It is interesting to note that two heroes a thousand years apart can be so alike. It is their humanity that makes them real, it is their strength that makes them heroes, and it is their persona that makes them vulnerable.
The audience that observes the hero seeks more than just a person who is victorious. Heroes are subject to the same human frailties as those who follow their exploits, but "a hero is someone who rises above his or her fears and limitations to achieve something extraordinary a hero embodies what we believe is best in ourselves" (Fingeroth 14). To represent a hero also requires the villain against which the hero plays. Most often these villains come in a form that is also beyond human, thus the battle becomes one of survival against an overwhelming force. The common theme amongst all hero, or superhero, stories is that "some sort of strength of character (though it may be buried), some system of positive values, and a determination to, no matter what, protect those values the superhero-more than even the ordinary fictional hero-has to represent the values of the society that produces him" (Fingeroth 17).
One of the precepts of the creation of heroes and superheroes is “the persistent mismatch between the cognitive architecture that human beings evolved to deal with social interactions and their present-day social situation” (Carney, et al. 4). No matter the time frame, the need to recognize a heroic action is a product of the understanding humans hold about the environment around them and their place in it. In ancient times, hostile environments were represented by the demonic being. Even humans that were the perpetrator of crimes against a people wire considered demonic. In present society, the danger resides in the people surrounding us, in the differences between us, and in the complexities that individual’s exhibit. Essentially, in spite of the regard humans hold for their current social structures, there has been no real evolution of those structures since the agricultural revolution. People are still dependent on one another, people are still vulnerable to outside forces, and people are still searching for leadership. We find this everywhere in literature, whether in epic poem form or the modern comic book.
“Beowulf is the oldest known English (albeit old English) epic story of heroism” (Poetry Foundation). It is a story of a young man who fights to maintain a social structure complex in nature and rich in format; a society where young men are called on to step up and be counted, often before they are ready. The world of the Geats was full of dangers. In the case of Beowulf, those threats take the form of humanoid creatures, humans, and dragons. No matter the monster or danger that raises its head, the community, the contiguous supporting structure of society, must be defended, even if it means death.
The story of Beowulf begins with a written heritage (I). It is important that the hero be recognized as an important member of the society which he protects. His father, Scyld, is known for his contributions to creating the Geat civilization (I 1-17); and Beowulf himself is celebrated as the principle defender of all that has been built, defending the weak against attack, defending the land against the terror of the unknown (I 18-24). Only after Beowulf’s credentials have been established, the story of his exploits can begin with a march against a demon.
This same pattern repeats in the Batman comic book sagas. The principle difference was in the beginning when the caricature was built on an idea of dehumanizing the hero so that the visualization would be that of an animal, with “two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign BATMAN” (Steranko 43).
The formative hero is Bruce Wayne, the child of a high ranking couple. His father has built a financial empire which is bent toward benevolence toward employees in a time of economic strife. Bruce witnesses the assassination of his parents and is helpless to take any action bringing about the dehumanizing effect that the original form of the caricature took. He is driven to protect others who are victimized by villains. His monsters are the monsters of humanity. Batman contends with the physical representation of the evil side of humanity by foiling criminal activities and freeing those held in economic thralldom.
Both of these heroes respond to that basic human need to establish a safe and secure place to live. Shelter becomes moot when your home is invaded, or in the case of modern society when your accounts are emptied.
It is the reason for the writing of these characters that is of the most interest. "’Batman was originally written in the style of the pulps,’ and this influence was evident with Batman showing little remorse over killing or maiming criminals” (Daniels 25). It was the need for a hero that drove the publication of Batman. It did not matter the tactics, it did not matter the effects, what mattered was the results. “First written and published in 1939, the character and his surroundings typified the environment still raging in American economics” (Beatty 41). The darkness of the city, the criminal elements, and the feelings of angst throughout the populace were addressed with the invention of a crime-fighting hero. So endearing was the character that the comic went on to film fame.
Beowulf‘s fate is to combat the monsters of his day no matter the form in which they are found. “Fate, as we find it most often in Beowulf, is the bringer of misfortune and death, and its dictates are unrelated to the merit of those who are subject to them” (Wilson-Tietjen 162).
Insecurity was a mainstay of early societies. Following Beowulf, a reader gets the sense that only a strong leader and hero can hold civilization together.
