What is a hero? As a society we have many ideals of them and with the recent events, whether they are real, War on Terror, The persecution of our emergency responders, the upcoming political races; or are simply all the new superhero movies coming out, the definition of a hero is somewhat vague. Looking at Beowulf, however and comparing him to Captain America, a revisit of an old comic book, we can see that though times have changed, our idea of the “prefect hero”, which these stories seem to describe to us remain largely unchanged. In the opening part of Beowulf, ”a fiend of hell, began to do evil. The grim demon” (Lines 100-102). This monster is Grendel and he seeks the utter destruction of Heorot Hall and the warriors within. Captain America’s greatest foe is the Red Skull, a man that seeks to take over the world during World War Two. The similarities are very …show more content…
“In such wise, manfully, the mighty prince, treasure-warden of heroes, paid for shocks of battle with steeds and treasure”(1047). As time goes on each hero fights more battles gaining more renown. In time Beowulf becomes a king, whereas Captain America stays as he is, a simple Captain in the U.S. military. Another large difference between these heroes is there last battles. Captain America has no plans of dying in his last battle, but when he sees that the only way to assure victory is to sacrifice himself he does so with no hesitation and no thought of himself. Beowulf goes into his last battle knowing very well that he will not survive as he is old now. Beowulf dies knowing that his life was full and good and is glad it ends with honor “I have ruled the people fifty years; no folk king was there of them that dwelt about me durst touch me with his sword or cow me through terror”(2734-2736). “I may have joy of it
A hero is someone who shows courage and has accomplished great deeds. A hero is someone who has nobility and is a role model to others. People can become heroes for different reasons. In the epic poem, Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, the title character, Beowulf is a great warrior. He shows great courage in his battles, he is loyal and has great physical strength. Derek Jeter was one of the greatest baseball players of his time. In his article, “Derek Jeter-The Last Great Sports Hero,” writer Charlie Wisco tells what qualities Jeter possessed that he was admired for both on and off the field. Although Beowulf and Derek Jeter are both heroes, they both share similarities as well as differences.
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.
Beowulf and Superman have many similar traits that almost every epic hero has. Both of these heroes are courageous, brave, strong and loyal to their people. Beowulf can be considered brave because he defeated Grendel with his bare hands which shows his courage. Similarly to superman who fought against Zod who wanted to take over planet earth and transform it into his own planet, Krypton. This also shows Superman’s bravery, confidence and courage because he fought against his most prominent enemy and saved a whole world, which shows all the traits a hero needs.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself living in the time of 700 A.D. There is a guest speaker at and evening entertainment and he begins to tells the story of Beowulf. Now fast forward to the 21st century, modern times, the evening entertainment is now a Batman movie. The screening shows Batman resembling much like Beowulf, who is an all around hero just like Batman. Heroes are often seen as mythological legends, who are endowed with great courage and strength. Some may also say heroes are noted for their rise of courage or nobility of purpose. Although, Beowulf and Batman come from completely different time periods, they each share similarities of strength, both endure courage, but they both are quite different.
How does beowulf's heroic acts compare to today's heroes.Becoming a hero you do not necessarily need brute strength, but can have mental strength as well. Having pride and honor is
All superheroes have weaknesses. Whether it’s physically or mentally, they all have weaknesses that they struggle with that try to prevent them from being the best that they can be. Captain America and Beowulf share a similar weakness of the ability to get mortally wounded, due to the fact that they are both regular human beings. The advantage of Captain America though is that, due to the soldier serum, Captain America’s age is slowed down (Frost). This is so important because this was a major factor in why Beowulf died. Because Beowulf was growing old, he wasn’t as strong as he used to be. Therefore he wasn’t strong enough to fight the dragon (Beowulf 800-805). Unlike Beowulf, Captain America’s slow aging advantage will allow him to have strength and abilities that will allow him to fight for a long time.
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.
The novel Beowulf, A New Translation with an Introduction. by Burton Raffel, is an epic tale of good vs evil. Beowulf is the idealistic hero of the Middle Ages based on his generosity, strength, and courage. He puts his life on the line for an entire kingdom by protecting his people and proves his worthiness of a superior warrior. He is continually recognized for his strength and courage. Beowulf is not so different from modern day superheroes such as Captain America in the movie Avengers: Age of Ultron. Captain America defeats evil with his mighty shield and protects the people through his generosity to protect Earth, his strength, and courage. The protagonist of both the novel and movie share commonalities of a superhero.
Secondly, Beowulf is daring and wild like Spider-Man. Beowulf is daring in many ways, and is not afraid to try new things and take risks. Beowulf will do whatever he has to in order to keep his country safe including going into a lake full of monsters. As stated in the book, “He leaped into the lake…” (Raffel, 1963, l.467). Spider-Man is different from Beowulf, in the fact that he can swing from building to building using webs that come from his fingers. Beowulf and Spider-Man are similar by the risks they take. Beowulf takes many risks to save his country. “Beowulf resolves to kill Grendel’s monstrous mother…” (Raffel, 1963, p.52). Beowulf is daring and takes many risks.
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.
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
A common enemy is best described as an enemy shared by many in any given situation. Beowulf’s common enemy is Grendel, who is shared between Beowulf and the Danes. Hrothgar, King of the Danes, hires the well-known adventurer by the name of Beowulf, and offers him a treasure
Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.
A hero is a man of courage and ability who is admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. A hero is a person who does not come along very often in any time period. He is a special person, who is a step above the average person in the way that he handles any situation that may arise.
A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to uphold others. A hero is humble, philanthropic, magnanimous and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unprecedented epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake exemplifies every characteristic befitting an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the affray with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably ended his life.