An issue presented in letirature is what are the characteristics of a true hero. This can be seen in the poem Beowulf . Grendel is the first monster that Beowulf slays, but before Beowulf's arrival to the Land of Shielding, every man that had attempted to kill him in turn was killed by Grendel. Everything they did had no effect on him. No one in the kingdom wanted to face Grendel until Beowulf arrived. Beowulf came because he heard of the Danes' stories and wanted to help. The characteristics that Beowulf had had never been seen before by Hrothgar and his followers, and they believed that the characteristics of Beowulf must be those of a noble hero. These characteristics are loyalty, bravery, and pride.
These same characteristics can sometimes be seen in today's world. With the tenth anniversary of September 11th earlier this month, we are reminded that there still are modern day heroes. The firefighters and the police of New York risked and some even sacrificed their lives to save others. This shows great bravery and their loyalty to our country. The men and women who survived have great pride in what they did that day, and those who died for their country will always be remembered. They truely are heroes.
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