Beowulf

            The Scandinavinan epic of "Beowulf" is one of the first written accounts of old world heroism and adventure we still study today. Although the story is written in a time long forgotten, the elements of what make the character Beowulf are relevant to any modern reader. He is strong, courageous, self-reliant and most importantly, flawed. Beowulf is cursed with the heroe's pride which has led others of similar origin (Heracles in old Greek and Samson of the Christian bible) to thier decline or ultimate fall. In regaurds to the original story, Beowulf is tasked with killing the beast Grendel and his mother, which he does like any good strong man would, with his bare hands. Considering this, why would modern media make a computer animated version of the tale where Beowulf not only does not kill Grendel's mother, but sleeps with her for the promise of power and fame later in life? I believe changes to an old story like this are nessesary to be able to present dated ideas to a new audience, so long as the idea of the hero remains essentially the same. New Beowulf does not kill the temptress out of lust and youthful hunger for power, which a much deeper and more relatable traite for the modern movie goer than a one-dimensional cave man killing beasts left and right. In addition to not killing Grendel's mother, the movie makes several other small changes, such as burying the hero at sea instead of in a tumulus, and the dragon being Beowulf's son, which add to the idea of the aging hero and the sins of the father, making it a better movie. The values of what makes a hero today are always changing and evolving with the ages, but considering how much we do not know about the original story of Beowulf (such as the name of the original author), truth is relative to the teller of every passing tale in history.

The Odyssey

            Many of the old world epics of Greece and Rome dwell on grand subjects like conquest and warfare as in Homer's "Illiad", or duty to one's nation as a Roman, personified by Aeneas in Virgil's "The Aenied." In Homer's other epic poem, "The Odyssey", the protagonist Odysseus embarks on a ten year journey accross the ancient world to defy nature, rationaility and even the Gods to get home to his wife and child. This sounds like a modern romance novel on the outset, but Odysseus's quest, like many other Greek mythological figures, is trecherous and lacks regaurd for those around him. I believe that Odysseus's success does not make him a hero, but more of a heroic opportunist. The qualities of self-sacrifice and altrusim are lost on Odysseus as his men fall like flies along the way to get back home. Some drown in the ocean strom brought on by the God Poseidon and the Furries, others are eaten alive by the cyclops monster, and all the while Odysseus keeps moving forward, relativly unscarred himself. I can compare a warrior like Achillies to an opportunist like Odysseus in the same field because each posess heroic qualities but are not  actual heroes. This absolutist idea of herosim is what sets Greek and Roman Mythology apart from other world epics like Gilgamesh or Ramayana.http://www.litwithmccall.pbworks.com/