Malcolm X And Beowulf Comparison Essay

What is a hero? Ask a child and he or she may say a superhero like Superman or Batman. But we all know that heroes are not just those people who defeat the bad guy and save the day. Spanning through millennia, there have been many differences in the meaning of a hero. In modern day, a hero is typically a person who is revered and appreciated for making or attempting to make a difference in the world. Qualities a hero may have are: integrity, leadership, strength, confidence, courage, and humility. These qualities have allowed and equipped men and women to fight for freedom, human rights, equality, and education. Although Malcolm X and Beowulf existed centuries apart and faced different adversities, they both share the heroic traits of courage and leadership. The epic hero Beowulf and the modern day hero Malcolm X both share the heroic characteristic of courage. The famous Novel, How To Kill A Mockingbird, defined courage as “[N]ot the absence of fear, but the willingness to proceed in

One being that Beowulf is an actual Old English epic poem written about a heroic warrior, not certain to be fact or fiction. Also he sought after fame and recognition. He was always being praised and rewarded for all of the brave battles he had faced.While Malcolm X on the other hand, was an actual living person and civil rights activist whom was not always praised for his doing, but often ridiculed. Unlike Beowulf, Malcolm propelled to be an activist through years of tribulations. He was tired of the discrimination and thought there should be a change, especially after World War 2. He also was not the only one. Malcolm believed in freedom, he turned to Islam and when found out that his “Islamic idol” had been being untruthful he sparked an interest towards the Muslim religion. Beowulf was born a warrior, and son of a warrior. He was destined to be a warrior even before he was