BEOWULF ESSAY

     Throughout history there have been terrific stories about dauntless heroes that devote their lives to fighting evil. These heroes have been rather similar throughout time. Two exemplary heroes are Beowulf and Thor. Both are heroes of a different time period yet they still have the same impact on their respective societies. These two heroes both bear extreme strength and for it, they are very apotheosized by other citizens. They are traditional heroes in the sense that they fight evil and promote the greater good and both heroes even have similar intentions but Thor is sometimes fighting more for himself than for other purposes. Beowulf comes from a great line of royalty so his heroism is upholding his position in society. Thor is trying to become King so he is working to establish himself as a strong warrior. Thor is so obsessed with using his heroism to gain a greater position and Beowulf is simply being a hero because he feels that it is his position.

     The similarities between these two heroes are vast. Both are looked upon as gods. In the epic, Beowulf is greeted with an effusive welcome when he comes to kill Grendel. The people worship him because he is able to kill a monster that terrorized them for so long. Thor, as the son of the king, also has great prestige. His strength and supernatural abilities make him redoubtable and revered. This characterization of the two heroes puts them above ordinary citizens. They are aggrandized and set apart from the rest of their society and are expected to take on different, more brutal responsibilities. A hero is not a hero without an enemy. Antagonists like Grendel and Laufey present the dichotomy between right and wrong and good and evil. Beowulf fights an epic battle with Grendel and Thor takes down the Frost Giants that invade his kingdom.These conflicts demonstrate the power and strength of our heroes. A sense of pride is evident in both heroes. Beowulf admits that because Grendel fights with no weapons, he will also fight using solely his hands. Beowulf knows that he is a great hero and he enjoys it. Thor is prideful as well. He ignores his father's orders not to fight because he thinks he smarter than his father. Beowulf's pride will eventually cause him to lose his life in a fight with the dragon and Thor's pride gets him exiled from his kingdom. The irony in both stories shows that the heroes do have their flaws. Thor is a great warrior who has devoted his life to fighting evil, yet he gets so easily distracted by a girl and strays from his path. Beowulf is esteemed and loved yet in a battle with the dragon, nearly all of his men abandon him.

     These heroes have some significant differences as well. The heroes obviously come from different times. Certain jargon used in the stories show the different settings. In Beowulf, there are allusions to the bible and this demonstrates to the audience the kind of society that Beowulf came from. In his time, bravery and strength were ideal characteristics. Thor's setting is outer worldly. It's completely fictional and Thor faces a much different society than Beowulf. Thor, coming from his family, was a contestant to be the next king and his life centered around achieving that goal. Thor is expected to be leader whereas Beowulf is just expected to use his blunt force to ward off evil. The conflicts presented in the stories also symbolizes differences between the two characters. In his conflict with Grendel, Beowulf uses nothing but bravado and his pure strength. In Thor's conflicts, he would be fairly powerless without his hammer. Beowulf doesn't rely on special, signature weapons like Thor does. These differences all circle back to their time periods. Thor's heroism is in pursuit of his coveted role as King. Beowulf's bravery is simply his personality that has been deemed admirable by the standards of his time.

     Beowulf and Thor at first glance are very similar heroes. They fight evil, hold prominent positions in society, and are tremendously brave They also have their flaws and have purposes for their bravery, but looking closer, it is evident that they aren't as similar as they seem. Their respective time periods model those differences. Thor was using his bravery to become king. Beowulf was doing what society expected him to do in his role as hero. Our two heroes handle conflicts differently and their settings affect this. Both are heroes that fight evils but they view the world differently.