Beowulf vs. Captain Miller of "Saving Private Ryan": Comparison of hero Characteristics

Imagine being on a boat, full of anticipation. As the door drops soldiers are gunned down simultaneously before they have a chance to defend themselves. Captain Miller looks around as his comrades are slaughtered in vain. Out of instinct he seizes a fellow soldier, leaps off the boat into the water and screams, "Let's go!" just as the man in front of him is hit by a mortar shell. Throughout history, many conflicts required the rise of a great leader to lead his people. In Beowulf and Saving Private Ryan these leader are evident. Beowulf, the protagonist in the epic poem by the same name, fights many monsters in order to protect his village. He accomplishes his goal with unparalleled bravery and fights against all odds to his death. …