Heroism and Honor saves Humanity A hero, in modern day terms is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”, according to dictionary.com. There are many heroes in this world that people admire daily; everybody has a hero, it just depends on what you consider to be hero material. There were heroes centuries ago that were respected for the same qualities as today’s heroes are. The term hero has been established throughout many time periods and according to the distinctive characteristics that the two heroes spoken about in this paper possess, this is evident. Beowulf and Marine Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter both have several characteristics, which will be compared and contrasted, that coordinate
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He was a soldier many, many centuries ago; who accepted battles when nobody else would or could. Beowulf told the King, “I come to proffer my whole hearted and help and counsel” (Beowulf Poet, 227-278). In the epic poem Beowulf, the soldier was very courageous and he was well respected for it. To summarize his adventures, he traveled to a kingdom to help a king in need when nobody asked him to. There was a great monster, Grendel, who was terrorizing King Hrothgar and his people, killing many. Beowulf took on the monster, killing it and saving many lives. Both men were very well respected and many admire them because of their noble qualities, which also coincide with the everlasting definition of hero above. Beowulf was a mighty man that was given various types of rewards, or gifts, during the poem to show respect. Corporal Carpenter was awarded the Medal of Honor in admiration for his courageous actions as a soldier. President Obama said “If any American seeks a model of strength and resilience that define us as people, including the newest 9/11 generation, I want you to consider Kyle.” …show more content…
They both put their lives on the line to serve and protect others from harm’s way. In order to do such a thing, it takes diverse qualities that the average person does not obtain. These men were different from the average person risking their lives for others. Beowulf eventually did lose his life in a battle while Corporal Carpenter “underwent about 40 surgeries” to reconstruct his face (Lamothe). “Much of Corporal Carpenter’s face was reconstructed during his recovery at the hospital, since the blast blew away just about all of his face under his eyes” (Schneider). Going through these extreme measures, including the cost of your life, with courage and nobility gains you the title hero.
A hero in modern day terms is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”, according to dictionary.com. As evaluated above, Beowulf and Corporal Carpenter possess characteristics and qualities that concur with the infinite definition of what a hero is. Despite the time and terrain differences, circumstances, and the complete opposite mindsets, they risked their lives; they put their entire lives and the ones that they love aside to defend humanity as a
He was a soldier many, many centuries ago; who accepted battles when nobody else would or could. Beowulf told the King, “I come to proffer my whole hearted and help and counsel” (Beowulf Poet, 227-278). In the epic poem Beowulf, the soldier was very courageous and he was well respected for it. To summarize his adventures, he traveled to a kingdom to help a king in need when nobody asked him to. There was a great monster, Grendel, who was terrorizing King Hrothgar and his people, killing many. Beowulf took on the monster, killing it and saving many lives. Both men were very well respected and many admire them because of their noble qualities, which also coincide with the everlasting definition of hero above. Beowulf was a mighty man that was given various types of rewards, or gifts, during the poem to show respect. Corporal Carpenter was awarded the Medal of Honor in admiration for his courageous actions as a soldier. President Obama said “If any American seeks a model of strength and resilience that define us as people, including the newest 9/11 generation, I want you to consider Kyle.” …show more content…
They both put their lives on the line to serve and protect others from harm’s way. In order to do such a thing, it takes diverse qualities that the average person does not obtain. These men were different from the average person risking their lives for others. Beowulf eventually did lose his life in a battle while Corporal Carpenter “underwent about 40 surgeries” to reconstruct his face (Lamothe). “Much of Corporal Carpenter’s face was reconstructed during his recovery at the hospital, since the blast blew away just about all of his face under his eyes” (Schneider). Going through these extreme measures, including the cost of your life, with courage and nobility gains you the title hero.
A hero in modern day terms is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”, according to dictionary.com. As evaluated above, Beowulf and Corporal Carpenter possess characteristics and qualities that concur with the infinite definition of what a hero is. Despite the time and terrain differences, circumstances, and the complete opposite mindsets, they risked their lives; they put their entire lives and the ones that they love aside to defend humanity as a