Beowulf’s first triumph was when battling Grendel, the monster that was terrorizing a Danish population (II 30-60). For twelve years Grendel continues his reign of terror until the king finally summons help (III). Beowulf answers the call with fourteen of his men (IV) and is welcomed in the Danish halls of Heorot where Hrothgar, a kinsman of Beowulf, is king at the sufferance of Grendel (V-X). Beowulf quickly corrects the situation through force and his own strength. He rips the arm of Grendel, deigning that Grendel was not subject to the effects of weaponry (XIII 25).
Batman too uses his wits and strength to foil modern criminals. His tools are only used to access, confuse, and to flee the scene. Batman uses his power to overcome villains. "Even the 'real world' heroes of our popular culture seems to operate on planes where various kinds of magic are at work," (Fingeroth 32). In the case of Batman, it is his toys that are his magic.
Beowulf goes on to destroy the vengeful spirit of Grendel’s Mother (XXII-XXIV), then returns to his home to relate his tale. Batman also battles demons; only his are in human form. He hunts down those who commit the crime; then he hunts down those who masterminded the crime. There is no letup in Batman anymore than Beowulf would hesitate to pursue those who have wounded his people. The two are avengers on an immense scale.
Beowulf reluctantly becomes the King of the Geats (XXXI 55-65). Fear of his prowess acts to protect his people. Eventually, he must tangle with another monster. Beowulf reigns as king for 50 peaceful years before a dragon enters his kingdom and raises havoc, nesting in an old mound once used for burials. His resolve is to fight the dragon himself. Gathering eleven warriors (XXXIV 10-15), he enters the mound alone, having instructed the accompanying men to remain outside (XXXIII 30-35). He carries a newly made metal shield that he believes will not burn from dragon fire (XXXIII 25-30). Little does Beowulf reckon with heat. Wooden shields would do much better. One of the men left to cool his heels outside, hears the noise caused by the dragon’s onslaught of Beowulf. He refuses to cower as the others do and follows the footsteps of Beowulf, finding him helpless before the dragon, unable to hold onto his superheated shield.
With Wiglaf, his kinsman, the only real compatriot that does not flee from the rumor of the dragon, beside him, holding an elm shield before them, Beowulf can strike and kill the dragon. It is too late as Beowulf, many times mourned and died from his wounds (XXXVI-XXXVII). The comrades take the body to the Geats. They burn him along with all the gold that he wrested from the dragon. They mourn him and their kingdom as they realize that the kingdom cannot survive without its hero. The existence of the hero, the deterrence he represented, created a vacuum where need should have been. His heroics, in the end, doomed his civilization as there was no need for the training and maintenance of new warrior to uphold the defense once Beowulf was gone and life is less precious without honor. His heroism becomes the trigger for the dissolution of the kingdom to be absorbed by other kingdoms that were stronger than just one man.
It is yet to be seen what the fate of Batman will be. However, the inheritance of the Beowulf epic into the Batman persona almost demands a heroic last stand where the fate of the city is in play. To have any other outcome would be an anticlimax. To have the same result would be to surrender to the dark force of consistency.
Heroes come, and heroes go, but heroes leave a lasting legacy that answers the social need for someone to rise and act beyond their capabilities to protect those who are weaker or those who do not dare to act. Without heroes, civilizations would not last. It is a persona that society demands of itself.
Works Cited
Beatty, Scott, and Daniel Wallace. "Batman" The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. New York: DK Pub., 2008. 40-44. Print.
Hall, Lesslie, trans. Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem. Boston: DC Heath, 1892. Project Gutenberg. Gutenberg Press, 19 July 2005. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
"Beowulf (Modern English Translation)." Poetry Foundation. Trans. Frances B. Grummere. PoetryFoundation.org, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
Carney, James, Robin Dumbar, Anna Machin, Tamas David-Barrett, and Mauro Silva, Jr. "Social Psychology and the Comic-Book Superhero: A Darwinian Approach." Academia. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
Daniels, Les, and Chip Kidd. "Bat-man": The Complete History: The Life and times of the Dark Knight. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle, 1999. Print.
Steranko, Jim. The Steranko History of Comics: (Vol. 1- ). Vol. 1. Reading, PA: Supergraphics, 1970. Print.
Wilson-Tietjen, Mary C. "God, Fate, and the Hero of "Beowulf" The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 74.2 (1975): 159-71. Print.
