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Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Martin Luther King Jr

907 Words4 Pages

Though the history of the world the definition of a hero has changed, and the Anglo-Saxon definition vastly differs from modern definition. When the Anglo-Saxons roamed the lands of current day Great Britain, the definition of a hero relates to how well the individual could conquer a group of people. However, in modern day life, a hero brings about change that will benefit society. Comparing and contrasting Beowulf and Martin Luther King junior, the definition of a hero, in their respective times, will show how the sword swinging Anglo-Saxons differ from the very vocal humans of today. Between Beowulf’s and Martin Luther King Jr’s reason for their actions, temperament, and beliefs, the definition of a hero will show the differences between …show more content…

Settlements appeared rarely, and when they did; small. In order for any man to gain recognition, he would have to put himself out there and accomplish hard tasks. If a man wished to reign as king, he would need to gain fame. through extravagant acts, “Beowulf becomes king of the Geats and rules in peace and prosperity for 50 years.” Even though Beowulf behaves very polite, he did not do heroic tasks because of the kindness of his heart. Beowulf longed, like so many other Anglo-Saxons, to earn heroism through fame. Aside from killing monsters and wielding magical objects, Beowulf earned a reputation across the land of Great Britain for fighting as an extraordinarily gifted warrior. This reputation, earned over the course of many years, allowed Beowulf to take part in one of the most famous bard tales, a story which is verbally passed down from generation to generation of …show more content…

In the epic, Beowulf, the writer constantly added in Christian values and references, “punished forever for the crimes of Abel’s death.” In the society that Beowulf grew up in, strength and fame occurred in everyday life, with the practice of story telling. A warriors life goal was to protect their king, and make it into a bards tale to gain immortality. One of the Anglo-Saxon values, loyalty, shows its self when Beowulf fights a dragon. His men run away, but one stays to help finish killing the dragon. This value shows how the definition of a hero has changed through the many years of

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