import bcrypt

def hash_password(password):
    """
    Hash a password using bcrypt.
    
    Args:
        password (str): The plain text password to hash
        
    Returns:
        bytes: The hashed password
    """
    # Convert string to bytes and generate a salt
    salt = bcrypt.gensalt()
    # Hash the password with the salt
    hashed = bcrypt.hashpw(password.encode('utf-8'), salt)
    return hashed

def check_password(password, hashed_password):
    """
    Check if a provided password matches the hashed password.
    
    Args:
        password (str): The plain text password to check
        hashed_password (bytes): The previously hashed password
        
    Returns:
        bool: True if password matches, False otherwise
    """
    try:
        # Check if the password matches the hash
        return bcrypt.checkpw(password.encode('utf-8'), hashed_password)
    except Exception:
        # Return False if there's any error (e.g., invalid hash)
        return False