One of the main topics discussed in the first lesson is the fact that heroes throughout time and abroad all heroes have something in common; which is true in the case of King Arthur and Beowulf. It is obvious that they are similar in the fact that they are both heroes, but what makes them an idol of their time and culture is poles apart. There are many different things between Beowulf and King Arthur, but the ones that stand out the most are what kind of heroes they are and what actions they took to make them heroic. Both heroes possess qualities that others don't, but it's what they do with those skills that makes someone write a story about them and idolize them over time. King Arthur and Beowulf are both heroes whose stories originated in the area of ​​England. They were written at different times, by people of different eras, but some of the basic ethical principles are present in both stories. Both heroes were admired because they saved an entire group of people. King Arthur and Beowulf were also leaders, Beowulf was the king of the Geats and Arthur was the king of England. This is interesting because it means they were both well known even before stories were written about them, and they both possess qualities that can be found in leaders. While Arthur is a romantic hero and Beowulf is an epic hero, in both stories we see the use of a magical weapon which is generally a feature of romantic stories. "Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong and blessed by their magic,..." 242-244 Beowulf. Arthur's magical weapon is Excalibur, which is pretty much well known to anyone who has heard of his story. I also felt that fate played a role in both stories. In Arthur's dream he had a premonition about what would happen to his people: "Below him, many fathoms deep, was a dark well, and in the water swam serpents, dragons, and wild beasts. Suddenly the gallows tilted and Arthur was thrown into the water, where all the creatures struggled towards him and began to tear him from limb to limb." Malory 194. The beasts and the dragons were the two armies and when someone drew the sword Arthur, who was bound to his people, was thrown into.