Legendary vs. Modern Day Heros
Heroes have been around for ages and they all seem to obtain characteristics that captivate their people to view them as heroes. To be a hero means to rise above the troubled situation and become the bigger person. Beowulf was a hero for his people just as Katniss Everdeen was a hero for her people in thrilling novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins They were very similar in ways but differed in ways as well. Selflessness, bravery, and weapons used were just three of the things that symbolize their heroism.
By definition the word “hero” might be interpreted in one of four ways. First off in mythology and legend, a hero is often of divine ancestry. He is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods. Secondly, a hero is a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. Thirdly, a hero can also be described as a person noted for special achievement in a particular field. Finally a hero is defined as the principal male character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation http://dictionary.reference.com/serch?q=hero. Beowulf, in Beowulf, might be considered a hero in every aspect of the word. In terms of Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, the word “hero” has many associated ideas, including such themes as courage and honor, in and out of battle, whereas modern-day concepts of a hero do not necessarily entail physical feats of strength to validate one’s status.
When someone asks one to think of a hero, one will often think of Ironman, Superman, Spiderman, or Hulk. People with amazing powers and incredible costumes. Heroes are strong, mighty, and protect the innocent and helpless. There are many different heroes; however, one would not usually think of Beowulf, or other fairytale characters. Although not on the top of the list, Beowulf is nothing short of a hero. Beowulf possesses many characteristics of a hero such as strength, compassion, empathy, courage, and determination. After all a hero is defined by character, not appearances.
Once again, multiple examples had to be given to describe one legendary character. Beowulf is not a pragmatic hero; he is the hero that everyone yearns to be but always falls short. The ultimate hero—Beowulf—is a person who falls into each category of heroism: merciful, courageous, honest, strong, confident, intelligent. If a person in the modern world can slide into at least one genre of heroic deeds, then they have made amazing progress in the rat race. And that’s all people can count in the
Throughout time, heroes have stereotypically been described as men who possess qualities such as courage, strength, leadership, and determination. Certainly, many of these characteristics have changed as time has passed. In modern society, heroes can simply be average people who sacrifice their own happiness for the welfare of others and do their best to create a change in the world. Beowulf, an extraordinary warrior in the Anglo Saxon period, is an epic hero because of his pride, strength and courage. He fought many battles in order to protect the Danes from chaos. Angelina Jolie, like Beowulf, is a hero because she defeats every impediment to help and fight against inequality.
An epic Anglo-Saxon hero is someone like Beowulf who struggles with eternal human problems but overcomes it by his actions. The hero, Beowulf shows many qualities such as loyalty, unselfishness, and a sense of justice. He shows loyalty by fighting the evil Grendel and becoming king. He shows unselfishness and a sense of justice by sailing his ship to fight the monster and willing to risk his life for it. Beowulf is a hero because of all the things he is willing to do to accomplish his goal. Wouldn’t you consider Beowulf an Anglo-Saxon hero after all he has done?
In today’s society some people believe there is only one type of hero and that is a superhero. There are different ways to define a hero. In the story of Beowulf is considered an ideal hero. Beowulf’s traits that represents he is a hero are bravery, courageous, and determination. To me Beowulf is an ideal hero and king.
Heroes have changed since ancient Greece, where they only needed to do one amazing task to become a hero. Heroes in modern society are more ordinary people. They are willing to make self-sacrifices, something that Odysseus could never understand. A modern hero can either be famous or someone who is ordinary. Modern society has shown that anyone can be a hero, even if they have not made a big difference in the world. Anyone, anywhere can be a modern hero.
A hero is a person that has everything you would look for if you were wanting a great protector and warrior just like this epic Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was first composed oral and later translated and written down by christian monks . This poem many have read it but nobody knew the author it was anonymous . The epic poem really shows the culture of the anglo saxons and what they believed in. That's why in the epic poem Beowulf his character shows and revivals these traits . The real anglo saxon hero traits that Beowulf is showing are generosity faithfulness and courage in the epic poem.
The definition and guidelines for using the term “hero” to describe a person can be as diverse as the land we live in, however, regardless of your cultural identity the shield of “hero” must be earned. It is defined as “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities, is regarded as a model or ideal (Dictionary.com, 2014). In Classical Mythology, a hero is “a being of godlike prowess, a warrior of special strength, courage or ability” (Dictionary.com, 2014). This describes how we have portrayed our present day heroes, the pedestal that we put them on, after actions reflecting heroism, have been awarded the title. Difficult to earn, harder to retain, but forever remembered.