Selfish Similarities

These extraordinary epics are similar because of the common element of selfishness that flows throughout the stories. Beowulf seems to be selfless by arriving at Herot to fight Grendel, when in reality he is only after the fame and glory that victory will bring him. Gilgamesh carries out the selfish act of traveling to the Cedar Forest to kill Humbaba, but only for the satisfaction of being his slayer. This lead to the death of Gilgamesh's dearest friend Enkidu. Achilles seems to be the least selfish of the three  because he seeks Hector's death out of vengeance for his friend Patroclus. The selfish act of Achilles seems to be the fact that he doesn't fight Hector until after Zeus has determined their faith. The heroes had many similarities but their selfishness was one of the more prominent ones.