What makes one character in a novel different than any other? A character’s characterization is what makes him stand out from the others in a novel. The Iliad, Gilgamesh, Beowulf and Gilgamesh all provide different ways for characterization to be developed.
Beowulf (the main character) was an Anglo-Saxon noble hero. Beowulf attempts to kill Grendel, the monster who attacked King Hrothgar and killed Hrothgars men (Beers 22). After seeing what Grendel did, Beowulf was determined to take revenge on Hrothgar’s men. But, Beowulf won the fight against Grendel. Beowulf didn’t realize that Grendel was his mother. She came back to exact revenge on Beowulf’s mother for her son’s murder. Beowulf used similar tactics against Grendel during the fight between Grendel’s Mother and Beowulf. His sword does not affect Grendel’s Mother (Beers 26). The fact that the sword did no harm to the beast proved that there was no single solution to every conflict. Beowulf was forced to change his characterization after the incident. Grendel’s mom was the first thing he tried to defeat. This worked, but wasn’t very practical. Beowulf then saw the massive sword mounted to the wall. The giant’s magic sword was too powerful for anyone to hold. Beowulf became furious and violent and grabbed the sword from the wall. He then thrust it into the neck of the monster. The sword’s striking struck caused the beast to collapse and become lifeless. This story gradually transformed Beowulf into a skilled warrior who became a smart and fierce fighter. The multiple instances of development and this novel explain why Beowulf was so different from other monsters he encountered. Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s main character, and Enkidu his friend help each others develop into new roles. Gilgamesh is joined by Enkidu on a quest to find Humbaba, the Guardian of Cedar Forest, to end their journey. A foil character is used to help develop Gilgamesh. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s foil figure, is Gilgamesh’s consciousness and guardian. Enkidu leads Gilgamesh from Uruk (Beers 49). This showed that Gilgamesh, who was half-god and a member of the royal family was open to having someone lead him. The Cedar Forest was separated from Humbaba by a huge gate when they arrived. Enkidu’s hands and face became pale after he opened the gate (Beers 49). Enkidu is saved by Gilgamesh who soon becomes his leader. Enkidu and Gilgamesh were soon just feet from Humbaba. The giant became very frightening to Gilgamesh. Enkidu was crushed by the giant and Gilgamesh became very afraid of him. After the crushing, Gilgamesh hovered over Humbaba wielding an Axe. In one perfect stroke, he sliced Humbaba’s head cleanly. (Beers 53). Humbaba’s execution demonstrates Gilgamesh’s change from fearful behavior to fearless. This epic novel illustrated how one character can become the foil of another.
The Iliad and Achilles are both portrayed in the novel. Hector, the commander of Trojan army (Beers57), is Achilles’ most formidable warrior. They are masters of war. This explains why Achilles is the strongest warrior in their army, while Hector is the weakest. Athena, the goddess war and wisdom, suggested to Achilles that they would both kill Hector in order to bring pride back into their land. Achilles responded to the demands with joy (Beers 59). Athena accepted Achilles’ demands and is now preparing for battle. Soon after, Athena took Hector to her and disguised herself in Deiphobus, the prince of Troy. She ordered them to kill Achilles. Hector agreed and rejoiced (Beers 59). Hector was transformed by this event. Hector was running from Achilles before the order. Hector became confident and believed that he would win with a god. Hector’s fate was sealed by his confidence. This story illustrates how people shouldn’t be afraid to take on risk.
We can see that character development in these novels was influenced by personal experiences. Many of the same elements that were used in literature thousands years ago are still present today, even though we have studied it.