Beowulf: What Makes A Hero?

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What Makes A Hero?

Heros are all around the world today. Firefighters are heroes, professional athletes are heroes. Heroes are often praised for the accomplishments made throughout their lives. But what makes a hero, a hero? There are an unlimited amount of reasons one could make to justify why their hero is a hero. Naturally a hero is a loyal human being who is true to oneself, and has the courage to face any challenge that presents itself. Martin Luther King is a hero who obtains both characteristics.

Loyalty plays a major role in epic stories. In Macbeth, loyalty is false as Macbeth uses fake loyalty for his own gain. Macbeth says to King Duncan, “The rest is labor which is not used for you” (Macbeth 333). In this quote Macbeth tells …show more content…

As a fighter, Beowulf had a tremendous amount of courage. Beowulf tells his men, “I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames till fate decides” (Beowulf 57). Beowulf believes that “Fate often spares / an undoomed man when his courage avails” (Anderson, Salena Sampson. "Saving the 'undoomed man' in Beowulf). Beowulf has the courage to fight in battles because he believes death is not in his hands, his death is in God’s hands. As an old king, Beowulf states, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me” (Beowulf 57). Beowulf is not afraid to face whatever challenge presents itself. He is truly a courageous warrior. “God helps those that help themselves” (Anderson, Salena Sampson. "Saving the 'undoomed man' in Beowulf). Fate is a vital point in Beowulf, he believes when it is his time to die, it was destiny for him to die. After Beowulf defeats his last enemy, he passes away. Beowulf’s last wish was to have a tower built after him, “Then the Geats built the tower, as Beowulf had asked” (Beowulf 63). The Geats obeyed Beowulf’s dying wish as he is remembered as a fearless and courageous warrior for decades to …show more content…

has been an american icon for decades. Dr. King fought for the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and eventually achieved his goal to end segregation. Dr. King says, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” Dr. King was not a violent man, he was a man of justice and equality. Dr. King did not do harm to anyone, although harm was done to him. One of Dr. King’s most famous quotes is “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.” Dr. King was a man of peace, who had tremendous courage to stand up for what he believed. Racism is still around and alive all over the world today. “It is up to all of us to stand up with courage, as King did, to end the climate of hate” (Michael K. Honey). Dr. King stood up to death threats and being thrown in jail, but he never backed down. Dr. King had the courage to take on the south to have the same schools, same water fountains, and same restaurants. Martin Luther King was eventually assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the age of thirty-nine years old. Dr. King is still a national hero, as his legacy lives on we can only hope to fulfill his dream and end racism in the

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