Cultural Heroes: Prometheus and Beowulf Thesis

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Beowulf, like Prometheus, stands apart from the rest of his society. He possesses great strength and wisdom as a king, and only he can slay the monster Grendel. He must wait alone in the Great Hall, waiting for the beast, and he has no choice. Only Beowulf is capable of inflicting death upon the monster, so he must be alone. If he does not risk his life, than many more people will die. As with Prometheus, his ability is a curse and a blessing -- he can release others, but his talent means he must suffer fear and risk death. Prometheus possesses the ability to create a race of sentient beings, but without sacrificing himself, humanity will never know its full promise. Beowulf has great strength, but his strength and simply his status as a king makes for a lonely life. Both individuals have great responsibilities -- to give fire to a new creation and to free people from fear.

Ironically, both men are very similar to the beings they create and destroy. Prometheus, a god, is rendered vulnerable as a human being to the elements and animals because of his sacrifice of fire. Like later Greek human heroes, he shows defiance in the face of a force he knows he cannot vanquish: the wrath of Zeus. Like Grendel, Beowulf is alone, and although celebrated as a great man, he is always held at a distance by his people.

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Prometheus and Beowulf are 'perfect' as cultural heroes -- perfectly selfless and great. One shows his greatness in generating the ultimate creation of the human race, and the other is perfect in his valor and fighting skills, as well as the honor he exemplifies in his leadership. Their perfection makes them awesome and terrifying to others -- and ultimately ostracizes them from those whom they serve. Although the Christian Beowulf is promised a greater reward in the life to come, unlike Prometheus, in Beowulf's tale heaven seems intangible, in contrast to the harshness of the life Beowulf and his people lead, in a world overrun by monsters. Yet to be great is to be monstrous in a way, a lesson both cultural heroes learn......

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