Compare And Contrast Wigulf And Beowulf

Heroes bring a hope to people whom they protect. Heroes bring people joy and bring a sense of relaxation to the people of their society because they play such an important role in lives everywhere. Heroes are complex rather than unembellished because they can fight dragons to defend their kingdom, or create a non-profit foundation to enhance the quality of life for more than 2,000 underprivileged kids. Heroes in our present day can be very complex because a person’s viewpoint on a hero’s life can be a completely different than the way another person looks at that same hero. Thomas Davis Sr. can be extremely comparable to Beowulf but they also have major differences.

When reading or watching the epic tale of Beowulf, there are, as with most tales, multiple accounts to consider. Many of the accounts are told in almost extremely different ways. For example, someone reading the original translated text of Beowulf would find many blatantly obvious differences between it and the 2007 animated movie Beowulf directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Beowulf’s strength is exemplified many times in the story. Beowulf was said to have “the strength of thirty men in his mighty handgrip.” He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious from all but his last. In his argument with Unferth, Beowulf explains the reason he lost a swimming match with his opponent Brecca. Not only had Beowulf been swimming for seven nights, he had also stopped to kill nine sea creatures in the depths of the ocean. Beowulf is also strong enough to kill the monster Grendel with his bare hands by ripping off his arm. When Beowulf is fighting Grendel’s mother, he is able to slay her by slashing the monster’s neck with a giant sword that can only be lifted by a person as strong as Beowulf. When he chops off her head, he carries it from the ocean with no difficulty, but it takes four men to lift and carry it back to Heorot. This strength is a key trait of Beowulf’s heroism.

When a book gets made into a movie there are many similarities and differences. A difference between the Reading and the motion picture is that the reading explains the real story of Beowulf more detailed.

Beowulf is one of the oldest poems in history, it was originally written in Anglo-Saxon, and it was told orally with many literary devices so it could be remembered throughout generations. It shows what their society was based on back in the Anglo-Saxon era. Although throughout history the poem has been changed to fit our modern day society. For example, having different values and morals and how we look at religion has all changed. In the Beowulf poem and movie there are many similarities and differences in Religion, Characterization, and Morals it highlights the value and beliefs of each society.

Part of the reason Beowulf is very well-known is that he has larger-than-life strength, more than that of any man. When he talks to King Hrothgar, he boasts: “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth. I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was my errand and the fate they had earned.” (Unknown, 246-254) This shows that Beowulf has overcome many trials with his strength, and that unlike any other man, he has proven to be able to overcome the impossible. While Beowulf is fighting with Grendel the story says that Grendel “Twisted in

Upon entering the Danes' hall, Herot, Grendel is confronted by Beowulf, who immediately seizes Grendel's arms and drives fear into the monster's heart, "... [Grendel] knew at once that nowhere on earth/ Had he met a man whose hands were harder..." (lines 751-752). Through his slaughter of Grendel, Grendel's mom, the dragon, and other monsters, Beowulf proves his amazing strength to the other characters and to the readers.

During the fight with Grendel, Beowulf displays absurd vitality throughout his battle. For example, Beowulf exhibits his superpower by tearing the arm of Grendel. In the text, Beowulf has profound strength by tearing apart Grendel’s arm from his shoulder, “ Hygelac’s kinsman kept him helpless/ locked in a handgrip… The monster’s whole body/ was in pain, a tremendous wound/ appeared on his shoulder” (Heaney 812-816). Nonetheless, Beowulf 's strength is remarkable, because Beowulf is capable of tearing apart the arm of an monster who murdered thirty men during his first appearance at the mead hall. Not only that, no mere mortal is capable of slaughtering the villainous fiend that haunts the mead-hall, nor possesses the fortitude to challenge the beast. Furthermore, Beowulf reveals his might by crushing the bones of Grendel. During his fight with Grendel, Beowulf is capable of crushing Grendel's bone, "Every bone in his body/ quailed and recoiled, but he could not escape" (Heaney 753-755). Therefore, this feat is astonishing since bones are considered one of the strongest structures in the human body, and he presents his powers by shattering the bones of the malevolent demon, Grendel. Additionally, Beowulf displays his vigor by defeating Grendel with his bare hands despite Grendel unable to be wounded by

A true hero does not fear death or, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. Beowulf is an epic and tells the story of a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as if he was immortal. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. However, his humanity is exposed by his death. Heroes all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their effort to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. Throughout the epic, Beowulf in many ways exhibited all the qualities and characteristics needed to be a true hero.

