of him as king. Usually, kings sent warriors to ward off any danger that threatened their people. But then, he considered himself as the one up to the challenge. Other factors such as the responsibility to protect his people and pride (he was proud of his exploits as a warrior in his youth) would have stirred the warrior instinct in him. However, going alone to face the dreaded dragon was stretching his confidence beyond human credibility. The conviction that he will kill the dragon is similar to Oedipus belief that he could change fate. The fact that both failed and perished in the end shows that human beings, by the very nature of their character, pursue paths that lead to their destruction. If only Oedipus was a little less determined, and Beowulf a little less confident, none would have dared to undertake extraordinary challenges.

Beowulf was brave and courageous, and for this he was the hope of his people. He had killed Grendel the monster and his mother. In his youth he had fought and won many battles. And now a dragon, more dangerous than the giants and rival tribes, threatened the people and he was their king. Oedipus, on his part, was supposedly the wise one the one who had solved the sphinxs riddle and constantly sought the counsel of the oracle. And Thebes, his kingdom, was plagued with a calamity. What is captured here is the way the character of each king influenced their reaction to their situations. Beowulf is courageous and believes in his physical strength. Accordingly, he ventured out to fight the dragon. His believe in courage and bravery is portrayed in stanza four, when he went to fight Grendel the monster. He  says

To Hrothgar Iin greatness of soul would succor bring,so the Wise-and-Brave  may worst his foes, --if ever the end of ills is fated,of cruel contest, if cure shall follow.. (Francis 2010).

Oedipus seeks to know first, to gain insight before reacting. He always sent for the oracle when a crisis loomed. In this particular case, he sent for the seer Teireisias for divine knowledge.

Loyalty to the people also comes into play when Beowulf joined the battle and by Oedipus for taking unto himself the peoples troubles. In his response to the congregation sent to see him, he lamented saying Sick as you are, not one is sick as I, each of you suffers in himselfbut my spirit Groans for the city, for myself, for you (Fitts 79).This indicates that both kings were loyal and equally committed to their people. Bravery by Beowulf exposed him to danger, while insight by Oedipus revealed knowledge that spelled his doom. Equally, loyalty and commitment by both kings kept them loyal and committed upon the path that led to ruin. Beowulf did so in the hope of saving his people, Oedipus in the belief that he was doing justice for the murder of King Laius.

During their youth, both Beowulf and Oedipus showed a great deal of pride for their respective positions. It is said that Beowulf used to narrate tales of his battles and victories. He fought not necessarily as a duty to society, but as a means of establishing himself as a hero. The pursuit of heroism is portrayed when he left Geatland and went to Denmark to fight the monsters that had attacked the palace of king Hrothgar. While addressing Hrothgar, he spoke of himself in part VII and XXI

Thou Hrothgar, hail Hygelacs I,kinsman and follower. Fame a plentyhave I gained in youth..
Sorrow not, sage It beseems us betterfriends to avenge than fruitlessly mourn them.Each of us all must his end abidein the ways of the world so win who mayglory ere death When his days are told,that is the warriors worthiest doom (Francis 2010).

 This is in contrast with his battle with the dragon as an aging king. Instead of pride, he was fighting for the common good of society and out of his sense of responsibility. The ending of the poem describes the call of duty that had sent him forth to protect his people

Thus made their mourning the men of Geatland,for their heros passing his hearth-companionsquoth that of all the kings of earth,of men he was mildest and most beloved,to his kin the kindest, keenest for praise (Francis 2010).

But then, his pride and quest for heroism in his youth had prepared him for the throne, which charged him with the responsibility to protect his people, and perish in the process.

Pride could be the one reason why Oedipus killed the stranger who turned out to be his father. In those times, it was the norm for people of high rank to have right of passage first, either on the road or across a bridge. Laius was the king of Thebes and therefore had this right, which was clearly obvious to his guards. Oedipus, even if he was on the run, still regarded himself as heir to the throne of Corinth. Accordingly, he expected to be accorded due respect. But his adversaries did not know this and pushed him out of the way for their king to pass. It was then that a fight ensued in which he inadvertently killed his father. Were it not for pride and a sense of self-importance, he really wouldnt have killed the stranger, whose ghost will haunt and blind him. And like Beowulf, he showed a degree of responsibility in his later life as king of Thebes. Upon learning the abomination he had committed, he took responsibility of his mistakes and accepted to be exiled from the land. Though nobody pushed him, his strong conviction about responsibility would not allow him to take an easier way out.

Nonetheless, he differed from Beowulf by his hot temper and uncontrolled anger, which could have caused him to react so ruthlessly to a harmless insult. At Thebes, he said that the one who led the way, and the old man himself, wanted to push him out of the road by force. As the heir apparent to the throne of Corinth, that was an insult he could not take and as a result, killed his offenders. His quick temper and his self-confidence could not leave him space for any gentler choice. These facts confirm his reliance on his emotions rather than on reason, as good counsel would demand of a great hero. Yet again, these tragic flaws in the character of a hero are what make them to stumble and fall.

In conclusion, the character traits of the two heroes were responsible for the fate they suffered. Oedipus was too much determined to change his destiny. Beowulfs confidence led him to the dragons den. And both kings had a sense of responsibility to their people. Without these, they wouldnt have made the choices they made, which were clearly the harbingers of their fall.