Female Superhero: Beowulf and “Wonder Woman” Film Essay

Introduction

Literature is one of the oldest and most beloved kinds of art. People enjoy reading both ancient and modern texts as they can always find something valuable and inspiring in the process. Every individual’s taste is different, and it is not possible to predict which literary period one person or another will prefer. However, one issue remains steady, and that is the incorporation of old literature into contemporary arts. No matter how many fantastic new books may be published, humanity will continue to investigate the treasures created by poets and writers of many centuries past. The present paper focuses on the connection between the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf and a recently released movie, Wonder Woman. The central argument of the essay is that Beowulf inspired Wonder Woman and led to the creation of a story that asserts the ability of females to be superheroes. Through the analysis of secondary sources along with examples from primary ones, the paper will examine similarities between Beowulf and Wonder Woman and explain the effect of the former on the latter.

Beowulf: The Famous Anglo-Saxon Epic Proclaiming Heroism

Beowulf is probably the most famous and beloved among the remnants of Old English literature. This epic poem tells the story of a fearless hero who is ready to defend his native land despite danger and risk of death. The author of Beowulf is unknown, but scholars have determined that the work was probably written in the first half of the eighth century (Beowulf 29). Over the course of history, people have always needed reliable and trustworthy heroes who epitomized virtue and courage. In that vein, Beowulf was “an almost flawless hero” who became a shining example of bravery and love for his native land (Bhattacharya 14). By a carefully selected use of language to tell the story, the unknown author of this epic managed to create an outstanding legend whose storyline further inspired many other poems, tales, and films.

Whereas the main character is frequently overshadowed by the antagonist in heroic stories, this is not the case in Beowulf. Three major rivals oppose the hero: Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. None of these characters, no matter how formidable, can even slightly take away any of Beowulf’s fame and glory (Bhattacharya 25). Beowulf’s enemies are “peripheral” in every sense of the word (Bhattacharya 25). Antagonists both live far away from Beowulf and are very different from him in terms of power and courage. Grendel, although portrayed as seemingly invincible, appears from the periphery and returns there upon being wounded by Beowulf. Grendel’s mother takes the same path, although she almost manages to kill the hero (Bhattacharya 25). Finally, the dragon that defeats Beowulf also emerges from the periphery, and its fame does not increase upon the hero’s death. Thus, the popularity of Beowulf as a hero is established not only through the positive features used to describe him but also through the absence of powerful antagonists that could diminish the protagonist’s role.

Wonder Woman: A Recently Released Fairy Tale with an Ancient Storyline

Historically, women’s heroic deeds have not received as much attention as men’s. Most fairy tales, legends, poems, and films prefer to focus on masculine power and choose to present male main characters. Cinematography has made recent attempts to emphasize the heroic potential of females. Patty Jenkins, the director of Wonder Woman, decided to make a considerable change to the heroic gender stereotype and created a story where the main role belongs to a woman. The saga of Wonder Woman has been relaunched several times, leading to several different series (Carpenter vii). The first appearance of Wonder Woman, or Diana Prince, occurred in 1941, when she was presented as a DC Comics character (Williams). However, the latest version, created by Jenkins, became a hit, overshadowing all the previous female superheroes in existence. In his article, Rutenberg remarks on the lack of a “classic, female-led, big-budget superhero movie” in over a decade. Thus, it was high time to create such a film, and Jenkins explored the opportunity to the fullest.

The story of Wonder Woman is not new, but it is interesting both for viewers who have never seen other versions and for those who have watched previous interpretations and wish to compare them. Diana, the Amazon princess, learns about World War I from an American pilot whose plane crashes on the Amazons’ island, Themyscira (Wonder Woman). The heroine, believing the war was initiated by Ares, the Amazons’ long-time enemy, decides to stop the war (Wonder Woman). In the same way as Beowulf, Wonder Woman strives to defend her people from impending death. However, unlike the Old English literary hero, the modern movie character manages to survive in the end.

Similarities Between Beowulf and Wonder Woman

The works under analysis differ in genre, time, place, and even the gender of the main hero. However, many similarities are discernable between the epic poem and the movie. The major common feature is the portrayal of a heroic character that saves humanity from looming disaster. As mentioned in the thesis statement, Beowulf served as the basis for Wonder Woman. The following paragraphs will provide details regarding the impact that the Anglo-Saxon epic had on the contemporary movie.

