Beowulf Essay

Think back to childhood when superheroes were the greatest people alive. They would be called to action and then go save the day. Often heroes like this or from the past are perceived much differently than those of modern contemporary heroes, but both still have the superhuman qualities. In Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, exemplifies heroic qualities by defeating demons in the story. An individual that is considered to be a hero of modern day is Martin Luther King Jr. In the face of adversity he demonstrated courage and many more qualities that qualified him as a true hero in his cause. Many times heroes of modern times are ordinary people fighting for or doing extraordinary things. One thing that can alter how a story of a hero is told can be if it is told through a feminist view or not. Heroes of the past and modern day heroes are different through their actions, but are similar in the qualities that they hold.

Actions are what separate heroes from the past and heroes of modern times. Its not realistic for a person like Martin Luther King Jr. to fight demons like Beowulf did in his story. It goes the same the other way. Its unlikely to see a character like Beowulf fighting as a leader of the African American Civil Rights Movement. But the thing that links the two together is that in their time both of their actions were vital to their societies needs. A hero is defined as “a character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice”. Both examples of Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. display these qualities. Beowulf had to show tremendous courage in adversity when fighting the demons and in doing so he sacrificed himself to bring them down. On the other hand Martin Luther King Jr. was facing adversity with a nation that was segregated. He brought his courage to the table and sacrificed himself to bring both blacks and whites together.

Many different elements can change the perspective a story. One thing that can change dramatically is whether it is told from a feminist view. Although many stories with heroes as characters have been written from both men and women it isn’t thought about whether the story would change from the opposite view. In Beowulf, a number of things would change if it was told from a feminist perspective. For example, the action of the story probably wouldn’t be as dramatic. To convey Beowulf as the “hero” he  is, the writer would focus on the qualities and personality of Beowulf rather than the actions and things he accomplished. The male writer would focus on how powerful and the strength that Beowulf displays. In opposition the female writer would write with a more caring and compassionate view of Beowulf. Either way Beowulf would still be seen the same as a true hero for what he did.

           Heroes are everywhere in literature and in real life. They might not be of the same stature or do the same things as Beowulf or Martin Luther King Jr., but nonetheless they are heroes. Often heroes are just ordinary people that happen to do great things. Courage is the common factor that recurs in heroes. Although these two heroes are perceived to have the same qualities they both are extremely different. A reason for this is because time changed and societies change as well just as in the future there will be different heroes as there are right now. The thing that doesn’t change is that people look up to these heroes with the same admiration.