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Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Martin Luther King Jr

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Courage Isn’t Relative As said by Dr. Robert Anthony, “[c]ourage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway” (Brainyquote.com). This quote means that having courage is the ability to face your fear. Two people who share this trait, one fictional and one real, are Wiglaf from the epic poem Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. The first, Wiglaf, is a warrior who helps his king defeat a dragon. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who helped improve the lives of many African Americans. While one is a warrior from an ancient poem and the other is a 1960’s civil rights activist, both have one thing in common. Both Wiglaf and Martin Luther King Jr. exhibit courage. Firstly, both Wiglaf and Martin Luther King Jr. show …show more content…

This quote means that Wiglaf ran through dragon fire to reach his king, Beowulf, shouting encouragement all the while. The quote shows that Wiglaf is courageous because he isn’t afraid to risk his life trying to save Beowulf. Instead he tries to motivate his king even in the midst of battle while attempting to fight the dragon. The rest of the warriors run away from danger, but Wiglaf instead goes toward the dragon in an effort to save his king. Martin Luther King Jr. also displayed courage in his actions. In an article titled “Martin Luther King Jr.,” the author talks about how after a first march across a bridge that ended in violence, “King led his followers [across the bridge] to kneel in prayer and they then turned back” …show more content…

are proven to be brave by what is said by others about them. During the battle with the dragon at the dragon’s lair, it is Wiglaf’s first battle, yet the narrator says to the reader that “[Wiglaf’s] soul did not melt. ... / The dragon discovered his courage” (Beowulf 2628-2629). The author is talking about how instead of giving into fear, Wiglaf continues to fight, proving to even the dragon that he is brave. This shows that Wiglaf is brave because he doesn’t give in to fear and instead faces the dragon. As someone who hasn’t seen that many battles, his refusal to show fear says a lot about him because even though he lacks experience, he doesn’t lack courage. Other people also talk about Martin Luther King Jr's courage. In a recently written article titled “Martin luther King, Jr. and the True Meaning of Bravery” it is said that “[Martin Luther King Jr.] had received many death threats. He had even been stabbed, and had come within an inch of losing his life” (Goodspeaks.com). The author of the article is saying that Martin Luther King Jr was threatened and nearly killed. However, this proves he is brave because even though he had been threatened and even stabbed, he continued to work toward what he believed in instead of giving up. Both Wiglaf and Martin Luther King Jr. show they are brave by not letting the fear of personal injury get in the way of the tasks they want to

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