Presenting the Danger

The first striking similarity can be observed at the beginning of the poem and the film, and it is reflected in the locality where events take place. In both cases, the affairs related to fighting and the need to defend the threatened people do not happen in the area where the hero lives. In Wonder Woman, a pilot accidentally crash-lands next to the Amazons’ island and tells its inhabitants about events happening in Europe and America (Wonder Woman). In Beowulf, an attack is made on Heorot, and the hero, living in Geatland, hears about it second-hand: “When he heard about Grendel, Hygelac’s thane / was on home ground, over in Geatland” (Beowulf 194–195). Thus, both Wonder Woman and Beowulf are informed about the need to travel to another place and defend people who are in need.

Another common element in the two works relates to how evil is presented. Both instances present the approach of a sinister and dangerous enemy. In Beowulf, the author uses a metaphor to describe Grendel: “So times were pleasant for the people there / until finally one, a fiend out of hell, / began to work his evil in the world” (Beowulf 99–101). In the movie Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor tells Diana, “We are the good guys, and those are the bad guys” (Wonder Woman). As he says these words, he points at ships carrying German soldiers and explains to Diana who they are (Wonder Woman). Therefore, the representation of the enemy in the film and the poem is similar: The superheroes begin at home, where they hear news about looming danger.

Superpowers and Weapons

Every superhero has a superpower or weapon that allows him or her to fight the evil more effectively than any other person can. Beowulf and Wonder Woman also have such powers. The female superhero is skillful in jumping, running, horseback-riding, and using her Lasso of Hestia, also known as the Lasso of Truth (Wonder Woman). The male superhero is fast, as well, and he uses a sword to slay his enemies. Beowulf is described as “a thane … with the strength of thirty / in the grip of each hand” (Beowulf 380–381). The hero’s weapon is depicted as “the patterned sword, a smith’s masterpiece” (Beowulf 671). Thus, in the best tradition of the heroic epic, both superheroes under consideration have special weapons and skills that make them formidable and allow them to be almost invincible.

Apart from weapons, both superheroes are in excellent psychical condition and have been practicing martial arts since childhood. When Wulfgar, one of Hrothgar’s soldiers, informs his lord about Beowulf’s arrival, he describes the latter as “formidable indeed” (Beowulf 370). Similarly, in the film, several scenes of little Diana’s lessons with her aunt are depicted (Wonder Woman). Thus, both Beowulf and Wonder Woman have superpowers and weapons to help them in their fight against the enemy. However, they are also well-prepared physically, which allows them to avoid injury most of the time.

Antagonists

An inseparable element of any heroic saga is the presence of a villain. Without antagonists, protagonists would not be so attractive, and there would be no one to threaten people. In both analyzed works, superheroes have many enemies, but some of them are more dangerous than others. In the movie, the major opponent of the superhero is Ares, the god of war (Wonder Woman). The epic, in comparison, presents three main antagonists: Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. The first monster is described as someone so terrible that even God loathed him: “God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping” (Beowulf 711). Grendel is “the bane of the race of men” (Beowulf 712). Grendel’s mother is depicted as a less dangerous enemy: “Her onslaught was less” (Beowulf 1282). The last antagonist, the dragon, has a superpower due to his nature: He can burn anything with his flames. During the clash between Beowulf and the beast, “The dragon began to belch out flames / and burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow / that scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger / would leave nothing alive in his wake” (Beowulf 2312–2315). Despite the many similarities in both works, one considerable difference is apparent: Beowulf dies in the end, unable to defeat the dragon.

Conclusion

The connections between Beowulf and Wonder Woman are so numerous that the idea expressed in the thesis statement may be considered as justified. Indeed, it appears that Wonder Woman was based on Beowulf. In both stories, a superhero saves people from an evil monster. Because of the common features in the two characters’ personalities, it is relevant to consider that superheroes can be feminine. Wonder Woman was created much later than Beowulf, but the appeal of the superhero that people in peril can call upon in difficult situations is eternal.

Works Cited

Beowulf. Translated by Seamus Heaney. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by Julia Reidhead, 8th ed., Vol. 2, W. W. Norton and Company, 2006, pp. 29-100.

Bhattacharya, Prodosh. “The Peripheral Against the Mainstream: The Antagonists and the Hero in Beowulf.” Middle Flight, vol. 6, no. 1, 2017, pp. 14-25.

Carpenter, Mikala. Sculpted from Clay, Shaped by Power: Feminine Narrative and Agency in Wonder Woman. Master of Arts Thesis, Eastern Michigan University, 2018.

Rutenberg, Jim. “‘Wonder Woman’ Could Be the Superhero Women in Hollywood Need.”The New York Times. 2017, Web.

Williams, Zoe. “Why Wonder Woman Is a Masterpiece of Subversive Feminism.”The Guardian. 2017, Web.

Wonder Woman. Directed by Patty Jenkins, performances by Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, and Robin Wright, Warner Brothers, 2017.