A Millennium and Still Similarities: Batman and Beowulf

Even though these epic tales were created about 1,000 years apart, the story of Batman and the story of Beowulf actually have a lot in common. Indeed, these two characters are both heroes in that their actions are praised by the people in their society, they fight a foe which can only be beaten by them, and they do such actions for unselfish reasons. Beowulf and Batman both do not have superpowers; however, both of them are very strong, something that can be achieved by an ordinary person, making that kind of strength normal rather than super. Beowulf and Batman both use their intellect as one of their greatest strengths. The fact that these two stories were created at different times and places, but are similar in some aspects is very interesting and thought-provoking because it shows that story-tellers that talk about heroes haven’t changed.

Beowulf and Batman, as each of their societies would describe it, are heroes. It is obvious, when read, that Beowulf is praised by fellow people. For example, he is praised at the mead-hall when Beowulf announces his past accomplishments when confronted by Unferth. Batman, too, is praised by all bystanders when he saves the damsel in distress from the Joker, his adversary. The Joker can and has only ever been defeated by Batman; the same goes for Beowulf and Grendel. However, Batman only foils Joker’s plans, while Beowulf kills his foes mercilessly. Both Batman and Beowulf do what they do because of others, while expecting nothing in return. The reason for Batman’s clandestine form exists because he doesn’t want to be found out by his enemies, who could then hurt the people he cares about; and as a consequence, Batman cannot accept any physical awards or gifts, because than it would blow his cover. Batman understands this and is not discouraged from doing what he thinks is right because he will not receive gifts or rewards for it. Beowulf does what he thinks is right because he wants to help those around him. When Beowulf kills the dragon, he too was mortally wounded. As his last words, he told Wiglaf that it would make him happy to see the loot he has won from the dragon for his people. If Beowulf is happy that his people are benefitting from his actions, than he is unselfish. Batman and Beowulf are both heroes in different places, but in the same ways.

Nowadays, when people hear “hero,” they think of someone with superpowers, such as Superman or Spiderman. It is interesting that both Batman and Beowulf possess no superpowers, but are heroes because it is abnormal for any fictional hero to not have some super special ability. Both Batman and Beowulf have incredible strength, but if an ability can be achieved by a regular person, than it should not be considered “super.” Considering this, Beowulf’s and Batman’s intellect, one of their most useful and powerful tools, should also just be considered as normal. Beowulf is very clever when he realizes that he should fight Grendel with his bare hands. The reason he doesn’t use a weapon is because Grendel cannot be killed by any weapon. Beowulf realizes that this fact states “any weapon,” and knows that the only way to defeat Grendel is unarmed. Batman, too, uses his intellect when fighting the Joker. Batman always knows when to use hand-to-hand combat, or use his utility belt; hence his perfect fighting record. Batman and Beowulf are the same in that their heroes, don’t have superpowers, and use their intelligence as one of their greatest weapons.

Anything that has not changed in 1,000 years should be studied and paid attention to because it will show how related two things are between the time separating them. The story of Beowulf and the story of Beowulf each have special characteristics in them, but when taking a closer look, one sees that they actually have aspects in common.