BEOWULF ESSAY

     "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacle." These wise words told by Christopher Reeve depict the true meaning of a hero. A hero is one that is courageous, strong, brave, and looked up to by its peers. He is one who would risk his own life to save another, one who doesn't demonstrate the cliche characteristics shown in the majority of the individuals on Earth; selfish and cowardly. In Beowulf, Beowulf portrays these godlike qualities. Thoughout the story, he never fails to embody the ideal "hero" of his time period. From fighting with his very own mother, to battling with the mighty dragon explained in the text, Beowulf not once looses faith in himself and his personal abilities. Beowulfs dedication to his people, passion for success, and heroic qualities characterize him as an epic symbol of his time period whose success story as a hero is portrayed through a monomyth, a hero's journey in which "A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man." 

    In Beowulf, Beowulf demonstrates his bravery and strength when he assigns himself to defeat the mighty dragon. This fearless, fire breathing beast, in the story, serves as a symbolism for fate and how it can always be tried but never defeated.  Beowulf is able to defeat the beast and encompasses his heroic qualities admired by most. A contemporary hero of modern times who's success as a hero resembles Beowulf's is Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Both Katniss and Beowulf were looked up to as a godlike figure to their peers, they both embodied an ideal hero, and both experienced a great deal of success. Although they both resemble an unimpeachable, heroic character, their success stories are different. Instead of having to defeat a fierce beast, Katniss, a young woman who had been referred to as a cull most of her life, volunteered to risk her life, demonstrating her strength and courage in battling in the games in which is purposed to result in one hero standing. Katniss' story depicts a monomyth if modern day, which differs quite a bit. One, the monomyth represents a feminist hero, which back in Beowulf's time period would be absolutely unacceptable and bogus. As society continues to evolve, so does the perception of heroes and the qualities it takes to become such a hero. Whether it be a superhero such as Batman and/or Spider-Man, or Katniss from The Hunger Games, the ideal qualities of a hero remains similar. A hero does not have to be an individual who performs a magnificent action, it can be an individual who simply puts others before himself, makes others' lives better, one who is intent on making a better life for all people and/or finds the strength to overcome obstacles in life. They are individuals who prefer to life a successful, courageous, and fearless life, with the aim to not only better themselves, but their peers. 

     One may ask why the story of Beowulf still lingers today. Well the answer to that is quite simple. Beowulf is a traditional monomyth that contains educational, life-changing, and meaningful, morals and lessons. It is admired for it's diversity, it's uniqueness, it set the basis for the heroes to come after itself. Just like we look up to our role models, it acted as a role model for all it's future generations to admire and appreciate. Beowulf, just as it is to this day, will continue to be exposed to the citizens of all society because of it's excelling purpose of depicting what an ideal hero should be. Keep in mind, not all heroes wear capes,they're everywhere, you could be one yourself, like Mary McCarthy stated,"Each and every one of us live in suspense from day to day; in other words, you are the hero of your own story."