Pride In Beowulf

Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary. No matter what culture or era, heroes are celebrated because of the paths they chose and the responsibilities they took. However, the virtues and the values that they reflect might be different depending on where they are from or what era they are in. Humility and fate are valued dissimilarly, whereas selflessness is admired constantly across the globe. Humility is more esteemed in Chinese culture than in the Anglo-Saxon’s. The description of Beowulf in the poem Beowulf, “The strongest of the Geats – greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (lines 110-111), explicitly expresses the unparalleled strength Beowulf possessed. It intends to inform his enemies and challengers
that it is utterly impossible to defeat Beowulf. On the contrary, heroes in Chinese culture tend to keep their profiles as low as possible. They always try to dress and behave like ordinary civilians when they are exposed in public. The main purpose is simply to avoid excessive public attention so that their exceptional capabilities remain a mystery. Another example in the poem is when Beowulf greeted King Hrothgar. “I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth. I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one.” (Lines 153-158) Beowulf extravagantly bragged about his victories and accomplishments. His enormous confidence and even hubris is elaborately demonstrated in these few lines. In Chinese culture, however, heroes rarely boast strength and achievements. Instead, they would rather praise their opponents so as to flatter them and lessen their vigilance. Staying humble can be interpreted as a strategy among Chinese heroes. Furthermore, fate plays a far more significant role in the Anglo-Saxon’s time period than in our current generation. A continuous reference to fate can be seen throughout the entire poem of Beowulf. The first example is found when Beowulf fought Grendel. “God must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip… Fate will unwind as it must!” (Lines 174-175, 189) Beowulf chose not to take any weapons and let fate decide whether he was going to win or die since he fully believed that he did not have the ability to control his own destiny. The reference to fate continues as the battle between Beowulf and the dragon started. “That final day was the first time when Beowulf fought and fate denied him glory in battle.” (Lines 723-725) After fifty years, Beowulf realized the brutal fact that fate was no longer on his side because his sword and shield failed him. Although Beowulf managed to defeat the dragon with the help of Wiglaf in the end, he suffered a fatal wound. “Fate swept us away, sent my whole brave high-born clan to their doom. Now I must follow them.” (Lines 822-824) That was the glorious warrior’s last word for Wiglaf. He acknowledged the fact that he would be destined to die soon due to his firm belief in fate. In contrast, the current generation does not support the idea that fate has such a tremendous impact on human lives. People nowadays generally have more confidence in whatever they are trying to attain. They are less likely to conform to any standards or rules than the Anglo-Saxons because people now have more opportunities to be assertive in their unique opinions. As a result, most people in the current generation do not consider it unrealistic to be in control of their own fate. Despite these differences, heroes in both generations do risk death for the good of humanity.
Fifty years went by after Beowulf succeeded to the throne. The land of the Geats was finally jeopardized by a mighty dragon who was enraged for a thief had stolen a jeweled cup from his hoard of gold. Beowulf had to fight the ferocious dragon in order to protect the peace of his kingdom. “This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth.” (Lines 682-685) Beowulf still courageously chose to take full responsibility in spite of his fading strength. Perhaps he had a desire for lasting fame, but his willingness to sacrifice himself for the harmony of his realm substantially demonstrates his considerable heroism. Similarly, people in the current generation tend to admire heroes who have the audacity to risk their lives for the good of the society more. Altruism is highly esteemed in a world that is filled with rampant egoism. Most people are striving for the best of their own benefits. Nevertheless, whenever natural disasters occur inevitably, the light of humanity shines all over the world. For instance, responsible teachers always rush into the school buildings to try to evacuate as many students in danger as they can when catastrophic earthquakes take place. Often times, these brave teachers give up their own precious lives because they are eventually stuck in the wreckage of buildings. These selfless teachers are extremely honored owing to the readiness to rescue the future of our society at the cost of their own
lives. In conclusion, Chinese culture emphasizes humility more than the Anglo-Saxons do, but fate is more esteemed during the Anglo-Saxon time period than in the modern era. Nonetheless, heroes will always risk demise for the good of mankind regardless of culture or era. Above all, heroes are ordinary people who have the mettle to be responsible and leave venerable legacy for future generations.