Beowulf Essay

    A hero is a person who shows courage or ability, and is admired for their brave deeds. These characteristics are seen in the hero's Beowulf and Batman. Both of these men are seen as a "god" in their society in which everyone looks up to them. Though these characters have a lot of the same traits, they also have many differences as well. Past hero's such as Beowulf encounter a monomyth, which means they have to "answer the call" to fix a problem. When the future hero "answers the call" they go on a journey to fix the problem and later come back and tell the monomyth to their people. Modern hero's such as batman have to hold a lot of bravery and be willing to risks their lives. Modern day hero's also make a choice to be a hero.
    Beowulf and Batman are two hero's that have a lot in common. These characters are both very strong because they are able to fight off enemies without any superpowers. Beowulf shows off his strength when he rips off the monsters(Grendel) arm with his bare hands. Although Batman has some gadgets in order to help him fight off enemies, he is still very strong because he is able to survive with no superpowers. Batman and Beowulf show great endurance along with their strengths because they both come across a numerous amount of enemies at once and still manage to fight them off. An example of Beowulf's endurance is when he fights off multiple sea monsters while swimming for days. Batman shows great endurance throughout when he fights off multiple gangs. Both Batman and Beowulf also care for their people and defeat evil for them. Evil is not a threat to these characters but evil is a threat to their people, so they fight off the evil to protect their people. Beowulf travels to Herot in order to fight off Grendel, the monster that was threatening the people their. The King needed Beowulf's help to kill Grendel so that the people in Herot will no longer be endangered, and so Beowulf ends up defeated Grendel and Grendel's mother. Although these were not Beowulf's people, he knew that as a hero he needed to protect them. Batman knows that he needs to fight off evil in Gotham City, in which he does. Batman fights off many criminals in the streets and he also defeats the Joker. This was Batman's job as a hero.
    Although Beowulf and Batman have a lot in common, they also have some differences. One major difference in these two hero's is the different periods they are in and the traits that come along with it. Batman is from a modern period therefore having updating accessories as a hero. Batman wears a cape and a mask along with a lot of gadgets. This shows more of a "superhero" look, even though he has no superpowers. Beowulf on the other hand is from a period that wasn't as updated as the modern Batman's period. Beowulf barely wore anything besides shields on his body and he used a sword as a weapon. He figured out he didn't need any shields or weapons because he was confident in his strength. He showed this when he fought Grendel naked and defeated him. Another difference between Beowulf and Batman is their goals as hero's. Beowulf was interested in glory and he was on his pursuit to it. He was rewarded for his heroism and those rewards included wealth and being made a king. Bruce Wayne(Batman) was the complete opposite of this. He already has wealth and power and he just wants to do good deeds for society. He does not get rewards for his heroism, it is all of his choice to do what he does. In the time of Beowulf, self-confidence was what he and his people followed. Beowulf has a lot of self-confidence and a little bit of arrogance which his people looked up to. He showed his self-confidence/arrogance when he put his protection away to fight Grendel. In modern times, it is much more about humility.
    Overall a hero is a hero, no matter what differences they have. Both Beowulf and Batman were iconic figures in their time period. Their similarities in heroism overcast their differences. They both did good for their societies and protected the people in it. Their similar traits were their best traits in which they achieved in protecting people.