The movie Simon Birch and the poem Beowulf both portray characters who exhibit courage, which is the ability to persevere in spite of fear and fatigue. These works depict individuals who have faced many challenges in their lives. For instance, Simon Birch has had to confront the lifelong rejection of being acknowledged as his parents' child since birth.
Simon, despite being small and potentially having trouble with stairs, chose to live in the attic of his house. However, this decision did not prevent him from living a normal life. He had a close relationship with his best friend, who was like a brother to him, and their mothers were also good friends. The purpose of this essay is to examine acts of bravery shown in both the film and the epic story. The term "courage" originates from the Latin word for heart. In its early beginnings, courage
...had a different definition that differed greatly from its current meaning.
Courage is the original predetermined act of expressing one's thoughts sincerely. In the epic, Beowulf, a genuine warrior's bravery stems from a fully philosophical outlook on life and apathy towards death. The only course of action for the warrior is to confront every challenge without fear, enhancing their own legacy of courageous achievements, so that upon their death, they are celebrated for their bravery. Similarly, in the film Simon Birch, courage is characterized as the impetus that compels individuals to achieve anything they set their mind to.
In the movie, two young men overcome their disabilities, which severely constrain their lives and ultimately lead to their deaths. Beowulf demonstrates bravery when he faces and kills Grendel. His courage is especiall
bold as he defeats the abnormally large creature without the aid of a sword or shield.
By defeating the creature without using a sword, he demonstrates to others that he possesses great bravery and is therefore a hero. In fact, he declares, "I consider myself weaker in the battle than Grendel himself. That is why I refuse to kill him with a sword, which would be an honorable form of combat involving thrusting and slashing with a shield." Moreover, he displays great courage by also defeating Grendel's mother. Despite having killed numerous warriors in the Mead Hall, he succeeds in killing the Troll-wife with the assistance of his hunting companions.
He overpowers her by thrusting at her throat and breaking through her bone rings. Courage is displayed in the movie when the bus loses control. The bus driver panics and flees. Simon takes charge and directs everyone's attention, leading them to safety. He then escapes through a window. Additionally, Simon shows bravery during the Christmas play scene when he gathers the courage to touch the girl portraying Mary.
In real life, courage can be displayed in various situations. A prime illustration is when someone faces the threat of being robbed and is ordered to surrender all their possessions. While many individuals may comply, it requires true courage for someone to resist and confront the attackers until they are defeated. Similarly, there may arise a scenario where a house is engulfed in flames and, tragically, a child remains trapped inside. The individual who rises to the occasion, entering the burning house to rescue the child, exhibits exceptional bravery.
In summary, courage manifests in various forms and sizes. Participating in
the aforementioned acts can eventually lead you to engage in more comprehensive acts of courage.
