Beowulf and Superman

Beowulf, an anonymous English epic, is an archaic poem written in the times of the Anglo-Saxon reign in England. It speaks of a mighty hero, Beowulf, who through his great courage, strength, and cunning is able to defeat evil and vicious monsters and save his people. Beowulf shows great power and resourcefulness, and in this way is similar to one of my heroes, Superman. Beowulf and Superman have many similarities and differences.

Superman and Beowulf have some obvious similarities. For instance, Superman is just about the coolest superhero around, just like Beowulf was in the Middle Ages. First, a little background. In the story, Grendel had been stomping around the land, ripping people to shreds and eating them. Beowulf, a notable hero of the time, was called in to stop him. And, as heroes almost always do, he wins. Then, Grendel's mother shows up to exact revenge on Beowulf for the death of her son, but she is similarly vanquished. Then, 50 years later, Beowulf's people, the Geats, ask him to save them from a malicious fire dragon. Beowulf succeeds in conquering the fire dragon, but dies from wounds inflicted in battle. Likewise, Superman fights many different enemies bent on destroying human life, and like Beowulf, he always wins. Beowulf seems almost invincible until he dies, and as we all know, Superman is invincible to everything but Kryptonite. Superman and Beowulf both represent the ideals and values of their respective cultures.

But that's not to say that they are completely alike. They still have many differences. For example, while lying there dying, Beowulf waxes philosophical about his gold and treasure. He then says "Now I've bartered here for booty of treasure the last of my life, so look ye well to the needs of my land!" He is finally understanding that money is not worth all that much. If Superman were lying there dying, he would be still trying to help others, or at least ask someone to take care of his family. Superman is an example of modern American morals, while Beowulf is an example of Anglo-Saxon morals. In the 8th century, most of the people were poverty stricken, and their greatest ambition was to gain money and power. Many people today still strive towards this end, but the ideal is no longer simply to have money. The ideal American would be like Superman; strong, brave, compassionate, willing to do what he knows is right, and always trying to help