Hamlet vs. Beowulf

When comparing novels, characters and character traits must also be compared. The novel is nothing more than its characters,and when it comes to Beowulf and Hamlet, the characters couldn't be any more different.  A few centuries apart, the novels were written in different styles and overall influences among the authors, which allowed room for differentiation.

In the poem of Beowulf, this heroic Beowulf was portrayed as a courageous warrior and a reliable king. His flaws were minuscule, but his ability and ambition was grand. Beowulf was a man, even in his young years, you wanted to protection from. As a king he was noble in his ways of protecting his kingdom from those who apposed a threat.

In contradiction we have a young Hamlet, who at a time in the play was very confused, mournful, and revengeful. He had many things weighing heavily on his head and he couldn't find a way to simply solve them out. When it came time for him to follow through with some of his decisions, it seems he was indecisive in his decisions he knew he must make. "To be or not to be." he begins his soliloquy. As young and inexperienced with near death situations as Hamlet was, he was well advanced in the understanding of possibilities in this world. He thought of situations and life decisions. As seen in the soliliquy, " To grunt and sweat, under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death." Hamlet had more than the ability to think through and make decisions for himself.

I think what makes Hamlet so much more different than Beowulf, is their life positions. Yes, they are both placed in a high society position, but their roles couldn't be any similar. Hamlet is a young man who lost his father, betrayed by his mother, looked to be killed by his uncle, and through all of this is alone. Beowulf on the other hand is a well known warrior/king who has fighting skills that allows him to fight against the monsters.

"The undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?" Hamlet's struggles is much different than that of Beowulf's. In their speech alone it is seen their differences and overall demeanor is not similar.