The Epic of Gilgamesh and Beowulf contain everything one would expect from great epic literature. It features fantastical geographies, exotic characters, grueling quests, heroic battles with monsters, supernatural beings and natural forces. Most importantly, these are two exceptional stories of a great epic hero who is forced to face his destiny and who meets every challenge with courage and determination. Beowulf is the oldest epic poem written in a modern European language. It was written in Old English sometime before the 10th century AD. The poem describes the adventures of Beowulf, a 6th century Norse warrior. Beowulf is described as a perfect hero who fights for his people and gets rid of evil through his extraordinary abilities to bring peace and justice. Unlike Beowulf, The Epic of Gilgamesh was one of the first works of literature known to man. The epic was found among the ruins of Nineveh in the form of twelve large tablets, dating from 2,000 BC. The epic is believed to be based on the archaic Sumerian king Gilgamesh who ruled the city of Uruk around 2700 BC. The main character of The Epic of Gilgamesh is a very powerful man who is two-thirds immortal and one-third man. He too is considered a hero and has many of Beowulf's heroic values, but he also has many differences. Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow men thanks to his incredible physical strength and courage. He fought in many battles and won all of them except the last one. Beowulf was powerful enough to kill the monster Grendel, who had been terrorizing the Danes for twelve years, with his bare hands. When the two fought, Beowulf grabbed Grendal's arm and ripped it off at the shoulder. Beowulf then fought Grendel... middle of paper ... eager to become a hero. He set out to destroy Humbaba, his only ambition being to leave a lasting name. The only thing Gilgamesh feared was death. After the death of his friend and companion Enkidu, Gigamesh became obsessed with death. He cried for seven days and nights before beginning a great journey to find eternal life. He searches for a man named Utnapishtim, to whom the gods gave eternal life, to discover how he escaped death. Beowulf's strength, his ability to put the welfare of his people before his own, and his lack of fear of death make him revered by all, especially those of his time. In both epics, the heroes possessed god-like strength and defeated many villains. beings. Both were courageous and feared no man or creature. Beowulf held to a stricter code of ethics. Beowulf is the perfect example of an epic hero, and he embodies the conduct.