Beowulf as a Hero

In Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, to be a hero was to be a warrior. A hero had to be strong, intelligent, and courageous. Warriors had to be willing to face any odds, and fight to the death for their glory and people. The Anglo-Saxon hero was able to be all of these and still be humble and kind. In literature Beowulf is, perhaps, the perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon hero. It is obvious that Beowulf is the quintessential hero. His strength and courage are unparalleled, and he is much more humble (and honorable) than many of the corrupt warriors around him. Beowulf displays his great strength time after time. Today, a hero offers the same characteristic of those which an Anglo Saxon hero has, but does not necessary have to be a man. Over time, the concept of a hero has not changed, and a solider is a perfect example.

Today’s soldiers are the men and women, who like Beowulf, are strong, intelligent and courageous individuals fighting in Iraq for the freedom of America and Iraq. Like Beowulf who traveled to Denmark to save the Danes, our American soldiers are selfless in their efforts to assist the Iraqi’s. They have left their families to aid those in need.

Heroes, both modern and mythical offer the power of physical strength that surpasses any normal persons’ physical ability. Beowulf, one of the strongest men of his time, uses his physical strength to kill Grendle. “…The bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke. The battle was over, Beowulf had been granted new glory.” (Lines 390-393) As described here, Beowulf rips his opponents shoulder off with his great strength, killing him and becoming victorious. A solider fighting in Iraq also must have great physical strength. In order to become a solider, basic training must be passed where each person is put through a demanding regime of running, sit ups, pushups to test their physical endurance. Additionally, they are taught how to properly handling of a gun. These are tasks that on a normal basis a person would not do. Additionally, an active duty solider risks their life by physically fighting, allowing them to earn the title of a hero.

Along with physical strength, Beowulf and today’s soldier’s posses mental strength. Beowulf had the mental strength to not be afraid of Grendle and to stand up to such a notorious creature. The soldier’s today fighting in Iraq must also posses the mental strength to endure the battleground while being thousands of miles away from loved ones. They have to be strong enough to block their personal situation out of their mind in order to assist those in need.

More importantly, intelligence is an important trait