Beowulf Comparison to Modern Day Hero - 2195 Words

From Beowulf to Superman, Why we need our 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†¦show more content†¦These are three of the bible’s seven deadly sins that are ingrained in our society. Sins that our heroes are still fighting today. Popular heroes like Superman, Iron Man and Batman, all seemingly fight villains who represent some moral turpitude. However, what is really interesting about these heroes is how closely they resemble a character a thousand years older than them, Beowulf. If heroes are supposed to represent what we as people want to be morally, then it would make sense that they would also represent what we want to be physically. Look at how Beowulf is depicted physically. He is a strong, statuesque man who seemingly towers over his peers. At the time, that is most likely what every man wanted to be. Now look at our heroes today. For example, Batman, who is a tall, handsome, millionaire bachelor who drives nice cars and dates beautiful women. The same can be said for heroes like Superman, Iron-man, Captain America and most other well-known heroes, but in order to fight crime, the heroes do not need these things. This point speaks to the fact that not only do our heroes reassure our moral standings they also embody the physical epitome of what we wish to be. While the phy sical nature of our heroes excites us, it is their actions that we gravitate towards. The premise of the first section of Beowulf is the hero bringing order and stability to a chaotic Heorot. This is similar to our heroes today, where Superman and BatmanShow MoreRelatedEssay about Beowulf and Modern Day Hero670 Words   |  3 Pagesessay is the comparison between Beowulf and the modern day hero. All soldiers that are fighting for my country certainly comes to mind first, when I think about a modern day hero. Both hero’s are fighting for a good cause, get rewarded for what they do, and get treated with much respect. Although a soldier might not withhold unworldly strength as one such as Beowulf, they both are putting their life at stake, which gives them both the title as being a hero. Both the U.S soldier and Beowulf portray characteristicsRead MoreModern Hero vs. Anglo Saxon Hero Essay814 Words   |  4 PagesTodays modern day hero has similarities and differences than the Anglo-Saxon hero. The two heroes each have different values they believe in. Also, they are motivated to fight for different reasons. An Anglo-Saxon hero also fights differently than a modern day hero. An example of this comparison is Bono from the band U2 and Beowulf. Both modern day heroes, like Bono and Anglo-Saxon heroes, like Beowulf, try to improve their societies, but do it in different ways and for different reasons. Anglo-SaxonRead MoreThe Four Characters Of Beowulf And Modern Day Heros738 Words   |  3 Pagesheroesheros. Some heroes Heros take the direct approach and overcome obstacles with raw power and strength, both physical and moral. Others use their intelligence along with trickery and ruthlessness. It is hard for a hero to take a more direct approach than Beowulf. For example, he rips Grendel’s arm right out of its socket! He also shows moral strength by being champion of the values of his society. There are also some other things that can differentiate two types heros. The first the type thatRead MoreEssay on Comparison of Modern Day Heroes and Beowulf744 Words   |  3 PagesComparison of Modern Day Heroes and Beowulf 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 mainRead MoreHeroism : Beowulf And Cuchallain928 Words   |  4 Pagesdisagree on who might qualify to be a hero. While a few people could qualify to be called a hero, many people have done some heroic things at some point in their life; Beowulf and Cuchallain demonstrated heroism through their actions. A hero in the medieval times is considered to be someone that is a noble character that fights for his honor or the honor of his kingdom or community and also someone that is willing to risk his or her life for the greater good. Beowulf was a brave man that volunteered toRead MoreBeowulf : A Modern Epic Hero1595 Words   |  7 Pages When someone typically hears something regarding a superhero it’s the fact that they are saving the day. What comes to my mind is a tall, muscled, and good-looking man. The abilities epic heroes hold are without a doubt unspeakable. In common heroes today, they hold the ability to be strong, courageous, and have superhuman features. For example, the Anglo-Saxon heroes were always prepared to put their own lives in jeopardy for the greater good. Heroes always have target goals they must achieveRead MoreCritique Analysis Of Beowulf753 Words   |  4 PagesCritique Paper – Beowulf In the epic Beowulf, the main character Beowulf possesses all the qualities of a hero during the Anglo Saxon Era. He demonstrates his courage, loyalty, wisdom, and strength but are these qualities enough to consider him a hero by the standards of today? Beowulf has qualities that strong heroes have but didnt struggle to get them because he was born with it. He has many adventures, like fighting Grendel and other monstrous creatures but was very sure of himself. He wasRead MoreBeowulf vs. Gilgamesh1212 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf Vs. Gilgamesh The two cultures I chose to compare heroic values for are the ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Anglo-Saxon cultures. The texts I used in the comparison are Gilgamesh for Mesopotamia and Beowulf for Anglo-Saxon. Although they posses many similar heroic characteristics they also differ greatly. Beowulf is the earliest surviving epic poem written in a modern European language. It was written in Old English sometime before the tenth century A.D. The poem describes the adventuresRead MoreSimilarities Between Beowulf And Spiderman Bear1397 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Heros are made by the path they choose not the powers they are graced with† (Ashton, Brodi). Spiderman was not a hero because he had powers like a spider, but that he used those powers to help others. Beowulf was described as a strong person known by many who defeated many conflicts. Although he had this strength is didn’t necessarily make him a hero. What made him a hero was when he helped others with their problems, like the Danes with Grendel. Although Beowulf and Spiderman bear some minor similaritiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Beowulf And Modern Days 918 Words   |  4 PagesDaryn Viser Women’s Roles in Beowulf and Modern Days There exists between the Anglo-Saxons and modern days a stereotype about women and their lack of being treated as equals in comparison to men. It is assumed that while the male characters were out battling monsters in return for honor and glory, the women lay at home anxiously pacing back and forth for their husbands to return. Little worth was assumed about them in accordance to man. While nowadays, no one blinks twice when a woman is offered

