When thinking of a hero, one pictures a young man with large muscles such as Hercules or Superman. Smart is not a typical quality used to describe heroes. However, that trait is possibly the most similar between the characters Odysseus and Beowulf. They present other traits along with their intelligence, but it is the character trait that they both take advantage of. These two characters share heroic qualities such as intelligence, courage, and strength.
Beowulf and Odysseus were both very sharp and intelligent creatures. Beowulf was smart because he knew that weapons couldn’t harm or damage Grendel. He used this knowledge to defeat Grendel, and eventually kill him. Odysseus was also very quick witted. This is portrayed when the Cyclops captured Odysseus and his men. It was Odysseus who figured out poking the Cyclops's eye out would blind him and they could escape in sheep wool. Another trait that these two share is their courage.…show more content… Beowulf displays amazing courage when he takes it upon himself to defeat Grendel, a creature who mass murdered thousands of innocent individuals. He also had a lot of faith by not battling Grendel with a weapon and only using his bare hands. Odysseus shows his courage when he and his son take on all of the lovers of his wife. He also demonstrates courage when he listens to the Sirens. He puts himself in danger by letting himself hear them, but he has faith in his crew and his own willpower. No matter how much courage each of the characters has, they must also be physically strong in order to win in