Comparing and Contrasting Beowulf and the Wolverine Essay Example
Beowulf a young warrior who was a superhero in the land of the Geats. He was known for his bravery of travelling great distances against all odds to prove his strength against supernatural beasts and demons. One extraordinary demonstration of his might was the defeat and killing of the huge monster Grendel with his bare hands! Grendel was a monster which had troubled Hrothgar-the king of the Danes-for a long time by killing his people (Sam 1993). Beowulf went ahead to kill Grendel’s’ mother monster and a fierce dragon on his own before his death. On the other hand, the Wolverine is boy who underwent some mutations to have bone claws protruding from his knuckles after undergoing trauma (David 2012). He had witnessed his fathers’ murder.
These two superheroes are related regardless of Wolverine being mode
...rn. Both the Wolverine and Beowulf come from backgrounds where monsters exist. Beowulf is known to have that courage to face Grendel from his past encounter with demons. He even has the audacity to go find the demons himself when he decides to visit king Hrothgar. Wolverine on the other hand is brought up with a father who is not his own biological father. He later comes to know his father was a monster after he kills the father who raised him (David 2012). Thus, both these superheroes trace their origin from monsters. In addition, both the Wolverine and Beowulf had supernatural abilities. For instance, wolverine had protruding claws from his knuckles as well as abnormal strength. Beowulf also had the strength that could even break the arm of Grendel. Fighting with monsters is a proof beyond doubt he had abnorma
strength in his body (Sam 1993).
However the two are different in that Beowulf had a team of warriors who he lead and was considered their leader and went ahead to be a king. The wolverine was not a leader to anyone. He always preferred being alone in life. Again, Wolverine never searched for trouble instead he only acted when he was provoked to act by the death of his lover. Beowulf on the other hand could not rest when he gets the idea of another monster living.
The two had experiences which were universal in that they all treasured human life. Beowulf found it hard to see Hrothgar’s people getting killed by the monster as well as the disastrous fire breathing dragon that claimed the lives of many of his people. All over the world, human existence is always one of the treasured aspects and human race should be conserved at all costs.
Beowulf is known to originate from the time when courage was a virtue that was a key factor needed in men. This is evident with the way his burial was set. He was to be remembered even after death since his bravery left him a legacy. On the other hand, the Wolverine existed in the modern days where, people are more individualistic and where everyone with abilities is reluctant to expose them.
The two characters are indeed important in the general view of life. They are a symbol of struggle between mankind and demons. In our modern society, the only demon we ever think about is Lucifer. How the two superheroes fought against the bad intentions of the monsters and bad people in the world
is the same way people in the present world need to do. Most importantly, they picture the benefit of being a safe world where social ills are minimized for the common good of the existence of mankind.
Work Cited
- Newton, Sam (1993). The Origins of Beowulf and the Pre-Viking Kingdom of East Anglia. Woodbridge, Suffolk, ENG: Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 0-85991-361-9
- Bentley, David (2012). Filming wraps on The Wolverine. Coventry Telegraph.
