Throughout human history, societies have consistently envisioned venerated, robust figures whose character traits are constructed to create the ultimate individual to whom many admire: the classic hero. It is inherit that unique standards are sought due to humanity's yearn for safety, social change, and human satisfaction. A time period's societal standards greatly affect who a hero is; ideas of modern-day heroes are vastly different than in the past. Beowulf, the most noteworthy Anglo-Saxon hero, illustrates the distinction between past and present heroes. Despite the obvious differences, some values have not changed: courageousness, leadership, and strength. The classic hero would not be themselves without an entity who opposes everything …show more content…
Monsters are the individuals that contain the traits that are feared and go against social standards. That is why today, our monsters are those who murder, rape, terrorize, and commit acts with evil intent. Anglo-Saxon monsters ultimately contain these characteristics as well; however, their portrayal shows the distinction between modern society and past societies. Past cultures made large amounts of references to mythical creatures when describing monsters, especially when compared to modern society. Notwithstanding their disparity with everyday-like monsters in modern society, past monsters still hold the same core facets which set them apart from our heroes: envy, greed, jealousy, and evil. Nonetheless, it is ultimately fear and the perception of those fears that gives the impression of who the monsters are. For example, a Middle Eastern civilian may view American soldiers as monstrous individuals for their unwelcome presence, but from an American’s point of view, the soldiers are heroic. Perception of fears is also where contemporary monsters and Anglo-Saxon monsters begin to differ. Because of the godly culture, Anglo-Saxon monsters typically include demonic traits represented in a variety of ways. They also contain traits that were deemed “sinful” in the eyes of the pious Anglo-Saxons. Grendel is an exemplar Anglo-Saxon monster through his portrayal