Comparison Of Maya Angelou And Beowulf

When people think of a “hero,” they usually think of a man. When a woman is given the title and or role of a hero, she has to make up not only for the male qualities she lacks, but she also has to have something more to offer.A hero is someone who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Maya Angelou and Beowulf both possessed the traits of a traditional hero. They both had endurance, strength, and patience when pursuing their victories. But, Maya Angelou was something more than traditional. This slight difference in her personality makes her the ideal hero.This trait would send her sky-rocketing in the hearts of people. This is what makes her ‘the real hero’. Although Beowulf has traits making him
Ms.Angelou is not only gracious and thankful for her awards, but she does not boast. In Beowulf, Beowulf’s first proclamation to the king was not about his honor of being in the presence of a king; his first proclamations were of all the things he had accomplished and of everything he was capable of ( Beowulf Lines 149-159). This is not the way a ‘noble’ modern-hero would act. Maya Angelou, on the contrary, blushed and thanked President Barack Obama when he presented her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor in 2010 ( Guardian Liberty). It wasn’t even her first time being medaled by a president. It was, in fact,her 3rd. But her humility had her humble. Beowulf ,however, is very snobby. He says in the documentary Beowulf, that he doesn’t even need a sword to defeat the monster because he feels as if he can do it with his bare hands (Films Media). When trying to win Civil Rights, Angelou states that she needs “all the help she can get” from her fellow African Americans. She did not inherit her heroism either. On the other hand, Beowulf was born into a family of great warriors and was cousins with royalty in his country. He was bound to have the duties of a hero because it ran in the family. Angelou made her name, image, and reputation from nothing. She built herself and her name from the ground up. Beowulf may have inspired a few warriors after they received the chance to
They give us an example of modern-day and olden-day heroes that are very influential. Angelou is the real hero. She is a women which means she had to bring more to the table than a man. She did it effectively and efficiently. She executed her heroic characteristics and mixed it with her humility and gave us memories and accomplishes that no other can do. Beowulf gave nothing. He only gave memories of himself boasting about his strengths and the weight his name held. Maya Angelou engraved her heroism inside millions of people who are changing the word ‘hero’ to a name everyone can title him/herself. Whether an individual has the ability to fly or they are in a wheelchair, they can be an Angelou. Whether they have the strength to pick up a 2 ton truck or lack the strength to lift a leaf, they can be an Angelou. Once people possess the trait of humility they can be a hero. They all have the chance to be like Maya Angelou-- The real