Through a religious paradigm, the epic hero of Beowulf and the Byronic hero of Wuthering Heights each provide a unique insight into where heroes get their power : from external sources such as religion or internal sources such as revenge and passion. These sources of power also bring new clarity for each of the heroes' respective eras, revealing information and ideas of power, heroism, and values ​​during these time periods. The anonymous poet Beowulf and Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights represent, through their protagonists, the differences between models of heroism between the Old English (c.450-1066) and the Romantic era (c.1785-1832). This thesis is supported by analysis through a religious paradigm and the differences between these eras and modes of heroism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay An epic hero is described as having strong qualities of courage and nobility and is prized for his strength, nationalism, and feats as a warrior. Beowulf, being one of the most famous epic heroes in all of literature, meets all of these criteria. Throughout the epic, Beowulf is represented as heroic and nationalistic, his value to the lineage most prominently portrayed when in chapter five, Beowulf identifies his clan before himself: “We are of the clan of Hygelac; My name is Beowulf” (B. 11). Beowulf is honorable and serves God, believing that he is responsible for his glory. In contrast to this, Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights represents a world of injustice on which God seems to have turned his back. Being an Old English text, Beowulf's denotes much from this era to this mode of heroism. There is much scholarly debate as to whether Beowulf is a Christian text or not. Whallon claims that Beowulf's Christianity is "naive and rudimentary" (85), but "another scholar declares in a famous lecture that the poet placed his work in a pagan age that he considered not so much censorious as noble but hopeless" (Whallon 87). There are mixed religious elements throughout the text of Christianity and Old Norse, due to the story starting as a pagan myth, but through the influence of Roman missionaries through Sweden and Denmark, Beowulf became intertwined with the values ​​and l Christian ideology. Grendel best represents these mixed faiths, the monster's backstory is a strong biblical allusion, as he is the son of Cain, but the monster himself has his roots in Scandinavian myths. Beowulf's clan is Christian, but fallen members of the clan are honored with pagan funeral pyres, rather than a Christian burial. This seemingly religious indifference can be seen in several ways; that Beowulf's Christianity was present because it was foreseen by virtuous heroes, or that it is the result of centuries of oral tradition in which the text was spread before finally being written down by Christian monks between the 7th and 10th centuries. Scott Gwara wonders whether Beowulf is a "pre-Christian archetype" or a "pagan nobleman", (1) but inevitably Gwara concludes that the character's Christian values ​​are demonstrated primarily to strengthen his virtue and morality, and because such faith was predictable. of heroes (2). If Beowulf began as a Christian story, the focus of the story would be one of faith and forgiveness rather than heroism and courage. In the Middle Ages these were the dominant values, as it was a time full of dangers. The epic poem conveys the Scandinavian terror of invasion through the fear that runs rampant in the text. The feudal narrative of Beowulf also expresses the warrior culture and values ​​needed in such a time, through Beowulf's courage, leadership, and heroism.The heroism of Beowulf's epic hero is not present in Wuthering Heights, instead Heathcliff portrays a much darker and non-idealised form of heroism, the Byronic Hero. A Byronic hero is a brooding, intelligent, cynical, self-destructive pariah. Heathcliff is all these things and one of the most famous examples of a Byronic hero. Throughout the novel, Heathcliff constantly alienates others, and as the story progresses, he becomes "more and more disinclined to society" (Brontë 293), and to others, with the exception of Cathy, as his affection for her he grows even more obsessive, especially after her death, wanting her to “always haunt [him] – take any form – drive him mad” (Brontë 158), and stating that he “cannot live without [her] soul” (Brontë 158) While Heathcliff's grief-stricken madness convinces him that without Cathy, his soul, he no longer truly lives In this metaphorical death, Heathcliff has become a vengeful vengeful man motivated solely to spread harm and misery to all. has crossed him. He takes out his injustices on his beloved Cathy's partner, Edgar, by marrying and abusing Edgar's sister, Isabela, and on Hindley, mistreating his son in the same way Heathcliff was mistreated during his childhood. The historical context of Wuthering Heights' era has a strong impact on his dark mode of heroism. Brontë wrote her book during the Victorian age of the Romantic era, a time of great political, social and economic change. Although this was a prosperous time for many, such as the Earnshaw family, it also brought abject poverty, Heathcliff can come to portray this side, with origins unknown, he is found, "hungry and homeless... on the streets of Liverpool" ( Brontë 33 ). His dark and mysterious origins underline the idea that Heathcliff is the physical embodiment of this crueler side of the industrializing world. Wuthering Heights depicts Brontë's context through its narrative, with hierarchically structured rural life where those without wealth and status hold no power, an incomparable power from which it is presented in Beowulf. There is no battlefield in Wuthering Heights, and a person's worth and virtue as a warrior have no value. Cathy chooses Edgar over Heathcliff because of his financial wealth, although she loves Heathcliff, she does so because of the conventions of this era which dictate that a person cannot acquire both meaningful relationships and financial security. Although both are heroes, Beowulf and Heathcliff have vastly different modes of heroism. Heathcliff derives his power from status and wealth, which he uses in his quest for revenge. The source of Beowulf's power is his physical strength and his faith, which he uses to defeat his enemies. Beowulf is a story set in wartime, while Wuthering Heights is set in peacetime, and the values ​​of each are set accordingly. Battles in Wuthering Heights are not resolved as in Beowulf, on a blood-soaked battlefield or with swords, but rather through careful planning, marriages, and estates. Through a religious paradigm, the contrast between Beowulf's heroism and Heathcliff's is found nowhere else. made more evident. In chapter 10, the titular Beowulf states: I [am]…in no way weaker than Grendel. For this reason, I will not consign his life to the sleep of death with a sword... He has no skill... with [a] sword... however mighty he may be in his horrible deeds. We will wage war without weapons. Let the wise God, the holy Lord, decree success on whatever side seems right to Him! (B. 44). Beowulf's unshakable faith in God holds power.