Winners: Beowulf and 1 Samuel 17
Boy hero or famed warrior. Giant or monster. Israel or the Netherlands. The tale remains the same; readers and citizens cheer for one who will rise up and take the challenge. Though stemmed from entirely different time periods and contexts, the parallel in plot, setting, and characterization, between the legend of Beowulf and the biblical account of David and Goliath cannot be overlooked.
At the core, the most significant similarities and differences in the plots of Beowulf and David and Goliath are born from the similarities in the characterization and their respective protagonists: David and Beowulf. First, is their deity empowered status; before ever being put in a place of authority by man, both David and Beowulf…show more content… Beowulf, similarly, after hearing tales of Grendel the "savage [who] severs the souls [of its victims],” sails to the Netherlands to aid King Hrothgar and slays the “hideous fiend” (Beowulf lines 740 & 815 ). What separates the two stories in genre (i.e. underdog vs. archetypal lead, Christian vs. pagan) is the social standing of their heroes. David is “just a boy, a mere shepherd, nearly the lowest class of labors in the time, an unheard of “youth,” who is unaccustomed to the ways of war (1 Samuel 17:33). Because of his lowly position and the notorious rank of his foe, David’s victory comes as a glorious shock; whereas Beowulf is “world renowned,” the mention of his name harks the title “King of Glory,” “mightiest man of valor” and even “wave-walker.” If anyone can avenge the Danes and take Grendel’s life it will be Beowulf – the “wielder of wonder” (Beowulf lines 20, 203, 205). Another difference is evident in each characters motive: one fights for the glory of God, and another for the glory of