BEOWULF ESSAY

Beowulf is seen as the anonymous gripping tale about a courageous hero that has been told to generations for hundreds of years. Spongebob Squarepants in The Spongebob Squarepants Movie is the unlikely story about a dopey hero who embarks on adventure for the first time in hopes of saving his friends. At a glance these two heroes couldn't be anymore different., but when taken into depth a reader would be surprised to find similar traits and actions between the two. Beowulf and Spongebob have similarities and differences in both their characteristics and the symbol they hold for their time period.
A person is defined by the personality traits they have. For instance Beowulf and Spongebob both use foreshadowing in their stories but the way the characters act to the foreshadowing is what separates them. For example when the minstrel tells the story of Sigemund fighting a dragon foreshadows the fight between the dragon and Beowulf. Although unlike Sigemund, Beowulf killed the dragon to protect his people which shows the selflessness of Beowulf, a characteristic both he and Spongebob have. When a scene showcasing a couple of hillbillies warning Spongebob of his risky travels, it's evident that Spongebob is bound to run into some troubles but he carries on with his duty to save his friends back home. Beowulf's use of pathos also shows his character. When he tells the story of his fight with Brecca, he emphasizes his troubles to gain the sympathy of his audience. Through this incident we see that Beowulf cares greatly about how he is seen by others. In the unforgettable climax of The Spongebob Squarepants Movie we witness a tear shed by best friends Spongebob and Patrick, who at the time were accepting the idea of an inevitable death, actually save their lives. This use of pathos is another attempt to gain sympathy from them audience. Although in this use we see that Spongebob is actually extremely vulnerable and perfectly capable of showing his true self to others.
Both Beowulf and Spongebob embody their times through their actions and plot line. Both stories are meant to be told to generations to teach them correct morals. Beowulf teaches the youth that heroic endeavors never go unrewarded and can be completely satisfying not just for those whose saved but the savior as well. Spongebob, on the other hand, teaches children that heroic duty should be done out of the kindness of your heart and in return you will have great success in friendship, which will lead to happiness.  Beowulf uses the technique wergild in the story, this ancient Danish term states that a person's happiness in life is measured by their rank. For example, Beowulf states that in his dying wish he wants a monument erected in his honor. The last possible thing Beowulf wants on earth is to be remembered for heroic accomplishments and that shows the Danish idea of being successful can lead to a type of immortality. In Spongebob, wegild doesn't exist. Spongebob is a minimum wage, or perhaps even less, fry cook who conquers stereotypes and ends up with more respect then he intended to get.
The main similarity in both Beowulf and Spongebob is that they rise above the call of duty to help those who they weren't obligated to help. Different time periods drastically shape the personalities of the two and are perfect examples, for us as readers to clearly see the evolvement of entertainment throughout the decades. No longer do we speak of dragons and swords but of krabby patty automobiles and tacky seashell shops.