The English epic, Beowulf, takes place in the Anglo-Saxon period where a tale of a hero named Beowulf is celebrated. “Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger: Address to the Nation” is a speech devised by former President Ronald Reagan about the tragic death of the members of the Challenger Seven space crew. The crew members of the Challenger are similar to Beowulf because they both display courage. Although they both plunge into dangerous situations, Beowulf is more heroic than the members of the Challenger because during his hour of need, Beowulf is forlorn by his own warriors, but continues to fight on as though nothing can possibly stop him. To begin with, Beowulf is similar to the members of the Challenger Seven space crew because …show more content…
After the death of the astronauts, President Ronald Reagan makes a speech to the nation, addressing the tragedies of the deaths. Reagan commemorates the brave astronauts for their service and notes that the tragedy is but a “part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons” (Reagan 430). Leading to his death, Beowulf slays a dragon and is mortally wounded. Add sentences from the close reader. In contrast, Beowulf is more heroic than the members on the challengers because he has completed more heroic acts in his lifetime. Add sentence. Beowulf did not think twice before handling a treacherous dragon. Even after his own men abandoned him during battle, Beowulf, aware of his losing battle, continues to fight on as though nothing can possibly stop him: “And for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against him, with glory denied him. He knew it, but he raised his sword and struck the dragon’s scaly hide” (Close Reader, line
Thesis: Because of Beowulf’s excellent characteristics and values not only is he considered a hero in his story, but he is also considered the basic model for modern day superheroes like Captain America. I. Captain America has similar physical characteristics to that of Beowulf because the character of Captain America was based off the story of Beowulf. a. Captain America i. A blonde, blue-eyed, muscular man with a sculpted physique. ii.
In the epics of Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and Sundiata, great displays of bravery, loyalty, and spiritual discipline were shown. In each epic, there are different but still important lessons and displays of these attributes shown. The Tale of Roland and Beowolf show more physical and violent displays of bravery from their main characters, while Sundiata shows more of a mental strength and courage. In the story of Sundiata, Sundiata’s was rough for a prince.
On January 28th, 1986, Ronald Reagan, the president of the United States at the time, in his speech, entitled “Challenger Disaster,” addressed the Challenger Disaster. He supported this claim by first mourning over the tragedy, then he promoted NASA, also he tried to make sense of this calamity, and finally he informed the audience that the seven astronauts will never be forgotten and as a country we will be forever thankful for their service. Through Reagan’s use of tone, rhetorical analysis, and rhetorical tools he effectively persuaded America to mourn and appreciate the lives of the seven astronauts loss and to convince American people to continue their support for NASA and move forward as a country. Reagan unified America with his supportive
Since the Challenger crew were able to pursue their mission with courage, it is now the future generation’s turn to undertake where they have left off, and finish where they started. Overall, Ronald Reagan took advantage of his enormous platform to give a national eulogy in order to alleviate the pain caused by the loss of the Challenger seven. Raegen pursues his delivery with the use of rhetorical devices such as Pathos and Parataxis in order to appeal to his audience’s emotions while at the
An Epic Hero is a character who’s legendary or heroic actions are central to his culture, race or nation. Beowulf and Odysseus both share some of the seven hero traits; for example being superhuman, fighting monsters and going on a quest. They do not exhibit the exact same traits or in the same way, for example the intervention of the divine world, but they both demonstrate the qualities of an Epic Hero. Both Beowulf and Odysseus prove they are superhuman. Beowulf is able to take down Grendel and Grendel’s mother.
Reagan applies oratorical devices and figurative language to explain to the nation the passion and bravery the seven astronauts have. He uses parallel structure and listing to imply the passion and bravery the Challenger crew have. “But, we never lost an astronaut in flight, we’ve never had a tragedy like this” (2). The parallel structure creates a cause and effect to the tragedy. Its shocking devastation, however, it shows the nation how the future is creating new things.
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.
How is the movie and textbook version of Beowulf different? Accordingly, to the movie and textbook version of Beowulf they share particular differences that may change your perspective of all the characters. In the movie Grendel began attacking Herot Hall; however, in the textbook he started off attacking the many people who lived in the village. In the textbook Grendel’s mother was considered a hideous a gorgeous monster who lived in a dungeon in the forest. In the textbook Beowulf’s arm was cut off casing his death, even though, in the movie Beowulf’s death was caused by the dragon fire breath.
Compare/Contrast Essay Beowulf is an epic hero, who is a strong and powerful man who comes from Sweden to Denmark to help a village that is being attacked by a man-eating monster named Grendel. Arthur, is a romantic hero who is the courageous king of Camelot who is a devoted leader and will do anything to protect his kingdom and people. Even though Beowulf and Arthur are two different heroes, they both share similar traits such as devoted followers, the use of magical weapons, and courageous traits throughout the story. Both epic and romantic heroes had devoted followers that helped them throughout battles. Beowulf was very strong, but when the people of Denmark thought he needed help.
Medieval literature shows the change of heroes throughout centuries. For the English medieval times, two story’s heroes stand out: Le Morte d'Arthur’s Lancelot and Beowulf’s Beowulf. Lancelot, the patient, humble, and chivalrous knight, is contrasted by Beowulf, a boastful, proud, and rowdy viking. It clearly shows how stories have changed in their depiction of protagonists. Both Beowulf and Lancelot are great warriors and leaders but that is where their similarities end.
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.
Beowulf was a much more successful epic hero, who obtained and managed his position more respectably than Macbeth did, thus remembered accordingly because his reputation followed him beyond the grave. Different motives led them through different journeys, still similar climbs. They rose, they ruled, and they fell. In these epic pieces of British literature, Macbeth steps into the spotlight as a tragic hero and Beowulf as an epic hero. A tragic hero
Beowulf and King Arthur are both portrayed as heroes and someone to look up to. Some similarities are both of them are very brave. They are also both very compelling leaders in their own respective ways. Even with their similarities they have differences in their heroic qualities such as Beowulf not really being a human in the sense that he can do superhuman things and King Arthur being a normal human being. It's also interesting to note that King Arthur was more of a hero for his character whereas Beowulf was more of a hero in the sense that he slays monsters and dragons.
Everybody likes rooting for a hero. And throughout the evolution of storytelling, from stories written in stone to those in tablets, heroes have always played a huge role in the stories we tell. As literature evolved, and more legends and tales began to appear in different cultures, the idea of a traditional epic hero was established. Stories like "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and "The Odyssey," set the mold for this type of heroes, an influence that can clearly be seen when analyzing literature. In fact, most of these characters, regardless of the time and place they were created in, shared similar characteristics to the two kings.
The epic poem Beowulf is a classic tale of good versus evil. Good, as shown in the story, is any action that fights evil and defends the community and the people of it. The evil intent of Grendel, the story’s antagonist and cannibalistic murderer, who is depicted as a “fiend out of hell” (99), is strongly countered by the heroic actions of the stories main protagonist, Beowulf. The noble King Hrothgar is a role model for young Beowulf at the beginning of the epic, displaying acts of charity and wisdom throughout his life.