Anglo Saxon Definition Of A Hero

Over time, the definition of a hero has changed since the Anglo-Saxons to today in Hollywood. Because the definition of a hero has changed over time, who our heroes are and what makes them a hero has changed also. The Mirriam-Webster Dictionary explains that a hero is “a person admired for great deeds or fine qualities.” To me, that means that a hero would be selfless, honest, and hardworking. Hollywood believes that a hero is someone who is attractive, rich, and successful in business. The way the Anglo-Saxons would describe a hero, is that they are strong, brave, and selfless. When comparing my definition of a hero to the Anglo-Saxon definition, they are similar. We both believe, a hero is someone who put others needs above their own. The
difference between what we believe verses what Hollywood believes about heroes, is that the celebrities are the heroes. Hollywood calls them heroes, because they are either attractive and set new trends, intelligent and successful, or rich and talented. While the way we classify heroes may be different, there are some similar characteristics we admire, In my life, an example of a hero would be my dad.
The reason he is my hero is because he has been through may trials in his life. Those trials include not having both parents in the household and also living on his own at age seventeen, while taking care of his two younger siblings. Using the knowledge he obtained through those trials, he learned how to be a self-reliant and also how to show compassion for others. Similar to how I have a hero, the Anglo-Saxons also have a hero. Their hero is Beowulf. Beowulf is “the strongest of the Geats- greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world-” (Beowulf 26) who was brave enough to challenge Grendel. Grendel is “mankind’s enemy” (25). Beowulf challenged Grendel because he wanted to save Hrothgar’s kingdom. A hero in Hollywood, would be Steve Jobs. Jobs is “credited with revolutionizing the computer industry by democratizing the technology and making machines smaller, cheaper, intuitive and accessible to everyday consumers” (Steve Jobs Biography). He is a hero, because he is intelligent and he provided the world with a gadget that has never been seen. We all know what our heroes, did, but what made them the way they
are? My dad is the way he is because of his past.
Without his past challenges, he wouldn’t be so patient, hardworking, selfless, and forgiving. Similar to how my dad used his trials to better himself, Beowulf used Hrothgar’s challenges to learn more about himself. Beowulf learned how to establish a strong bond between himself and his men, based off of how weak the bond was between Hrothgar and his men. By learning how to establish that strong relationship, he was able to conquer Grendel. In comparison to Beowulf, Steve Jobs was able to use the acquired knowledge to accomplish a hard task. Steve Jobs was able to invent the Apple brand technology, including the iPhone and iPod. We all have heroes but who we call heroes may change as time goes
on. The definition of a hero has changed throughout time making it so the Hollywood definition of a hero is more applicable to today. The Hollywood definition applies to today because celebrities play a major part in our everyday lives. People that we call heroes are celebrities. We call them heroes because they either have money, success, talent, or they are attractive. Part of my definition of a hero, I feel like still applies to today. We don’t just recognize the celebrities, but we also recognize those who served our country. We admire them because they put their life on the line to help save our rights and freedoms. They are brave and selfless. Although times have caused the process of becoming a hero, who our heroes are, and the definition of a hero to change, we are still able to find some similarities between Hollywood heroes, personal heroes, and the Anglo-Saxon heroes. Who’s your hero?