Wylie. P5. T5. Anglo-Saxon

Synthesis Question
by: Lorena Huang Liu, Diana Huang, Isabel Kim, Rachel Yeo

One of the main differences is the portrayal of the hero in Anglo-Saxon and Greek/Roman literature. In Anglo-Saxon literature, the hero is quite close to perfection; he is always honorable and honest. The main character, the hero, will usually be extremely brave and perform selfless acts of good and generosity. On the other hand, the main character in Greek/Roman literature usually has a fatal flaw, also called hamartia, which causes the hero’s downfall. The reason why Greek/Romans always imposed a big flaw in the heroes of literature was because it was a way in which the audience would be able to connect to the audience through catharsis. And the reason why Anglo-Saxon literature idolizes the heroes is because they want to make heroes into the ideal human being. This way, Anglo-Saxons could form a type of behavior standard that would encourage the warriors and men in that time period to behave properly, as literature exemplified. For example, in Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus is portrayed as a kind and brave ruler; however, he does have a tragic flaw that leads him to his downfall. At first glance, it may seem that his tragic flaw is his ignorance about the omens that the oracle had predicted, but it then becomes obvious that Oedipus’s hamartia is pride and bad temper. In contrast to Sophocles’ portrayal of a hero, Seamus Heaney makes it apparent that Anglo-Saxon heroes greatly differed from Greek/Roman heroes. For instance, Beowulf does not appear to have any type of flaw. He is just a man that is extremely humble for his capabilities. He is honorable and worries about the well-being of his people. When Beowulf finds himself in the verge of death, he says “For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank Our Father in Heaven…For all of this, that His grace has given me, Allowed me to bring my people while breath still came to my lips.” In this quote, Beowulf’s true heroism is apparent because instead of worrying about himself when he is dying, the thanks God for the treasure that he has found because then his people would be able to live comfortably.