Heroes appear in all cultures. Past and modern, they exist and have purpose. Heroes are seen as leaders. They are meant to be imitated and looked up to, and because of this, they always demonstrate the values of the culture who creates them. A cultures past experience affects its values therefore changing how it’s heroes will compose themselves and respond to different things. Heroes, such as Beowulf from the past and Batman of modern day, are excellent examples of how cultures’ heroes represent the ideals and values of that culture. Beowulf is a hero of the Anglo Saxon period and time. Taking place during this time, Beowulf represents the values of the culture. In the poem, Beowulf, prince of the Geats of Sweden comes to Denmark to aide King …show more content…
It depends on what area you’re talking about. For example, the Anglo Saxons strongly value chivalry. It is a key value of their culture. Beowulf being a great example volunteers his life to save the land of many people. However, modern culture tends to be different. While Batman is a hero who fights to save his land, also known as Gotham City, there is a value in what he does that is much different than the chivalry of the Anglo Saxons. That value is that everybody does their part. Batman is doing his part in the city by helping clear crime. Modern culture strongly values that and I argue that Batman portrays it. Also though, there are areas of the two cultures that are similar. Vengeance is part of both cultures. Batman lost his parents to murder over a simple pearl necklace. Worth far less than the life of his parents. His vow to avenge his parents and give the evil of Gotham what it deserves for stealing parents away from him is a main part of the story of Batman. Then, there Beowulf. Vengeance is part of both sides of that story. Both Beowulf, and Grendel’s mother represent the trait. Grendel’s Mother is seeking revenge on Beo after he took the life of her son in battle, and Beowulf is seeking vengeance on Grendel for rampaging the hall of Heorot and it’s innocent people. The two cultures are years apart. In some ways their ideals are miles apart in beliefs, but in others they are tightly knitted together. These two heroes, Batman and Beowulf, provide great example of
Although there are many similarities, the few differences between Beowulf and Batman are quite evident. The epic
The Anglo-Saxons’ cultures and traditions are rooted in their beliefs of the perfect hero. Their ideal hero has many key characteristics influenced by their culture including courage, strength, bravery, thick skin, loyalty, humbleness, and the ability to create strong trustworthy friendships. Beowulf is an epic poem that exhibits the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxon traditions illustrated in Beowulf accurately represent the Anglo-Saxon traditions of the time period. This is accomplished through the distinct correlation of heroic characteristics between Beowulf and the culture’s traditional depiction of an Anglo-Saxon hero.
Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as bravery, loyalty, and generosity, which portray him as a hero. It is interesting how modern day heroes show the much of the same qualities as Beowulf.
Growing up, everyone has a idea on what a hero looks like. Heros represent a lot of different aspects of bravery. Every culture in history has had a heroic figure. In most cultures heroes portray different aspects of being a hero. In Anglo-Saxon times heroes were considered strong, and fearless. Beowulf is a true epic hero in Anglo- Saxon times because he is very fearless, strong, and honored.
One of the most important poems from the Old English literature is, The Beowulf poem. This poem was written by the author named, Burton Raffel. The poem was set in Scandinavia. Beowulf was recently viewed as a historical piece that should be preserved. He was known as the “Hero of the Geats” throughout the poem. This poem is a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil, which Beowulf conveys throughout the whole poem. Beowulf shows many characteristics that would classify him as a hero such as courage, willingness to put other lives before his, and bravery.
Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow men through his amazing physical strength. He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious
One major similarity between Beowulf and Superman is their battles with supernatural foes. For example, Beowulf defeated the monstrous Grendel, a dragon, and Grendel’s mother. Similarly, superman had several fights with the invaders from Krypton. The battles are related in many ways such as their fighting style. The heroes in both battles only use their fist in battle, that is if the opponent only uses fists. Although Beowulf and Superman fought fairly, both heroes used weapons at some point. Beowulf used a sword in his fight with Grendel’s mother and Superman threw various objects at the soldiers. The heroes also fought the battles for others rather than for themselves.
Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that tells a story of a Geat hero named Beowulf who comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, and agrees to help his people defeat the monstrous Grendel. After successfully ridding the land of the beast, Beowulf eventually becomes the king of the Geats for quite some time until his own demise at the hands of another beast. The story was influenced by both pagan and Christian mythologies as it was written during a
Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of hero’s change. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as generosity, strength, and courage, which portray him as a hero. Beowulf is faced with three forces to fight, Grendel, a monster, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Beowulf hears about the troubles that the Danes are having with some evil monster named Grendel. Although Beowulf knows that he could be killed, he still packs
Beowulf and Superman are characters that define what it means to be an epic hero. Epic heroes are leaders, warriors, or rulers that possess characteristics that provide for the betterment of their people. Although they are similar in many ways, Beowulf and Superman are also different in many ways to. Beowulf is known as a great warrior with unmatched fighting skills, and Superman is known as a man from another world that has god like powers. Beowulf and Superman possess the characteristics of battling supernatural foes, superhuman capabilities, and unmatched warriors.
Heroes. From the timeless tale of Beowulf to the well-known chronicles of Superman, cultures all throughout the world have taken it upon themselves to weave a fabrication of a fantastic being, said being a hero of a sorts, that always makes it to defeat the bad guy and save the day. Even whence we as human beings always tend to have our political, social, economic and religious differences, at the end of the day we all have one thing in common that fills our dreams with hopes of the future, of safety, of a peaceful life; heroes. Helping to define who we are and what we want to be, giving us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction, showing us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your
Someone who is dearly admired or idealized for their courage and outstanding achievements or their noble qualities is what is said to be a hero today. Hero’s in today’s world have many qualities, such as, courage, selflessness, humility, patience, and a care/concern or kindness for others. When comparing both Dante the pilgrim’s character qualities to Beowulf’s character qualities, Beowulf comes out on top being the most like today’s modern heroes.
Heroes, from Beowulf to Superman our cultures have always created heroes. We may always have political, social, economic and religious differences, but at the end of the day we all have one thing in common, heroes. They help define who we are and what we want to be. They give us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction. They show us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Heroes give us the inspiration we need to overcome problems in our own lives and that is why we create them. Beowulf perfectly embodies the idea of a hero. He defeats the evil Grendel and his mother, slays the dragon and saves his people. He is
In conclusion, Beowulf is an epic poem that portrays many characteristics of what an ideal hero of this time would be, the flaws that can come with that burden, and the lasting impressions an ideal hero should have on the people affected by it. Beowulf had confidence he his abilities which led to his reputation being known and well liked. The way he handled the battles and the faith that comes with it, allowed him to be seen as an ideal hero in many peoples’ eyes. As with most heroes though, things become more demanding and they tend to slip in the ways they believe
Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his loyalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and fate