Beowulf Essay

If you were to ask someone 1,200 years ago the first person that came to mind when they thought of the word "hero", Beowulf would immediately enter their mind because of the characteristics he contained that were associated with the traditional aspects of a hero during that time. This vision has changed as English has developed and our perceptions of a "hero" have altered over time. Today, people would most likely respond with Superman or Batman or any courageous individual with superhuman abilities because we have created heroes into creatures with abnormal powers who use them for the well being of society. Another hero that might come to the minds of few would be Jake Sully from James Cameron's sensational film, Avatar. Both he and Beowulf  were heroes in the fact that they both saved populations from decimation by foreign monsters and did so with much bravery and honor. The time period in which both of these stories were told varied, making the manner in which they unfold for their audience a different experience as well.

These men were immensely popular figures once their stories emerged and were exposed for public enjoyment. Beowulf saved the Danes from Grendel and his mother as well as the Geats from a fire-breathing dragon through his heroic acts in which he challenged each of these monsters when the odds were clearly not in his favor. Jake Sully saved the Na'vi from destruction by the humans who newly inhabited their beloved home planet of Pandora by fighting with them against his own kind to save their species. Neither of these men were asked to engage in these brave acts; there was no treasure promised to them to encourage their participation, but they knew it was the proper thing to do. They risked their lives for the sake of others and didn't think twice about doing so either, which is exactly what a hero should do. Even when their enemies appeared to be the favored victor, both of these men were able to emerge victorious from each battle they encountered, even if one of them did lose their lives in their final encounter. Beowulf was able to rally the best men of the Geats to fight alongside him in his desire to purge the Danes from the behemoth that was claiming the lives of too many innocent people. Jake Sully was also able to get the Na'vi to resist and fight back against the humans and their colossal machines with bows and the dragon-like predators they rode in the sky. Jake Sully was a complete outsider to the Na'vi even though he was physically identical to them and they absolutely despised him for that, but somehow he was able to lead them as well as some of his friends against the very people who brought him to the planet and needed his help. Both Beowulf and Jake were powerful men on their own, and although they could both be confident and prideful at times, they knew the situation was far too vast to conquer on their own. 

Although Beowulf and Jake Sully shared some very comparable heroic characteristics, there were times in which the two and their stories had their disparate qualities as well. For instance, Jake Sully traveled to Pandora in 2154 while Beowulf was defeated by the fire-breathing dragon in 400 AD. This explains why Jake Sully fought against humans in the body of an avatar on a distant planet with other foreign intelligent species and Beowulf fought alongside other men. Jake Sully was only chosen to take part in this adventure because he was a previous navy seal and his avatar was originally created for his twin brother who recently passed away. Without these circumstances, Jake Sully would have never been able to save the Na'vi from termination whereas Beowulf was born into that lifestyle of men constantly battling and victors attaining much honor. Although both these men were warriors before their fame, the circumstances in which they were able to arise as true heroes varied greatly. Another major variation includes the fact that Beowulf lost his life in his final battle, although it was expected for his death to occur it was never really likely to happen in the minds of the readers because he was supposed to die in his previous two battles with Grendel and his mother. Jake Sully encountered many near-death experiences during his time on Pandora and its battlefield but he never let anyone claim his life. At the end of the movie, Jake Sully makes the permanent transfer for his soul to remain in the avatar and essentially killing off the old handicapped version of himself in his original human body. Beowulf inspired other people during his time to become a replica of him; he was just an ordinary man who achieved extraordinary things by mustering up every ounce of courage and bravery embedded in human beings when he needed it the most. Jake Sully didn't necessarily inspire others around him to imitate him because he went against his very species, although it was for the right reasons. He was, however, able to attain honor and respect among the Na'vi because of his noble acts and kind soul. 

The manner in which these stories were told greatly varies because of the vast gap of time between their production. The narrator of Beowulf provided the readers with information that even Beowulf did not know to explicate the reasons behind some of the characters' behavior. The narrator also skipped around from the past and the present, which was a bit confusing at times but provided some foreshadowing of events that were going to occur. Avatar was constantly told in the present and made the movie much more suspenseful as the intense events took place in sequential order. Beowulf's heroic story was told in a manner that conveyed his journey and struggles as an inspiration that portrayed him as a very courageous and respectable man. Jake Sully's story was told to justify his reasons for fighting against the humans and reiterate the point to do what is right. These heroes were highly respected during their time in the spotlight and deserved every second of it. Some circumstances of their stories and character varied, but for the most part they shared the common story found in the monomyth.