The Epic Poem, Beowulf-Conquering The Enemy

Conquering the Enemy

Christopher Reeve, the actor who played the iconic comic book superhero, Superman, on film, once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Mr. Reeve had an excellent point that is relevant to any human being, especially us students who are marching on to the bigger challenges that life has to offer to us, whether it be through school, work, or even life in general. As we move on to the next chapter of our lives, we will have some monstrous foes to face, that consist of stress, fear, and ultimately life itself.

Stress is a terrible by-product of hard work, but it must be faced by every single person as they go forth on their journey to

Fear is a terrible lurker that creeps his way into every decision you make. He is so devious, that some people are unable to shake him for the entirety of their lives. He is truly the master of evil, and needs to be disciplined with authority, or it will stomp all over its prey. Beowulf is the majestic example of what it means to take fear on, head first. In Beowulf, he makes a very bold statement that goes, “Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked.” (572-573) In these words, he claims that if one has courage, fate will be kind to the bearer of this virtue. From this epic hero, we can learn the attitude that we must nurture and flourish, in order to take on our enemies, and defeat them, just as he did up to his dying breath. Fear is conquerable, and we will have to defeat

For the rest of our lives, we will have to get up everyday, work diligently, and focus to complete our goals. But we will come face to face with the question, “what is it all for?” This is an enormous enemy for all people, and it affects us, even today. I ask myself this question every day, and answering it only becomes easier through the experiences that we face, and the people that we meet. This question has plagued people all over the world, and has affected people all throughout time. From great philosophers like Socrates to more modern thinkers, like Albert Einstein, this question has been a struggle to answer, and will only continue throughout history. We can see elements of this type of thinking in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead”, and it shows us exactly what we’re dealing with. Throughout the entire book, these two characters are at conflict with themselves and life, because they don’t know exactly what their lives mean, or how they can find any meaning to what they are doing. They aimlessly walk around, trying to find meaning. Personally speaking, I have something that they didn’t, which is a belief system. I find meaning in my belief system, but no matter what you believe in, doubts will always arise, and it is important that we keep ourselves in