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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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