Modern Day And Old English Values In Beowulf

Cultural Contrast between Modern day and Old English Values
In contrast to our modern day standards of morality and intolerance toward a black and white perspective, Beowulf(Heaney) emphasizes a completely opposite mindset. There is an immense variation between the moral standard a ‘hero’ is held to in the old age of Beowulf and what was depicted in the movie Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson). In the olden age there was a morally low shelf where most only ventured to two perspectives, those being a black and white perspective where people or things were seen as either good or evil. In turn a hero in the olden age fought for gold and recognition, disregarding the true colors of his foe. In a modern society, this mindset has been thoroughly shrinking …show more content…
Their ignorance of the world around them and how it worked only fueled their confusion and efforts to be rewarded by their gods. The confusion they experienced can be associated with the contradicting values of their homeland religion and those of the newly rising Christianity. One contradiction that is at play during this time period is their belief in a pre-determined destiny and their belief in pleasing and gaining rewards from their gods. The supporting sentence told by the narrator, “strove with God time and time again until He gave them their reward.(1, 9)”, asserts that people were willing to go through great lengths to be rewarded by their God(s). Because of people's eagerness to improve their social status, boundaries became corrupt for a greater chance of achieving this ‘reward’. For this reason, God had no moral play in their faith or lives. A God was not seen as a helper or guide, but a supplier to their desires. As a result of their beliefs, there was a materialistic attitude held by many. Because of this widely held attitude, it is plain to see what cultural values were prevalent during this time period. The social class was solely dependent on how many possessions you owned and one only associated within their same class. Their society was entirely subjugated by gold and titles. With a materialistic outlook on life it is simple to understand why this time …show more content…
We are still as confused spiritually as we were in the olden age but God has become a subjective belief. Instead of waiting for God to reward us we have taken charge and refused to accept our ‘fates’ submissively. We have taken initiative in molding our lives and this has molded our mindset. A mindset where understanding is key to compromise and happiness. People no longer encourage violence against someone who looks different than ourselves. Rewards are no longer the only motive pushing us to do something. People now put into account their actions and how they affect others. Our society has come a long way from the time of Beowulf and will continue to distance itself in the future. With our willingness to accept and understand different perspectives, most have a well rounded tolerance toward conflict. This modern mindset lets us have high expectations for the people we respect, withholding us from congratulating undeserving people. We are a society that holds strong morals and seeks justice for those smaller than us, and we expect the same in our heroes. In contrast to the Beowulf hero, our heroes are put on a morally high pedestal. They seek justice without anticipating an award. They humbly defend what is right while also standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. This ideal form of a hero is a reflection of the principles modern people try to live