Beowulf/ Invictus

When reading Invictus by William Henley one can draw many similarities to the epic poem Beowulf. One the most poignant resemblance between these two poems is the emotional strength these characters demonstrate. In Invictus the character is not formally presented to the audience but his struggles and journey are briefly touched upon. One of the most powerful things the characters posses is their belief in themselves. Although to some this may frown upon but one must realize how useful this is to the characters, especially Beowulf. One may think that Beowulf is a pompous and self absorb man but if he does not belief in himself who will. If Beowulf had the physical strength to fight Grendel’s mother but was scared of her that would not be good for anyone. Also it is not easy to anyone to go and face their death and freely accept the consequences. Another thing that connects these two poems is the fact that they had to overcome adversity: “In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud…My head is bloody, but unbowed” (Henley 5-9). From this very line this one can see that he a character with many struggles but one that is untouched. One can say the same about Beowulf; he faced many problems but also has his strength and God to fall back on. In the mist of adversary Beowulf rely on God which shows his strong belief in God almighty, while the character in Invictus does not have a set belief on god.