Noah Kay AP English IV Pd.

4 Final Draft

Beowulf vs. Iron Man

Slaying a dragon? Bringing nine sea monsters singlehandedly to their demise? How about being kidnapped and nearly mortally wounded, devising a suit made from pieces of scrap metal in order to escape his captors, and later perfecting each and every technological, physical, and even aerodynamic aspect so that he could be the hottest commodity on the planet and save the world? Although the lattera description of the Marvel comic hero Iron Manmay sound both more familiar and more intriguing to us as a modern society, the former description is that of the mythical Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf . Despite their obvious differences, the two heroes can attribute their success to similar things, and interestingly enough, have similar sets of values . Beowulf comes across as a brazen, arrogant warrior from the point where we first become acquainted with his persona, up until he slays the dragon and meets his demise. He even seems a bit presumptuous, taking it upon himself to free the Danes and Hrothgar from Grendels wrath without any sort of invitation or call for help. The narrator says, Yon battle-king, said he, / far oer the swanroad he fain would seek, / the noble monarch who needed men! in reference to his impulsive decision to go and help the Danes (sec . 3). Despite all of this, the Danes as well as the Geats still revere him, as did the readers of the Anglo-

Saxon era. Tony Stark is similar in this sense; after a kidnapping, Stark finds himself barely alive. Luckily, a kind doctor pretending to work for the kidnappers comes to his rescue, saving him. He then builds a metal suit in order to escape his captors, and it succeeds. Later, modifications on the suit make him an extremely powerful man. All the while, Stark basks in his fame and glory, his arrogance as clear as day, much like Beowulfs. He uses his fame to attract members of the opposite sex, attracting many a woman and luring them back to his apartment for the night. When a blonde passes him at one of his expositions and asks, Tony! Remember me? he quickly replies, Sure dont, displaying his indifference and sheer haughtiness (Iron Man). Although Beowulf is a strong individual, he always seems to be presented with either weapons or mechanisms of defense at the most opportune times . For instance, when he is readying himself for a battle with Grendels mother, Unferth bestows Hrunting upon him, an ancient sword that holds vast amounts of power . Furthermore, when Beowulf is about to enter the dragons lair, he is given a shield that is praised for its great strength. Even when he slew the nine sea monsters, he had a sword by his side; Twas granted me, though, to pierce the monster with point of sword, Beowulf says (sec. 8). This reveals that Beowulf feels the need to hide behind weapons and defense mechanisms to be a hero . Iron Man is much like Beowulf in this way. Technological improvements

that Stark continuously makes to the suit throughout both films and several comic books allow him to fly faster, shoot more effectively, and simply act as a more efficient killing machine. He, too, allows technological defenses and attack mechanisms to veil him. The violence exhibited throughout the Iron Man chronicles is comparable to the gore throughout the epic poem, Beowulf. Iron Man, despite saving people left and right, is not a true hero . Even though he preserves countless lives, one can conclude that it is the fame that really keeps him going; he plays games with the press, finally revealing his true identity, skyrocketing his superstar status even further, giving him even more fame to enjoy. Beowulf, however, proves himself to be a real hero . Throughout the epic, he is brash, arrogant, and brazen. It appears that he merely desires to slay monsters, reap the benefits, and continue on his merry way . By the conclusion of the epic, we see a different side of Beowulf; when he finally allows himself to accept the help of another humanWiglaf, in this casehe realizes that community is the most important thing; friendship and camaraderie make up true heroism. The narrator states, So had they killed it, kinsmen both, athelings twain, after Beowulf is inspired by Wiglafs courageous act (sec . 39). Nowadays, people enjoy seeing these so-called heroes wreak havoc in movie theaters around the world. But the real heroes remain to be seen. Are heroes the soldiers that fight to preserve our nations honor and integrity, or are they the ones who attempt to make peace between the former and our

opponents? Some, patriotic at heart, advocate perpetually for the support of our troops; others denounce them for the violence that occurs . In todays society, heroes are still important; they give us people to look up to, even if the word has no definitive meaning.

Works Cited Anonymous. "Beowulf." University of Virginia Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/etext/index.html>.

Iron Man. Dir. Jon Favreau. Perf. Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges. Paramount, 2011. Film.