Essay Sample about Heroes: Beowulf and Chief Orio Palmer

📌Category: Beowulf, Hero, Historical Figures, History, Life, Poems
📌Words: 808
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 13 February 2022

Heroes are presented in many different realms of society, some real and others

imaginative. However, all heroes are credited with a certain degree of completing an extraordinary task they must overcome to “save the day.” In the epic poem, Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf has to step up and conquer monsters, fate, and his prophesied death. His qualities of bravery and selflessness go beyond his physical appearance; they express his dedication to the people of Geatland and King Hrothgar. Although Beowulf was a fictional hero, history proves that heroes are present in society, even in recent times. An example of an individual that sacrificed himself in the treacherous events of September 11th, 2001 was Chief Orio Palmer. He was the Battalion Chief of the New York City Fire Department. While risking his life but not thinking twice about it, Chief Palmer’s commitment to his job and his heroic qualities, similar to Beowulf’s, demonstrates his willingness to save the civilians in the Twin Towers. By doing this he clearly portrays his bravery and selflessness. The two heroes relate in more ways than one, but in the end, both put others before themselves.

Beowulf’s quests were only able to be accomplished by a courageous hero. In this fictional epic poem, the tragic hero Beowulf has to stand up for the ones who cannot fight for themselves. An example of this includes him battling against numerous monsters. He battles these monsters for the sole purpose of defending the innocent townsfolks that were being harmed. Beowulf puts other people's necessities before his own by risking his own life and going against vicious creatures with supernatural strengths. His noble quality is portrayed when he states, “If this combat kills me, take care /of my young company, my comrades in arms. /And be sure also, my beloved Hrothgar, /to send Hygelac the treasures I have received,” (ll. 1480-1483). This quote emblematizes his concerns with others in the event of his passing compared to his worry for his own life and possessions. Beowulf does not fear for his life; he fears his men will not be properly taken care of. He goes into battle with the monsters in the first place to protect others, knowing he could be killed in the process. When compared to Beowulf, Chief Orio Palmer puts others first during the horrific events that happened on September 11th. This day displayed who the real heroes were when they came out and showed their true patriotism while the entire nation, including themselves, was in need. When the first plane struck the South Tower, Chief Palmer rushed in with his team of men behind him, leading them up to the floor where the plane had collided through the exterior. Before entering the building, he knew the risk of never making it out, yet he completely disregarded this possibility and proceeded into the attacked tower. He thoughtlessly persevered knowing his job was to save as many people as he could and get them out of the building in the fastest and most efficient way possible.           Likewise, these two heroes can be compared in more ways than one since they both have the quality of bravery to coincide with their other characteristics. They have similarities in their astonishing qualities of bravery which allowed them both to go against their fates. When encountered with potential threats and harms by the three monsters, Beowulf devotes himself to the King to serve for him in return for helping Beowulf's father in prior years. He shows his bravery when he explains, “I risked my life/often when I was young. Now I am old,/ but as king of the people, I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only/ abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open,” (ll. 2511-2515), showing his inability to fight as he once could, yet still goes into battle in his elder state. Beowulf felt that he owed this protection to his people and went into a battle which he physically wasn't prepared to do. Chief Palmer’s bravery led him into the partially demolished tower, freeing a group of civilians exactly one minute prior to the tower collapsing. They had been stuck in the elevator with no hope of surviving. The characteristic of his dedication to his duties and bravery led him to the 78th floor, the highest floor reached by a firefighter. This floor was also the floor that was crashed into by the aircraft. Chief Palmer’s additional character strength, as well as heroic characteristic, would be his selflessness. He selflessly entered the building, putting himself last. Heroism and patriotism will forever be remembered and admired by those of his fire department members, family members, and the rest of the nation while thinking of his bravery. 

Overall, the similarities between Beowulf and Chief Palmer are unmistakable due to their shared characteristics of selflessness and bravery. Although both heroes have completely different settings as well as circumstances, they can both contribute to a larger picture. These identifiers lead these two heroes to relate in ways not obvious at first glimpse. Beowulf and Chief Palmer put others before themselves to help save the people unable to do so for themselves.

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