Beowulf Essay

Why do humans feel the need to create beings who possess qualities that are larger than life or apogee? Beowulf is the quintessential version of this rule, he was created to show the generations what a proper man should strive to be like. He was everything a Viking only dreamed to be in that day and age, just as Steve jobs is portrayed to our age. Both are presented as the pinnacle of success, they have achieved all that they can from the culture and are now “heroes” of their time. Although Steve jobs is no high flying, brawny Viking, and Beowulf is no literary genius, they both represent exactly what their cultures expect of their kind.

Now of course Steve jobs is not literary character, but I thing we are all characters in the eyes of the world. We can all be portrayed in a good light or bad and for that reason Steve’s accomplishments can be sked to be more grandiose then in reality. Furthermore who’s to say Beowulf wasn’t a really person, we have no proof to say otherwise. But I think we can all agree that some of his story was blown out of proportions. Both men were subject to that pressure of living in lies where as a normal man might never have to experience the lies of others. More over these men almost didn’t have a choice, no doubt they had great achievements, but once an individual does something great they very often become myths

In the case of Beowulf he was created to show men how to act and how to be men. Steve on the other hand was a symbol that no matter the circumstances anyone can achieve high and make millions. In that sense the Vikings glory in battle and honor is our present day money, both were revered and both are coveted. See we need goal to strive toward, it is rare that people can head into the unknown and achieve success without a goal. Beowulf and Steve Jobs are the goals for our culture, we all want to head to success like them and so they represent everything we want and need in our life to feel complete.

Jobs and Beowulf might not be literary characters but they have both become literary legends because their culture shaped them into the god of that time. Humans need heroes because we are goal oriented creatures and those heroes and their actions are what we strive to emulate.