Journal 1: Modern Heroes and Beowulf Connection

Beowulf, an epic hero portrayed in the poem, Beowulf, goes out on quests to defeat the “powerful monster” Grendel, in order to protect a threatened community. Throughout his journey, Beowulf uses his super human strength to kill Grendel and his mother in order to defend the community and to gain recognition for his heroic service.  During this time, Anglo-Saxons believed in the earthy virtues of loyalty, generosity, bravery, and friendship; Beowulf was the perfect embodiment of these virtues. Beowulf’s actions resemble that of Superman, as they both have intentions to rescue those in need of their service. With the help of their strong and valiant qualities, both heroes go on quests to defeat those who pose as a threat to their community. Beowulf and Superman share hero-like attributes such as, bravery and super human strength, and serve as heroes for their community during their time.

In many Anglo-Saxon epics, super human strength is displayed as a main feature that helps heroes defeat their foes. Beowulf possessed this strength and displays it when he finishes off Grendel’s head “with a single swift blow.”  In addition, Beowulf used the “strength in his fingers” to finish off Grendel’s mother once he found out that “no sword could slice her evil.”  Grendel was a worthy adversary as many heroes before Beowulf were incapable of defeating Grendel. Quests are taken by both Beowulf and Superman when facing their enemies and engaging in battle. In comparison, Superman uses his super human strength to protect his city in its time of need. His super human abilities make Superman remarkable as he possessed the superior physical strength needed to protect those from other planets, making him nearly impossible to defeat. Both Beowulf and Superman, are brave enough to face the evils that come their way, and use their super physical strength to defeat those who harm the threatened community.

In Anglo-Saxon literature, heroism requires bravery and extreme physical strength in order to successfully complete a quest of conquering their enemies. Superman and Beowulf both were brave and exceedingly strong when fighting against their enemies in order to rescue those in need. Along with their brute strength and courageousness, Beowulf and Superman perform heroic deeds as a service to their community because of the honor and benevolence they had as heroic servicemen. In conclusion, both heroes shared super human strength and fearlessness and used them to protect their communities by defeating the evils that come their way.