Legacy is a thing that all great men have; they all wish for it to go continue in glory. In Beowulf and Ozymandias, Legacy is something that does not succeed for the main characters. Both Beowulf and Ozymandias want they have created to go down in history with and heir or something to be remembered by. In Beowulf, after he slays the dragon and while he is dying he says “I’d leave my armor to my son,
Now, if God had given me an heir, A child born of my body, his life Created from mine”(2729-2732).
In this Beowulf is telling Wiglaf that he would love to have an heir that is his and has his blood, but instead he has to go with Wiglaf as the next King of the Geats. So now the entire land of the Geats does not have a descendent of an honored and glorified warrior as their King, but a the King’s right hand man.
Ozymandias had a legacy going for him until his was ruined. In the poem we are told that there are “Two vast trunk less legs of stone” that stand in the desert. Also the poem states, “Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies…” this shows that there was once a statue that stood there and was blown or taken down. This statue once stood on a pedestal that said “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”. This is an ironic phrase because from the entire poem he is talking about how his city is ruined but now he says look on his wonderful works when there is nothing. This represents that the legacy of Ozymandias has been destroyed by decade’s maybe even centuries of wear and tear by Mother Nature.
The Essay on King Arthur And Beowulf A Comparison
King Arthur and Beowulf: A Comparison Sir Thomas Malory brings forth a courageous character, 'King Arthur', utilizing weaponry and leadership, to enlighten the reader of the unique characteristics of a true hero, on the other hand, the unknown author of " Beowulf', depicts the Anglo-Sax an era to tell a story of one who fights to better society. The noble King moves as a unit with his men and ...