Wonder Wom The Feminist Symbol Behind The Bracelets

Wonder Woman: The Feminist Symbol Behind The Bracelets Wonder Woman is seen as being American, but in reality she is a Greek demigod. The amazonian superhero battles formidable Greek deities with an arsenal of weapons that were magically enhanced by the gods of Olympus. Those weapons include classics such as a sword and shield, and also includes a lasso a. She possesses superhuman abilities that were blessed to her by the gods and they included Hermes, Aphrodite, Artemis, Hestia, and Demeter. Her amazonian origin creates powerful symbolism for women everywhere and she provides women with strength. To truly understand Wonder Woman you must know of her origin. Created out of clay by her mother Hippolyta--the queen of the Amazons-- Wonder Woman was given life from the the gods of ancient Greece. She is arguably immortal due to her home on the island of Themyscira. Themyscira is where she was born; the island has been separated from the evils of man for thousands of years. Hippolyta named her daughter Diana, after the Roman goddess of the moon and hunt. The Amazons original purpose was to protect man’s world, but they abandoned their original purpose and chose to live in seclusion for thousands of years. Diana disagreed with the Amazon’s decision to separate from mankind and believed that the Amazons should integrate back into man’s society, but Hippolyta believed that the Amazons have no place in man’s society. However, all that changed during World War II when a United States

Analysis Of the poem Limbo Essay Example For Students

Analysis Of the poem Limbo Essay The Poem Limbo is based upon slave trade. Men and women from Africa were captured and taken to America to become slaves. The term Limbo has three different meanings: a state of uncertainty, being on the borders of hell, and a traditional west Indies dance where the dancer has to bend over backwards to dance under a stick. All of these meaning are explored within the poem.  The limbo stick in line 1 represents the sticks used to beat and whip the slaves in punishment, pushing them down both physically and metaphorically by breaking the slaves down psychologically by humiliation and subjugation. The poem is written in free verse and structured to a drum beat, like a traditional limbo dance as well as representing the drum beat in which the slaves had to work to and beaten to. The chorus limbo, limbo like me is repeated throughout the poem representing the constant beatings and oppression which the slaves endured.  In line 7 the term long dark night represents the loneliness and despair of the slaves; they felt isolated and alone, in a state of darkness or uncertainty which is another meaning for the term limbo. The slaves were also socially isolated due to being unable to speak English (line 7) the silence in front of me. In line 16 alliteration is used to emphasise the slaves anger and frustration of subjugation and oppression and the loss of their identity. Images of violence appear in line 26 and 27 due to the beating monosyllables that give force to the words stick and knock as the victims of slavery are now forced to the ground and beaten inhumanely. Lines 31 and 32 give insight to the denomination which also included slaves being physically raped individually and the rape of the whole nation through their oppression, and mentally stripped of their dignity self worth and identity (lines 34, 35 and 36). In line 43 the phrase Dumb gods is used to express the silence of the churches that played ignorant to the inhumane practices of the slave traders and the small g in the word god shows the slaves bitterness towards them.  The poem is concluded with optimism, which is shared as a nation in line 41 as the single drummer has now become plural; therefore the people are coming together in their shared hopes. The burning ground (line 51) gives connotations of cleansing, revival and rebirth: implicating future hope of apartheid and freedom.