Archetypes In Beowulf

lthough heroic stories go all the way back to humanity's first writings, they are still being written today. Batman, for example, shares many of the same characteristics as Beowulf who was one of the first heros written about; therefore, making Batman an archetypal hero. A hero is figure larger than life who fights for the right reasons. Batman is a figure well known to many readers as a hero who defends Gotham City from the Joker. The Dark Knight includes many of the same archetypes found in Beowulf--such as, a hero, a outcast, symbols, and a quest. Beowulf is obviously an archetypal hero, being one of the first heros created in a writing. In Beowulf there is a hero, outcast/scapegoat, and many symbols. Beowulf is the hero because he is

Batman is the clear hero in his story because he is the one called upon to save Gotham City and shows many times that he would be willing to give his life for others. Like Beowulf, Batman fights enemies that have been terrorizing the city but the regular citizen can not do anything about it. This is where Batman comes into play, he is called upon by his city to save the people and beat the bad guy. Batman also has no god like powers like Beowulf, Batman fights his enemies with hand to hand combat exactly how Beowulf defeats Grendel. Even though Batman is called on by his city, he has an internal drive like Beowulf. Bruce Wayne, Batman’s civilian name, comes from a well known family and is respected like Beowulf because of his father. In Beowulf, Grendel is the outcast, the person or figure who everybody fears and lives by him/herself. The Dark Knight also has an outcast but in their story the outcast is a human(the Joker) who is willing to kill as many people as it takes to find out Batman’s true identity. Whenever Batman defeats the Joker, he returns back to where he came from and accepts no reward, like how Beowulf defeats Grendel and the Dragon and returns back to his kingdom with his men and keeps no