Beowulf & Luke

Both Luke Skywalker and Beowulf are true heroes. They both go through the Hero Cycle. They are very courageous men, and heroes because of all the tasks they accomplish. Luke destroys the Death Star and saves Princess Leia, and Beoqulf kills Grendel and his mother, and the dragon. Both Beowulf and Luke have spiritual guides that aren’t tangible. Even though Luke has Obi-Wan, he has the Force. Beowulf is guided by fate. A difference between them is their call to action. Beowulf hears about the terror that Grendel has been causing the Danes, so he immediately goes to save them. Luke, however, is asked by Obi-Wan to help the rebel cause. Luke isn’t ready and is unwiling, and he declines the offer. But when he goes home to find that his aunt and uncle have been killed by the Storm Troppers, he becomes a willing hero and joins the rebel cause. Another difference is the last step in the Hero Cycle, the “Master of Two Worlds.” Once Beowulf defeats Grendel and his mother, he becomes a master of Denmark, and once he returns home, he is a master of Denmark. Luke does not become a master of two worlds because his story has just begun. He has much more to do on his journey. Beowulf’s life ends at the end of the poem. He defeated the dragon and saved his people once again. He died as a Master of Two Worlds, but Luke hasn’t yet.