Beowulf Essay

   All heroes put others before themselves. Beowulf put Hrothgar's people first to kill Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. A modern day hero that is selfless and puts the people of a city before himself is Batman. Batman protects the citizens in Gothem City by killing the Joker and stopping robbers and murderers. Beowulf and Batman occur in different time periods but both heroes have the same intent to stop "monsters" from causing mayhem and taking lives.

   Beowulf defeats three monsters and Batman takes crime off the streets. Both acts are great deeds that take confidence and strength, which both heroes possess. Batman represents the time setting because of the crime that is occurring is a problem in big cities and that law enforcement just isn't enough to handle it and the city needs a super hero to make the citizens feel safe. Beowulf contrasts Batman by encompassing the old myths of how one person can take on fictional creatures and always be victorious. The defeats both characters have are strong and make a difference in the lives of the people they protected. The triumphs of both heroes are emphasized through the diction the author uses and the syntax in which the events of the fighting scenes are described to illustrate for the reader how successful the defeat of Grendel or the Joker was.

   Everyone has a hero inside them fighting off demons which is what Beowulf represents, where as, Batman symbolizes the heroes in our city. Beowulf symbolizes inner conflict because the monsters get bigger as as the story progresses. The monsters symbolize Beowulf's fears or faults that he is overcoming. Batman shows the outer world how destructive and twisted can be. Batman is a person who wants to protect people from harm. Batman hides who he really is with a mask and Beowulf presents himself oozing with pride and ego. Batman is more humble about his defeats than Beowulf is because Beowulf shares his stories with everyone so people will know of his success and strength

   Both epic and modern day heroes have similar qualities as well as differences, and both represent the times in which they were created. Beowulf and Batman have superhuman characteristics which make them the heroes they are but the way these heroes go about their life saving business reflects that the heroes are from different periods. The way the stories end also share similarities by having both the heroes end in different ways; Beowulf dies from old age and injury, Batman confesses of not wanting to continue his heroic duties.