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Similarities Between Beowulf And Martin Luther King

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As stated by Arthur Ashe “True heroism is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” To be a hero one does not need to wear a cape and defend against injustice. Rather all that must be done is to fight for the greater good. Heroes do not fear failure; they approach each situation with a goal and strive to achieve that goal. A true hero may not always succeed but has the bravery to stand up and fight for what is right. Both Beowulf and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. embody the qualities of heroism through bravery and theology.
Beowulf is often referred to as one of today’s bravest literary heroes. He exemplifies great bravery throughout his epic journey. Beowulf and his men set sail to Denmark …show more content…

Beowulf takes place in the Anglo-Saxon time period. This was a very religious time period. There was believed to be the divine right of kings, which means that God placed the kings on the throne. It was destined for them to rule. This is one reason Beowulf went to fight Grendel, he felt the need to protect the king’s people and his mead hall. It is said that the gifts of God shall be shared unselfishly. After Hrothgar’s death Beowulf shares his treasure unselfishly (like God says to) with the people of Geatland. He also talks about how the fight with Grendel’s mother would have ended with his death if it was not for the grace of …show more content…

King are two completely different types of heroes. Beowulf is the strong and mighty hero that could slay and monster, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the type of hero who used nonviolent protests to achieve his goal. Although both Beowulf and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are well respected heroes of their time, Dr. King is the greater hero. King was an extremely influential leader that ultimately led to the change of society. In contrary, Beowulf only protected a small town from two treacherous monsters. His impact was not nearly as major as Martin Luther King’s. Another reason Dr. King is the greater hero is that King was going against society while in contrary, Beowulf had society on his side. Both heroes died for their cause showing the great amount of dedication and bravery they possess. The two heroes were selfless individuals who put the good of the people before their own good. They both died doing this, Beowulf was injured in his final battle and died moments later. Dr. King was assassinated the day after giving an influential speech about the direction society was headed (Martin Luther King Jr.

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Beowulf is centered around Beowulf and the epic deeds he accomplished. Beowulf follows the role of the archetypal hero and fulfills it by going on epic quests to help and save kingdoms. But being the hero ultimately killed Beowulf. Although Beowulf dies, it shows how honorable he was to die for his kingdom. This is just one of the many characteristics

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1250 Words | 5 Pages

Mythological or Archetypal philosophy has been around for centuries and is used across numerous cultures. Carl Jung, a close colleague of Sigmund Freud, defined the word archetype as “a figure...that repeats itself in the course of history wherever creative fantasy is fully manifested.” Archetypes can come in various forms: characters, images, and situations. Though many different forms of archetypes appear in the tale of Beowulf, specifically, the archetypal character roles of the hero and the outcast are major aspects of the story. The role of the hero is a popularly recognizable element of many stories.

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511 Words | 3 Pages

Heroism of Beowulf Throughout the poem of Beowulf he shows heroism in different way, He is someone who has superhuman qualities who embodies the value of his society and who is larger than life. And also someone who defeats something that is bigger than him. To start off, Beowulf meets with the Danes to discuss about this evil monster name Grendel. He is a powerful creature who live in the darkness.

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402 Words | 2 Pages

The basic traits of being a hero are simple. You must have courage, selflessness, humility, loyalty, patience and care deeply about others. “A hero is a person or main character of a literary work who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength, often sacrificing their own personal concerns for a greater good. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero)”. One of the most important works in Old English literature is Beowulf, it is a great example of an epic hero.

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1044 Words | 5 Pages

A hero’s journey consists of many mythological/archetypal characteristics--such as the characters, settings, situations, and outcomes. As unique as both stories are, The Lion King and Beowulf are great works of the hero’s journey following the mythological/archetypal path. The Lion King and Beowulf both revolve around the hero and outcast of the story. The quest and outcome are also other important components of the mythological/archetypal path.

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1234 Words | 5 Pages

They both go through the “Hero’s Journey,” and display many characteristics of a hero. Beowulf, however, better fits the qualities of an epic hero due to his unselfish personality, his fearlessness, and his nobility. One reason Beowulf is the better epic hero is because his intentions and motives were selfless. He always fought to save the people, not for glory or treasures.

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427 Words | 2 Pages

Beowulf declares that he “drove five great giants into chains, [and] chased all of that race from the Earth.” He is immensely overbearing at that point because he is too proud of his achievements. Being excessively prideful does not exactly label Beowulf as a hero. Beowulf assumes all of the courageous acts he fulfills will make him

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806 Words | 4 Pages

Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/

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640 Words | 3 Pages

The names of Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. are known worldwide. They have lead many fighting what they believe in. One man many people think of when being a leader to fight for his beliefs of the people is Jesus Christ. Jesus is loved by many and hated by the powerful, just like these three other men, but their is one comparison that has been made to a certain protagonist of ancient times. In the epic poem ,Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, is a leader who fights for the betterment of society while being the one that many look up to.

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497 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the story of Beowulf and the movie Thor, there are many similarities; from the enemies they meet, the characteristics of the two warriors, and the things they have conquered. Both Thor and Beowulf have lots of pride. Thor is known as someone powerful and brave in Asgard, he has many enemies. Beowulf is known as a courageous warrior who can conquer any enemy, and he also has different enemies that he must defeat throughout the story. Both of the brave warriors come to figure out what their destiny must be, they are destined for greatness but they must go through great storms to achieve it.

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780 Words | 4 Pages

Who is Martin Luther King “ I have a dream”. This is one of his most well known speeches. He was the one led the march on Washington, he used nonviolent ways to help everyone have equal civil rights. This man was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia and died on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TN. He was in charge of the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

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948 Words | 4 Pages

With the battle to protect the city against the dragon, even though Beowulf was king he fought the dragon. He fought the dragon because no one else could. No one was as selfless as he was to risk his life to protect the city. Without Beowulf these monsters would over power good and there would be no balance between good and evil.

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805 Words | 4 Pages

Questions of Honor: Beowulf Beowulf’s honor and integrity can be questioned throughout the entirety of the epic poem, Beowulf. Whether or not his actions are inspired by his own pompous arrogance or confidence, one can argue that he is a hero nonetheless. Evidence and experience prove that Beowulf is more of a fearless hero than an excessively prideful man, and his hubris is more than justified due to the formidable duties he is able to execute. Throughout the poem, Beowulf expresses his intense strength and courage to the fearful people in the poem. His daring sense of self-assurance is backed by his victories against all three monsters, (even though he suffers a tragic death after facing the dragon, it is a defeat nonetheless).

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665 Words | 3 Pages

Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.

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1718 Words | 7 Pages

"Hear me! We've heard of Danish heroes, ancient kings and the glory they cut for themselves, swinging mighty swords." These verses were words sung over and over, by singing poets all over ancient Europe. They were sung in the presence of kings and warriors. They are the beginning lines of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, an ancient tale of monsters, dragons, kings, warriors, battles, life, death, and the virtues of a hero.

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