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Hero or Zero - Abigale Bell

 


So Beowulf...what a hero. Arriving with a band of soldiers decked out in all their armor, Beowulf comes to defend his ally from the terrible monster, Grendel. He defends his reputation as this fantastic, almost god-like warrior. 

But is he really a hero? Yes, he proves himself a worthy match for Grendel. In keeping for a prize the monster's arm, torn off in their struggle, Beowulf displays his mastery over Grendel. But does a shiny coat of armor, or the strength to tear limb from limb make a hero?

Recently, I rewatched Marvel's Thor. The entire premise of the movie is Thor's journey from the arrogant, unworthy guy that he was, to the true hero he becomes. Beowulf, as an arrogant warrior, protects his family's honor by defending the Danes, allies, from Grendel. Thor tries to defend his father's honor by challenging the Frost Giants. He defeats them initially, but they remain enemies; the Frost Giants wait from afar for an opportunity to exact their revenge. Grendel is defeated by Beowulf initially, but what happens next? Will this victory last? Will Beowulf continue to be a proud and arrogant man? Will he instead, like Thor, become a true hero?


Commented on Emma Kate's and Haylee's posts. 

Comments

  1. Addison ZandaFebruary 15, 2021 at 8:14 PM

    I think its crazy to see how much strength and heroism came to Beowulf's name after defeating Grendel. Do you thing this fight and win was a God thing? I think his win does make him a hero just for the defeating of a demon who terrorized people in a harsh way. I said this in my blog post, but we can kind of relate it to David and Goliath.

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  2. Haylee LyndFebruary 15, 2021 at 9:22 PM

    On one hand, I see Beowulf as a hero becomes he comes to the aid of another land, not for money but for honor, and I think he truly does come to help too. I don't think he just wants to boast. He he is quite boastful, but from what we know, everything he says of himself is true. He kind of is a hero. He'd be a better one if he didn't boast so much and if maybe he didn't, ya know, watch his crew member die even though Beowulf could obviously take on Grendel, but nobody's perfect.

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