Why do Heroes Choose to Help Others?
(An analysis of Beowulf’s motivations as a hero using the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf) Growing up, Americans are taught stories of superheroes who can save the world. Tales of Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, the Powerpuff Girls, etc are told to children all over the United States and even the world. But why are superhero stories so popular? Some people will say superheroes give people hope, while others say these tales are entertaining. The Age of Superheroes came around during the Great Depression in America to give people hope. Stan Lee brought these superheroes to life in his comic books, and they still entertain people today. While Stan Lee created modern-day superheroes, tales of people with superpowers and unnatural talents have been told for centuries. Epics …show more content…
The first epic that depicted a man of unusual strength and size, however, is the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. Beowulf tells the story of a mighty warrior who defeats a monster named Grendel with his bare hands, swims to the bottom of a lake for an entire day to kill Grendel’s mother, and dies fighting a terrifying fire-breathing dragon in order to save his people. The hero, for whom the epic is named after, has incredible strength, and the ability to swim underwater for hours on end. One scholar states, “The struggles the poem depicts are of the good against evil: strength of sinew, heart and spirit, truth and light, pitted against dark power that gives no quarter as it shifts from shape to shape,”(Yeager). This classic story of good versus evil has enthralled listeners and readers for centuries. One question someone must ask is why does Beowulf leave his homeland to kill Grendel in the first-place? Scholars for decades have examined Beowulf and have attempted to pinpoint Beowulf’s motivations in order to get a better understanding of
(An analysis of Beowulf’s motivations as a hero using the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf) Growing up, Americans are taught stories of superheroes who can save the world. Tales of Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, the Powerpuff Girls, etc are told to children all over the United States and even the world. But why are superhero stories so popular? Some people will say superheroes give people hope, while others say these tales are entertaining. The Age of Superheroes came around during the Great Depression in America to give people hope. Stan Lee brought these superheroes to life in his comic books, and they still entertain people today. While Stan Lee created modern-day superheroes, tales of people with superpowers and unnatural talents have been told for centuries. Epics …show more content…
The first epic that depicted a man of unusual strength and size, however, is the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. Beowulf tells the story of a mighty warrior who defeats a monster named Grendel with his bare hands, swims to the bottom of a lake for an entire day to kill Grendel’s mother, and dies fighting a terrifying fire-breathing dragon in order to save his people. The hero, for whom the epic is named after, has incredible strength, and the ability to swim underwater for hours on end. One scholar states, “The struggles the poem depicts are of the good against evil: strength of sinew, heart and spirit, truth and light, pitted against dark power that gives no quarter as it shifts from shape to shape,”(Yeager). This classic story of good versus evil has enthralled listeners and readers for centuries. One question someone must ask is why does Beowulf leave his homeland to kill Grendel in the first-place? Scholars for decades have examined Beowulf and have attempted to pinpoint Beowulf’s motivations in order to get a better understanding of