Holding Out for a Hero
Beowulf is no doubt the hero in the
epic Beowulf. But is he a hero in today’s society? The word hero means multiple things. It could be as simple as the main protagonist
in a literary work, or a grand, immortal being that saves the day. Having just watched Shrek 2, so many relevant comparisons came to mind. In this movie’s climax, the song “I Need a
Hero” by Bonnie Tyler was sung by the antagonist, Fairy Godmother. The song made me question Beowulf as a hero. According to this song, a hero needs to be
“strong”, “fast”, “fresh from the fight”, “sure”, “soon”, and “larger than
life”. Beowulf is all of those, so
Bonnie Tyler might think that he is a true hero. She brings up Superman and says that the hero
is in her “wildest fantasy”. She
basically describes a superhero in her song, because only a superhero would be
capable of saving her, but it is relevant because Beowulf, for all that it is
told that he did, is a superhero.
The meaning of the word “hero” is purely subjective. A hero could be a role model or could be someone who has done great things for others. A hero is commonly thought to be someone who can save people; a hero is a good person. Beowulf saves people, and can be a role model, but is he a good person? In the time that Beowulf’s story was originally told, and especially when it was set, Beowulf was a perfect hero. The oldest definition of a hero is someone who defies all odds, and uses physical ability to save people. Modern usage of the word, however, has changed its meaning. In today’s society, a hero doesn’t have to use physical prowess to save; he/she could use intellect, compassion, or any number of qualities deemed by society as being positive. A possible reason for this change is that there is a lack of need for the Beowulfs and the Hulks in society, because the types of conflict and problems have changed. Many people’s problems in life are based off of feelings, and those types of heroes don’t appeal to emotions as much as a man who helped an old woman cross the street would. Beowulf is a physical hero, but he is so one-dimensional that he can’t be a hero based on his character. In our day and age, Beowulf might even not be categorized as a hero, because of this lacking characterization.
I see both sides of the argument. In its simplest meaning, Beowulf is a hero. I personally wouldn’t want Beowulf to “sweep me off my feet”, though, and I don’t think he is “a white knight upon a fiery steed”. He is not a hero in the newest sense of the word, but a firefighter, a police officer, and even my seven-year-old brother are heroes. Could my brother physically defeat Beowulf? No, but he is a smart, strong-willed person and is much more of hero than the nearly-invincible Beowulf, at least to me. This is the major distinction: today’s heroes are family and the common man. Once people’s innate appreciable qualities started to make headway into stories as the major focus, people could start seeing brains over brawn and that motivation is might. Granted, people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Mahatma Gandhi might be seen as larger than life figures due to their accomplishments, but they aren’t invincible mythical heroes.
I wouldn’t be “holding out for a hero” if Beowulf is the model of a hero. Figures like Beowulf aren’t as prevalent as heroes anymore, and aren’t the types of heroes I would appreciate in my life. Beowulf might be the “streetwise Hercules” but he isn’t the force “to fight the rising odds” that I want or I need. Though powerful, Beowulf is not my hero, nor is he today’s society’s hero. The days of Beowulf are gone, and the time of rationality and relatability are reigning.
