Heroes Today Vs. Heroes Past Essay, Research Paper

Erika Spaulding

10-21-99

Hero Essay

Heroes today are different than they were in the Anglo-Saxon era. For one

thing, they had different codes of conduct than we do today. Some common

attributes of a hero of the Middle Ages were honor, bravery, and loyalty. Now, we

tend to judge heroes by how much they interest us, and by what the media says.

They also appeal to different age groups. Back then, if you were a hero, you were

one to everybody. Now, the most common heroes are fictitious, and commonly

appeal to children on cartoons.

They have different expectations as well. People expected a lot more of

heroes in the Anglo-Saxon period. Today, people will think you’re a hero just for

walking a little old lady across the street.

The final difference is the duration of their fame. Today, people will forget

your heroic deeds soon after they are completed. But back then, you were a

legend. This is probably because their stories were often based on heroes, and like

the game of telephone, the magnitude of a heroic act intensifies with each

person who tells it. Heroes today are different from how they were in the past.