Beowulf: The First Super Hero In History

Beowulf is about a warrior from Geatland who takes on the task of getting rid of a monster named Grendel who is terrorizing King Hrothgar’s land. He then kills the monster and it’s mother a while later only to face that his own kingdom is being terrorized many years later by a dragon. He successfully destroys the dragon, but not without giving up his own life. The 13th Warrior is about Northmen warriors, and an Arab, who takes a journey to another land to rid them of some type of “creatures”. King Hrothgar needs these 13 men to get rid of these “creatures” who won’t stop killing off the people of his village.

Beowulf knew this would ultimately be his last battle. The dragon was awakened because a slave stole a gold cup from the treasure. Then, after not being able to find the gold cup, the dragon forcefully attacked Geatland burning the town. Beowulf believed he angered God. In order to be at peace with God, he ordered a specially made shield to defend himself during battle.

Smaug, the dragon that attacked these lands and killed most of the population of dwarves to claim that land as his own, then comes into play and gives the group a difficult time by trying to eat them and burning them to ashes; since Bilbo decided to take a golden cup. Because Smaug is such a dramatic character in the book, this differs from the Smaug in the movie tremendously with many changes involved in the process. But because of the changes Jackson has made in the movie, this gives Smaug more characteristics and facial expressions than can be imagined from reading the book. Some of the changes that Jackson has made are: turning Smaug into a predictable character, and how he has an incredible

As the fire dragon approaches him, the iron shield “began to melt, and for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against him, with glory denied him” (lines 110-113). When realizing fate is against him in this battle, a little piece of Beowulf dies. Although, right after his shield begins to melt Beowulf still fights with that power and bravery he has always had since he was young. “He knew it, but he raised his sword and struck at the dragon’s scaly hide” (lines

While reading Beowulf final scene, I really saw how heroic Beowulf really was. I mean he was heroic when he fought Grendel and his mother, but when he knew that he is about to die and still fought the dragon it kind of brought him to another level of being a hero. Throughout the entire story, I viewed Beowulf as kind of showy for all of his great heroic acts and wasn 't at all humble. Fighting the dragon showed that even till the very end, Beowulf would still fight and protect his people no matter what. Also, when he bought Grendel 's mother, he nearly dies, but he never gave up.

But in the movie, Dragon happens to be the child of Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. As in poem, Dragon was terrorized the people but in movie it came searching for its father. The dragon, son of both Grendel’s mother and Beowulf, tries to kill other people but not Beowulf. Beowulf was strongest men in the poem but in the movie he did not kill Grendel’s mother. He come out as a weak man in the movie compare to the poem.

In Beowulf , Beowulf had 3 different fights with monsters. The first monster he fight is Grendel, the second is Grendel mother, and the third fight is with a dragon. The fight with Grendel shows his power, the fight with Grendel mother shows his weakness and the fight with a dragon shows his death as well as the birth of a new hero. The fight with Grendel shows beowulfs power. Grendel is a demon that has killed many people and many people attempted to kill him.

Beowulf then has both hands and his men proceed to attack Grendel with their swords but it doesn’t harm him. Grendel who was dying decided to tear his arm free and escaped ending the battle. Grendel went back to his marsh and died in the edge of the lake but his body wasn’t found but his arm was enough to prove of his defeat. Beowulf is venerated and given treasure for his victory. He is then given princedom by Hrothgar making him his son and Beowulf states how he had wished to have killed Grendel in the hall so his corpse would be present.

However in the film of Beowulf he dies in honor for his kingdom for his people because he actually owned up to his responsibilities and owns up to his mistakes. Whereas in the story he just thinks that he has to kill this dragon so he can be popular and be known as a hero, but dying in honor is dying for your people not because you 're rich or because you want your name to be

An important aspect of the story of Beowulf is the value of kinship. During Beowulf’s final battle against the dragon, all but one of his once faithful followers abandon him. Wiglaf, his nephew, stays to protect the king from the beast because Beowulf had been kind and given Wiglaf many gifts and honors. Devoted to his king, Wiglaf risks his own life to save his king, his shield burning in the flames, no doubt injuring him, too, in the process. He bares the pain of the fire until his king can regain himself.