Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Martin Luther King Jr

The Beowulf of the 20th Century: Martin Luther King Jr.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the character of Beowulf? Perhaps a fictional warrior that was a hero to the people of his country? How about someone that "achieved glory before death"? These are just two of many characteristics of the extraordinary character of Beowulf. According to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, a hero can be defined as "a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities". After pondering the meaning of this powerful word, it is clear that Beowulf is considered to be a hero of the fifth century. In modern times, however, the word hero is utilized very rarely. Despite this, an exception can be made for one of the most renowned heros of modern day. Like Beowulf, Martin Luther King Jr. can be distinguished as a hero. Both of these heros died fighting for their
cause, and their legacies will last forever. Beowulf and Martin Luther King portrayed perseverance in times of adversity, astuteness in their fields of work, and worked towards freeing their people from the detrimental, or evil aspects of society; However, the two men possessed different tactics of conquering evil and passed away in differing fashions. Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. are both entitled to distinct duties. Although the tasks that the two men aimed to achieve were different, they both assisted others purely in altruistic mannerisms. Upon discovering that a gruesome monster known as Grendel was terrorizing people in Denmark, Beowulf immediately demands for for a boat to be set out for him so that he can sail to Grendel,himself (112-114). Beowulf is infuriated at the monster for harming to humans, and he refuses to let it occur for any longer. Martin Luther King lived during a time when the monster of racism was besieging African Americans. Like Beowulf, this extraordinary man could not let such racism occur any longer. That is why King spent the majority of his life fighting to gain the same rights as whites, and to terminate segregation entirely. Both King and Beowulf devoted large amounts of time aiding the powerless and unprotected people of their time, without hesitation. This demonstrates that these two men possessed heteromorphic characteristics, which made them remodels for their people. This is what grants both Beowulf and Martin Luther King immense historical recognition. The epic hero Beowulf and the infamous public figure, Martin Luther King possessed the same long term goal: to free their people from evil. In King's life, the evil he and his people were forced to cope with was the monster of racism. King's opinion on the evil aspects of racism is demonstrated when he states, "He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it" (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_king_jr.html). This quote highlights why defeating the evils of racism was so vital to King's life. Beowulf, on the other hand, aspired to free his people from the multitude of monsters that taunted the inhabitants of Scandinavia. During the warfare against evil forces, King and Beowulf used no weapons (266-267). This is noted when Beowulf states prior to his battle against Grendel, "Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I" (263-264). This highlights that Beowulf is confident in his abilities and believes he could conquer Grendel with or without a weapon. Martin Luther King also did not use any weapons during his battles with segregation. King was not an advocate of violence, and this is why he did not utilize any weapons. This is demonstrated when he states, "Violence never really deals with the basic evil of the situation. Violence may murder the murderer, but it doesn’t murder murder"(http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/697638-violence-never-really-deals-with-the-basic-evil-of-the). King never used violence to battle against his enemy. Instead, he relied on the power of words. through various speeches and statements, King was successfully able to voice his views on segregation and raise awareness. Although King and Beowulf possessed similar views on dealing with evil, Beowulf believed murder was the only way to terminate evil. If King and Beowulf had a conversation about how to stop evil in its path, King would fight with Beowulf about his violent ways and tell him that murdering an evil spirit will not defeat the existence of evil. Beowulf and Martin Luther King devoted large portions of their lives to servicing their community and battling the evil forces of society. Although the two men faced many obstacles throughout their journeys of life, they were able to prosper and reach success at some point throughout their time on Earth. Beowulf was successful in defeating Grendel (407-410), and Grendel's mom (591-592). Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech was immensely successful, because it brought the US government's attention to the evils of racism and segregation. Along with this, today, this speech remains one the most renowned in the world. Despite the successes of these famous males, both of their lives were brought to an end due to unnatural causes. As a result of receiving extreme burns from the vicious dragon (770-772) , Beowulf was killed and was "flown or glory", or heaven(842). Martin Luther King was executed by a white man who did not support his fight against segregation, because the man that killed him was an extreme racist. Despite this, both men were killed doing what they love: bringing justice to their people and attempting to defeat evil altogether. The death of the two men had a major impact on society. Both of their followers were devastated that the life of their king had been brought to an end. Despite this, the followers of both King and Beowulf extended their reign for years to come. In Beowulf, a tower was constructed in memory of the epic hero, Beowulf. The tower was built by the Geats and was a representation of the amazing life Beowulf pursued (843). Although Beowulf's life was brought to a tragic end, his people celebrated his life and never truly let his spirit die. Martin Luther King's life was also celebrated after his passing. For example, there are hundreds of monuments to honor his life throughout America. One of the most significant monuments created for King is the "Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial" in Washington, DC. This monument is the location where King recited his "I Have a Dream" Speech. King's life was also celebrated after his passing when he was nominated and was the recipient of the Noble Peace Prize (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1789994/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-National-Memorial). All in all, although the physical bodies of Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. have passed, their spirit and their tremendous legacies will live forever. Beowulf and Martin Luther King portrayed perseverance in times of adversity, astuteness in their fields of work, and worked towards freeing their people from evil aspects of society, and were martyrs for their caused; However, the two men possessed different tactics of conquering evil and passed away in differing fashions.
According to the Webster Dictionary, the act of heroism can be described as "courageous action"(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroism). Furthermore, The word heroism clearly distinguishes the actions and lives of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Beowulf. The two may have lived in totally two different periods of times and locations, however, they possess the same aspirations and character traits. Today, the word hero is rarely thrown around. Despite this, an exception can be made for two exceptional men, known as Beowulf and Martin Luther King, who are true heroes. Imagine how different life would be today if heroes as awe-inspiring as Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr lived in your generation and were fighting for your freedom of evil. What would you
do?