What would Beowulf be like if it was written in 2020? By Molly Englehardt

  

The basic premise of Beowulf is a classic "hero slays the villain" story, but what if it were written with the modern definition of "hero" in mind? The actual story of Beowulf was written in the 6th century. Since then, the definition of a hero has been debated and redesigned, to the point where there are many drastic changes to this fundamental cliche. 

    To put it frankly, Beowulf as an individual is portrayed as the "perfect man."  He is handsome, strong, brave, humble, as well as a total babe magnet. There is never a point where this man doesn't have a plan, and in the end, he always saves the day. But what if he didn't? The modern interpretation of a hero has become almost less perfect than its past iterations. The hero isn't perfect, they have flaws and weaknesses that make them human. The act of succeeding even amidst all of those struggles has become heroic in its own sense--- a seemingly perfect character like Beowulf would stick out like a sore thumb. Had he been written up recently, he would have been more of a relatable character. Yes, he would most likely still have his strong muscles and nice face, but maybe his struggle would be more internal. Maybe he would have a savior complex; burning himself out to help everybody else. Maybe he would be dreadfully arrogant-- though it's justifiable in context-- and drive people away with his sense of superiority. The idea that he isn't some flawless hero figure would open endless possibilities for stronger character-to-character relationships. Maybe he would have close friends to confide his worries in? In comparison to the idea that his only significant bonds with his friends are when he is drunk, a few sober emotional discussions could create more in-depth and lovable characters.

    In terms of plot, Beowulf--though a classic-- doesn't have the most original storyline. Considering the time it was written, it isn't something that would be technically considered negative, though if it was written now, there would have to be alterations in order to keep the reader entertained. The idea of a perfect solo hero on his daunting quest is brutally overused in today's culture. To avoid repetition, the plot may focus more on other characters, rather than exclusively Beowulf. For example, there is no real notable conversation between Beowulf and his "most trusted friend" Wiglaf. For someone who Beowulf trust enough to give his crown and kingdom, he isn't mentioned much within the actual climaxes of the story. He is known as the "one who stayed" when all of Beowulf's followers ran for the hills, but what does that tell the reader? He's loyal? Sure, but a person is never just one thing. His character as a whole is mildly underdeveloped in the sense that it almost seems unreasonable that Beowulf trusted him as much he did. Maybe he is a funny guy who likes to crack jokes and put his friends in good spirits, or maybe he's the "therapist friend" who listens to everyone's problems. Due to the way that the plot was constructed, the reader loses any chance of ever seeing his character as a whole.

    One of the most blatantly stereotypical tropes within the story of Beowulf is the presentation of the villains. The "obstacles" that Beowulf had to face were Grendel the beast, Grendel's mother, and a fierce dragon. But they were just that--obstacles-- nothing more than a hill for Beowulf to climb, just another way to prove his strength. Any remorse he may have felt was drowned out by the drunken cheers of his posse. In specific, Grendal's mother became a target after trying to avenge her son and reclaim his arm that Beowulf had torn off. She, though perceived as a monster, had never actually started any conflicts with the humans until she had a reason to. The villains were designed to be one-sided, cynical monsters. A more recently surfacing trend is to give the antagonist a more well-rounded personality. Though they would still be tuned towards evil for the sake of plot-progression, there would be more of a reader-to-character connection. This has become more of a trend in storytelling as it provokes a higher level of character development as well as significantly more interesting character dialogue.

    People aren't one-sided. No one person is completely good, nor is one person completely bad. People have flaws and weaknesses, as well as friendships and bonds with other people. These ideals were usually pushed aside when writing old epics and stories, as the "ideal" hero and villain were much more straight-forward than anyone that you would actually meet. As time progresses, content creators have begun exploring the inaccuracies of these old stories and learning from them; helping to develop a new era of writing that is based more on the actual attributes of people rather than what is deemed perfect. Imperfections have seeped into character building, making them more interesting and relatable in the process. Plot has become more intriguing in every sense of the word. It would be interesting to see how that influence would affect other stories like Beowulf that have such a black and white structure.