Comparison of Beowulf and Oedipus RexBeowulf is a popular Anglo-Saxon epic written by an unknown author. It was written in the 8th century. Oedipus Rex is an ancient Greek tragedy written by the playwright Sophocles around 430 BC. Although the two works were written in two different periods, in two different locations, and are different types of literature, they contain many similarities in the way they depict a hero and the depiction of government. Beowulf tells the story of one of the most heroic men of the Anglo-Saxon era. The hero, Beowulf, is able to use his superhuman physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encounters terrifying monsters and the most brutal beasts, but he never fears the threat of death. Beowulf is the ultimate epic hero who risks his life countless times for great honor and for the good of others. Oedipus Rex is a tragic play which tells of Oedipus's tragic discovery: he killed his father and married his mother. He is confident, intelligent and strong-willed. Ironically, it is precisely these traits that provoke his tragic discovery. Oedipus gains access to the reign of Thebes by answering the riddle of the Sphinx. The two heroes, Beowulf and Oedipus, are very similar in some aspects and also very different in others. The first similarity in the representation of the hero is that both heroes are of aristocratic birth. Beowulf is the cousin of Higlac, who is the king of the Geats. Oedipus is the adopted son of Polybius and Merope, king and queen of Corinth. Furthermore, his real parents are Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes. Another similarity is that both heroes end a period of suffering by abolishing a monster. Beowulf ends Herot's suffering by killing the monster Grendel. “A prince of the Geats had slain Grendel, / Ended the sorrow, the sorrow, the suffering / Forced upon the helpless people of Hrothgar / By a bloodthirsty demon.” (lines 482-485) Oedipus is responsible for ending the Sphinx's reign of terror over the city of Thebes. He does not physically kill the monster like Beowulf does; it simply answers the riddle of the Sphinx. In doing so, the Sphinx commits suicide. A third similarity is that both heroes are challenged by another character in the story..