“We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” This quote once proclaimed by the notable Benjamin Franklin tells us much about the status of group mentality at the time of its spoken word. Aside from practical advice, these words were recognized and proliferated that the people of the United States must work together to defeat their foe, the British King. Keeping this in mind, we can apply the same analytical set to other stories of cultures around the globe and of times past. Two such tales which provide similar introspection are Beowulf, author unknown, and The Ramayama, written by the poet Valmiki. Beowulf, shows us that, overall, human beings are selfless, altruistic beings that consider other people’s needs a high priority. The Ramayama shows us that, overall, human beings are self-centered beings that consider their own needs almost exclusively.
In both stories, we see acts of selflessness, and selfishness when our antagonists encounter their foes. They both ultimately find ways to defeat their foes, however their differing approaches give a look into their true character. First, we look at the character Beowulf, in his self-titled story. After hearing of struggle in a distant land, Beowulf travels to “kill the frightful fiend whose deadly deeds terrify the …show more content…
The goal is to protect one another, for throught the story of Beowulf, we can see that the value of the clan outwieghts the reputation of the individual. As displayed through the characters of The Ramayama, we see that one’s personal desires take precedence over what is best for the family or city. Beowulf and The Ramayama share in common their epic tales of trial and tribulation. They contain heros and villians; good and evil, however the actions of their main characters tell us a bit about the main interest of the cultures they originated
In both stories, we see acts of selflessness, and selfishness when our antagonists encounter their foes. They both ultimately find ways to defeat their foes, however their differing approaches give a look into their true character. First, we look at the character Beowulf, in his self-titled story. After hearing of struggle in a distant land, Beowulf travels to “kill the frightful fiend whose deadly deeds terrify the …show more content…
The goal is to protect one another, for throught the story of Beowulf, we can see that the value of the clan outwieghts the reputation of the individual. As displayed through the characters of The Ramayama, we see that one’s personal desires take precedence over what is best for the family or city. Beowulf and The Ramayama share in common their epic tales of trial and tribulation. They contain heros and villians; good and evil, however the actions of their main characters tell us a bit about the main interest of the cultures they originated