Analysis of Beowulf Vs. Star Wars
Analysis of Beowulf Vs. Star Wars
Analysis of Beowulf vs. Star Wars
Before the English, there were the greatest warrior tribes of all times, the Anglo- Saxons. The Anglo- Saxons were also known as the greatest fighters of any type of nomadic tribe that lived during that time. They were tribes that traveled from place to place killing anything in site. It is almost as if they only goal in life is to kill off anything they went against them. The first people to tell the first story of a great warrior would have to be the Anglo- Saxons. They depict there characters as very strong monsters that could take on any demon or devil.
Inside these tribes was the great tale of the warrior Beowulf. Beowulf was considered to be the greatest warrior from that century. In “Beowulf”, they say that “he had the strength of 30 men in each hand”. These stories were made up by the Vikings as almost a tale to tell near a camp fire after a great raid or pillage. When the warriors would come back from battle they needed some type of entertainment to keep them at bay with their senses.
Although Beowulf might have been a great warrior, usually people do not think that he is the greatest warrior from a story. Beowulf had the strength and the tactics to take down tons and tons of men on his own, but did not have the wisdom of other warrior figures. Beowulf was mainly strength and toughness, and sometimes a warrior needs to have some type of knowledge to ever be able to fight. A great example to Beowulf would be Luke Skywalker. Luke is in a story that is not the same type of story but, has the same concept. The only main difference would have to be the setting and the type of movie. Beowulf is a warrior that is considered super human and doesn’t really belong anywhere, because he is not truly considered a part of a city. Luke Skywalker can compare to this because, he is a pilot who is lost in between a huge war and has to be the hero.
In the poem, Beowulf is depicted as a very proud and arrogant fighter. He tells everyone how good and great he is, and how no one has ever beaten him. He is not liked by people, but at the same time he is not hated either. In Beowulf, it seems as though he is just the used, he is just the legend with glory, but no place in the world. In the poem he describes his fights after he returns, and he tells the people how great and how well he fought. In “Beowulf” he states,
Then my moment came in the combat and I struck
The dwellers in that den. Next thing the damascened
Sword blade melted; it bloated and it burned
In the rushing blood. I have wrested the hilt
Done to the danes; (1665-1670)
In this quote from the story he is telling every detail from the battle with the Hell- damn. When Beowulf talks about all his tails and stories he tells them as if he is always the winner. Although Beowulf is usually always the winner, in the times that he has lost, he can not admit defeat. Again in “Beowulf” he says
When the going was heavy in those high waves’
I was the strongest swimmer of all.
We’d been children together and we grew up
Daring ourselves to outdo each other; (533- 536)
Beowulf goes on to tell how he only lost the swimming race because he had to kill the rest of the sea beasts.
The description of Beowulf may differ much from Luke, but their overall concept is the one that sticks out the most. Luke is the non bragging type, who doesn’t know much about the force and is eager to learn, while Beowulf is the master knowing everything there is to know about battle.
Beowulf doesn’t just only relate to Luke, but relates to the whole story of Star Wars. A great example would be Darth Vader. Darth Vader is related to Grendel because he is a humanistic character, but is also considered an other. Grendel is considered a demon and is self centered, just as Darth Vader is destined to be that strongest Sith of all times. In “Star Wars: A New Hope” they say that “Darth Vader is mostly machine now more than human”
The story behind Beowulf is almost covered up in the poem. The true society of Beowulf is described as the city of Heroet. The city is depicted as the place where the normal human beings live and the royal families. Beowulf does not live in Heroet because he is an other. Grendel and all other evil can not live in Heroet as well because of the evilness and also because they don’t fit in, or mesh with the modern society. Just as in Star Wars, Darth Vader and the Emperor