Beowulf and The Bourne Trilogy: Two Works with a Similar Theme Concerning Heroism

As expressed in both the epic poem Beowulf and The Bourne Trilogy movie series, Heroism is a quality that must be earned by completing a certain level of task that society deems honorable. Although it may seem obvious that an early Anglo-Saxon story and a twenty-first century movie sensation describe completely different societal expectations for earning honor, the concept is the same in that both must accomplish a certain task that proves competency.  However, the reasons behind both of these characters’ want to affirm themselves as heroes are unique to each protagonist.  Beowulf wishes to defeat Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon in order to save the mead hall of his king, Hrothgar, and become the honorable warrior that his society will praise. Jason Bourne’s mission is to uncover the secrets of his false identity created by the CIA so that he can prove to his associates, and himself, that he is not the killer that the government created him to be. Overall, both Beowulf and The Bourne Trilogy use a similar theme concerning honor in order to develop a thick plot with a fascinating character struggling with an individual problem.

            Beowulf is a dedicated warrior wanting to further show his talents to the king of Danes by defeating the infamous supernatural beings that are causing havoc on the community. It is made clear throughout the epic poem that honor, strength, and loyalty in a warrior are determining factors of a successful male individual. Even at the beginning of the poem, the author gives a clear description of what a true, respectable prince/warrior must do by saying, “And a young prince must be prudent like that,/ giving freely while his father lives/
so that afterwards in age when fighting starts/
steadfast companions will stand by him/
and hold the line. Behaviour that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere” (Norton, 31).  Beowulf sets out to follow these simple instructions by first tackling the first obstacle of Grendel, which he is able to successfully accomplish through an impressive battle. However, when Grendel’s enraged mother attacked to avenge the death of her son, the battle was not an easy one, and it was not until the last parts of the fighting that Beowulf was able to kill her. During this battle he had courage, strength, and strategy: all respected characteristics of a good warrior in Beowulf’s society. And with the final battle with the dragon, Beowulf and his trusted companion Wiglaf fight even after most of their followers abandoned them as the result of fear for the beast. During this battle, Beowulf fights until he is terribly injured, and dies soon after. Thus, Beowulf participates in dangerous attacks in order to prove his abilities as a fighter and as a leader. The background information given about societal norms is important in order for the text to not only be a descriptive story, but a significant piece of history- telling literature.

            Jason Bourne, on the other hand, is a different type of warrior who is dedicated to proving to his close associates, and himself, that he is not who the government says he may be by traveling great lengths and getting into very dangerous situations. Bourne, as explained in the first movie The Bourne Identity is a special asset of the CIA whose occupation is to assassinate certain individuals that the government feels obligated to eliminate. However, on one mission when his task is to terminate the life of an exiled African leader named Nykwana Wombosi, Bourne is unable to complete the task because the man’s children are present in the room, so he is consequently shot by a bodyguard and left in the Mediterranean Sea. When he awakes on an Italian fishing boat that rescued him from the sea, Bourne realizes that he has no memory of his own personal life, meaning he has no idea of anything about his life, except for what his flashbacks tell him. Throughout the series in the next movies The Bourne Supremecey and The Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne travels from Berlin to Moscow and encounters many difficult fights and attacks in the search for clues that will lead him to finding out the truth about his existence. Although the CIA is working against him in order for him to not get the information he desires, Bourne is eventually able to complete his task and prove that he is indeed a man named David Webb who was placed in the CIA’s top-secret program to train heartless killers. Thus, Bourne is able to use his skills as an independent problem solver to find out the details about his identity and his past. His task is indeed a mission of acquiring honor and respect because he no longer wants to be a assassin, and he is out to prove that he is more than what the government has created him into. Jason Bourne, like Beowulf, is fighting for respect and dignity by uncovering the cobwebs of conspiracy that were created to establish him as an asset.

            Although their differing time periods establish a clear distinction between Beowulf and The Bourne Trilogy, both deal with how a main protagonist reacts to becoming what their society deems heroic. Beowulf and Jason Bourne deal with extremely different circumstances and battles, but both are successful in proving themselves as successful warriors. Beowulf defied all odds and was able to defeat all 3 of the beasts and bring his community back to safety, while also being named king. Jason Bourne was able to uncover the secrets behind his past without having any memory, and while also being followed by the CIA, a powerful organization wanting to defend the conspiracy at any cost. In conclusion, regardless of the differences in time and plot, Beowulf and The Bourne Trilogy are very similar pieces of story-telling that explain the struggles and final successes of two individuals on a mission to prove to their community that they are all the qualities needed to be respectable.