Beowulf Essay

     "Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed."~ Bob Riley. The evolution between what was and what now is, is a huge transformation making many question how it has come to change. In the past, a hero was someone who gave their life in order to fight a battle or someone who was bound to be a hero because of the family line that he came from. On the other had, in modern times a hero isn't someone who was made into a hero but someone who simply did an extraordinary deed saving the life of someone else or stopping a horrific event from taking place. A hero in the 21st century is someone who simply does something out of the goodness of their heart whether that person me a male of female whereas in the past, a hero was forced to go out into battle or to do something and were solely men. As time elapses and society changes, so do the people whom live within that society. As the past epic of Beowulf explains the hero of the past and the journey that must be taken, the common citizen discovers what it truly is to be courageous and put others before him/herself.
     Within the epic story of Beowulf, he was called to adventure in order to 'answer the call' as discussed in class. Beowulf was seen as the hero within the novel as he travelled his journey in order to beat the creature that was giving the kind as well as the whom town grief. He shows his heroic characteristics through the choices in which he made in order to defeat the creature causing terror within Heorot. Choosing to fight Grendel 'naked' or without weapons of shield showed Beowulf's sense of courage and how confident he was in himself in order to defeat the monster. The honor that Beowulf showed the King was common in older versions of a heroic story as the hero soon becomes the favorite. Although Beowulf had died within the plot line in the midst of fighting off the dragon, his story was still shared though Wiglaf and he was known as the hero whom saved Heorot. Beowulf was seen as the hero whom put all his strength toward conquering Grendel and lost his life for the sake of everyone elses.
     More modern day heroes aren't the typical looking nor acting heroes that were depicted in the past. a hero in the present is someone who simply acts upon their heart and puts all others in front of themselves. A common example is the accident that happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School. As a normal day, Ms. Victoria Soto went to work thinking that she would enjoy teaching the young minds to become great people. What she didn't know was that she would save the life of each student in her classroom. Standing in between the gun man and the students, Soto was able to look at the gunman knowing what was bound to happen without flinching a muscle. Showing that she wasn't going to back down and let her student lose their life so tragically, Soto herself had lost her life. Having the courage to stand in front of the enemy and save the life of 15 children, Soto was nationally recognized as a hero. Not because she had won a drastic battle nor fought off a huge enemy, but simply because she was true to her heart and saved the lives of her children. Modern heroes are specific people you can pick out in a crowd nor are they always recognized. Simple actions make someone a hero to different people and each person a hero for a different reason.
     A hero is a hero no matter how they earned that title. In the past, they must've completed a huge goal or triumphed where no one else had, but in the modern era, a hero is simply a hero because someone looks up to him/her or they stayed true to their heart. Although in both cases, they are recognized as a 'hero', they way in which they earned that was completely opposite. The image of a hero has changed so much from then to now, yet the person has remained constant. "A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom." ~ Bob Dylan.