The Importance Of Beowulf In Modern America - 1957 Words

The Importance of Beowulf in Modern America By Jennifer Carley Modern culture and literature include many stories of great heroes and fictional adventures. Many people grow up reading about these great adventures and looking up to the heroes of the stories. Heroes are great roll models because they are portrayed as courageous and trustworthy individuals, two very admirable qualities. Despite numerous cultural and technological advancements, life in modern America continues to bear resemblance to the Anglo-Saxon world of the hero Beowulf. The poem Beowulf, though written many centuries ago, still contains the same universal themes of any great action-adventure story in todays society. The poem is about a great hero who overcomes seemingly†¦show more content†¦A closer look, however, reveals a striking similarity between that code and todays work place. A lord or the modern-day boss chooses the best thanes/workers in the land through their experience in battle or a resume of p revious employment. For example, when Beowulf first arrives in the Shieldings country (ll. 277) he tells King Hrothgar all about his past triumphs in order to gain the Kings approval to be one of his warriors. Once a contractual agreement is established, the lord/boss provides his thanes/employees with a share of his wealth/salaries. King Hrothgar states that, Holy God has, in His goodness, guided [Beowulf] here to the West-Danes, the defend us from Grendel. This is my hope; and for his heroism I will recompense him with a rich treasure (ll. 381-385). In return, a thane/employee promises to remain loyal to his lord/boss, ready to die in battle or at the office, finishing a project before a deadline. If a battle is won or a deal is closed, an ideal lord/boss, whose greatest characteristic is generosity, will divide the treasure among his thanes, or award a big bonus check to his employees. When Beowulf Carley 4 defeats Grendel, the Halfdanes son present[s] Beowulf with a gold standar d as a victory gift (ll. 1019-1020). On the other hand, a violation of the agreement results in the exile/firing of the thane/employee, and a loss of livelihood followed by shame and embarrassment. Understanding theShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight And Beowulf1471 Words   |  6 PagesKnight† and â€Å"Beowulf† differ greatly from each other, the key themes of each of these works are quite similar. In both tales, the reader meets a hero who is endowed with mental, physical, and spiritual gifts that equip him for the task of confronting his foes. This serves to remind the reader or listener to consider the themes of heroism, as well as the theme of the constant battle between good and evil. 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