In this 21st century, the heroes that walk this world prove less opaque than the heroes of the old world. They walk with no colorful layer of cloth beneath their work clothes. They walk with no superhero apprentice that can arrive at a given spot in a matter of milliseconds. They are neither supernatural nor immortal. They are people; just like us. The heroes of old British literature did not share the apparent concealment of our modern day heroes. They were as opaque as the blades of the swords they carried so high. Two epics that clearly demonstrate a hero in the traditional British sense are the courageous tales of Beowulf and of Sir Gawain & the Green Knight. The epic of Beowulf focuses on a prince named Beowulf who battles, for the good of the people around him, multiple monsters who have threatened the safety of nearby villages. The epic of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight follows the journey of a humble young knight who travels far and long to see the Green Knight and to hold up a part of a deal that was taken thoughtlessly. In the comparison of these two epics, one can see that both follow the renowned heroic archetype of the famous American writer, Joseph Campbell. However, through the presence of Beowulf’s confidence, his reaction to the call of adventure, and his deficient fear of death, it is evident that the epic of Beowulf more successfully conforms to the heroic archetype of Joseph Campbell. The great confidence Beowulf holds in himself and his soldiers establishes him as a more fitted character in terms of the heroic archetype. Near the beginning of the epic, Beowulf hears news of Grendel and immediately sets voyage for King Hrothgar’s village. As Beowulf arrives at King Hrothgar’s kingdom, he offers his assistance and boasts of his astounding strength: “Hence I seek not with sword-edge to sooth him to slumber,/Of life to bereave him, though well I am able” (Unknown 268-269). The pride that Beowulf clenches upon his power may come across as conceited and insincere to most modern reader