Grendel symbolizes evil and how the Anglo-Saxons of that time believed in things, such as demons and monsters; tangible enemies that could come and destroy or wipe out everything, at any given time. Beowulf symbolizes Christianity and the more modern way of thinking. We think although there are forces that can come together for the greater good, they are not monsters and demons. The idea of an ordinary or what seems to be ordinary man and woman can be just as powerful as any monster or demon there was. In the epic, Beowulf and ordinary man with extraordinary strength goes against Grendel, a ‘‘Bone crunching blood sucking monster’’, there was supposed to be no fear in this monsters heart at all.

Throughout our lifetime, in movies we watch and books we read there will always be a person or character who needs saving. Because these people need saving, there will also always be those who do the saving; the ones that we consider to be the heroes. These “heroes” are defined as such for being something such as brave, noble, or selfless in the eyes of the people that are around them. All heroes have done something that has helped out for the good of another person, even if they are doing it for their own personal benefit. Heroes are those who have the strength and courage to solve a problem when it could or was not done by anyone else. Sir Gawain and Beowulf are heroes in literature who have done something important and have come to

Beowulf’s last test of courage comes in his old age when his people are threatened by a “mighty” dragon. Beowulf felt as if something he had done had caused the irascible beast to wreck havoc on his people, “killing and destroying” them and their homes with its “molten” breath. Knowing what had to be done, Beowulf bravely faced the dragon, while all of his people, except for one, fled in fear. His last battle, which ended in death, displayed Beowulf’s unwavering courage, the type that every hero should possess.

The concept of hero is different to many cultures. In history, stories such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, are great examples of how these cultures hold their own personal virtues in the highest regard. Beowulf, focuses on courage and the powerful strength qualities that the Anglo-Saxons also reflects. Meanwhile, the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight really respected honesty, loyalty and the basic codes of chivalry. So, therefore, these two tales truly reflect their people's values and qualities. Gawain by being honest, showing loyalty and proving his bravery; Beowulf by fighting impossible beasts, using his own strength to defeat the monster and then going on to tell his great tale. While romantic heroes are full of the admirable attributes of bravery, loyalty, humility, courage, honesty, and virtue, epic heroes exist, perhaps, on a grander scale: brave and noble characters involved in events of great magnitude and admired for great and sometimes super-human achievements.

    In both old and middle ages, courage is seen as a consistent characteristic that appears in the makings of an ideal man in society. If one lacks courage, they are considered to be wimpy, weak, and worthless. Therefore, it is of to no surprise, that courage is explicitly expressed in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain  who represent these ideal men in their respective societies. Each character was molded by their day and age to possess courage, and proof of this quality is presented in their willingness to fight in the face of death in order to save the life of another. Unlike the warriors or civilians in the stories, they did not show fear and cower in the presence of the wicked, powerful, intimidating villains. Instead, in the face on this danger, they--to everyone’s surprise--accepted the

The great and mighty Hercules once said, “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.” The word hero comes from the Greek, literal meaning of “protector” or “defender”. A great example of a tenacious protector is Beowulf, “Higlac’s follower and the strongest of the Geats - greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world,” (Beowulf 195). He was a man, who was beloved and looked up to by his people; a noble warrior at heart. On the other hand, there are kings, like Oedipus, who can be heroes and highly regarded just because of their societal status. Since ancient times heroes have been a quintessential part in all societies: from the poverty and slums of Africa to the proud, flourishing Hollywood. They have been around for so long that these role models have made a stereotype for all aspiring, or natural born heroes. In the fictional examples of Oedipus the King and Beowolf, heroes of high stature demonstrate essentiality to exemplifying and exhibiting the foundation of a culture; nonetheless, modern society’s hero, although needed to set a standard as to what people should look up to as the ideal human being, cannot be defined due to the inconsistent changes of the society’s values, attitude, and beliefs.