Similarities Between Beowulf And Modern Culture

Beowulf is an epic poem that shines light on a different society. A society that would eventually develop into modern-day England. This community of tribes share some similarities with humanity in its current state but are also quite different. The Anglo-Saxons were driven by war and battle. They face a multitude of different problems compared to modern humans. This means that the conflicts in Beowulf should be taken and handled in a vastly distinct process. The differences between modern society and Anglo-Saxon cultures, problems, and difficulties show how they should handle their problems differently.
In Beowulf, most, if not all, of the problems and conflicts are solved through brute force and magic, but, in modern life a more delegate approach …show more content…
It only makes sense that separate drawbacks to each society should develop. One piece of evidence that points to this is the fact that Beowulf's society praises war and conflict with others. On the other hand, humanity is a mixed bag. Some despise war, others are bloodthirsty, and there are people that really just do not care. Overall, war is looked as a negative development for human advancement. Another great example that helps support this is the way Anglo-Saxon culture prizes glory. “And may the Divine Lord/ in His wisdom grant glory of victory/ to whichever side He sees fit.” (Heaney 685-687). Glory for their god, their tribe, their king, and themselves. It is almost like each person just is fueled by alcohol and glory. Most societies do not have such a heavy reliance on glory or honor. Though if one were to look back in history, those observations would yield contrasting results. Especially in societies like those of Japan and other Asian cultures that rooted their beliefs in honor and therefore glory for their family and ancestors. Even in newer countries like the United States of America is not totally free from these practices. Americans treat freedom with great distinction. For the United States, if someone were to take their freedom they would no longer be themselves. While the first two examples were strong, an even better one is how humanity views religion and …show more content…
With this difference in what problems each society has, the solutions people use today should not be similar to those used by the Anglo-Saxon's. Beowulf loves to boast about his physical prowess. "However it occurred, my sword had killed/ nine sea monsters. Such night-dangers/ and hard ordeals I have never heard of/ not a man more desolate in surging waves."(Heaney 574-577) They face tangible conflicts while people in the world deal with mental illness, diseases, and economic difficulties. A sword has no chance at solving these problems. Beowulf also seems to despise feelings or emotions as seen in this quote, "Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better/to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning"(Heaney 1384-1385) This shows his anguish to mourning, a natural response to the death of a loved one. The world has moved on from this view and has chosen not to ignore these feelings that people naturally develop, but to explore them and find ways to deal with them. Anglo-Saxon's have chosen the road of revenge, the people of the modern world would rather forgive and heal themselves. The difference purely in the difficulties each society faces should merit contrasting solutions based on their values, social structure, and the adversity they