Beowulf And Street Gangs Essay, Research Paper

We often think of the "Old English" time as an era filled with mighty

pagan warriors gathered in a dark wooden room, drinking ale to celebrate their

victory in a brutish bloody battle. Or maybe we picture brawny Vikings with

dirty faces wearing animal skins while sailing in large wooden ships. You may

even imagine the crude but lovable Hagar the Horrible from the popular comic

strip. Regardless to which of these views you take, we always think of the

"Old English" as a time far in the past. Even though we may not

notice, the strong brutal men of this past era infiltrate our everyday lives.

These barbaric warriors are found in our society as street gangs. Although they

have different appearances, weapons, and transportation, these two civilizations

conduct their lives in the same way. Street gangs are so prevalent that they are

all over the media, appearing in films, music, and television. Although street

gangsters and pagan warriors lived at very different times, both groups embody

the same ideals: strength, violence, and loyalty to their group. In the

"Old English" epic, Beowulf, the pagan warriors were proud of their

physical strength and abilities. Beowulf himself was well-known for his great

strength and prowess. These warriors were large men with great muscular power

who won many battles with brute force. Many battles were fought with manual

weapons, such as clubs or swords, that required great power from the arms. The

strongest men, such as Beowulf, were the ones that were the subject of stories

told in many lands. Similar to this, street gangsters are also quite proud of

their strength and abilities. But their strength does not primarily come from

physical attributes. Their strength is measured by the amount of weapons, money,

and power they hold. The strongest man is not the one with the biggest muscles.

He is the one with the most guns and the most influence over other gang members.

Whereas Beowulf has remained a legend for years now, gang leaders come and go in

a matter of months. Just as Beowulf longed to be a legend, street gangs also

strive for that same notoriety, wanting to be well-known in many places. In

Beowulf’s time, most warriors were quite violent. They often engaged in battles

with enemies until death, or with opponents until the end of the match. The

pagan warriors are remembered as brutal, killing those necessary to protect

their village or steal another’s. They were also known to use violence to obtain

riches or ships from other warriors. Similar to pirates, they used brute force

to take what they wanted. Street gangs also use such violence. Whether it be to

protect their property or members, or to steal from others, gangsters use

various weapons to obtain what they want. Just as pagan warriors fought battles

with rival villages, street gangs also engage in battles with rival gangs or

sometimes with police. Gang violence can vary from street fights to drive-by

shootings, often involving innocent victims. This horrible violence is evident

in the media. It varies from gansta rap such as 2Pac or Dr. Dre, to movies such

as New Jack City or Juice, and can even be seen in such TV shows as "New

York Undercover" and "NYPD Blue". A less obvious example of gangs

is in the new version of Romeo and Juliet. In this rendition of the old

Shakespeare classic, the Capulets and Montagues are no longer just rival

families, but now rival gangs who engage in tremendous violence against each

other to keep the two lovers apart. But gang violence is also felt quite close

to home. The guard for NC State’s basketball team, Anthony Grundy, experienced

gang- related violence, causing him to carry a gun to his high school in

Louisville. Both gangs and pagan warriors found violence necessary to maintain

individual and group status. A third similarity between these two societies is

their loyalty to their groups. Beowulf fought for his kingdom and his fellow

warriors. They were a group, a family of sorts, that stuck together for support,

enjoyment, and love. Gangs also stick together for these reasons. Beowulf’s

loyalty ran so deep that he put his life on the line for his king many times,

and eventually died for his kingdom. Similarly, gangsters are extremely loyal to

their gangs and leaders. They remain members for life and are willing to

sacrifice their lives for their fellow members. An example of this bond is a

record company which is infamous for violence and gang-relations, "Death

Row Records". Although it is a recording company and not a gang, its

members including 2Pac, Snoop Doggy Dog, and its CEO, Marion "Suge"

Knight, are a tight-knit group whose loyalty runs high. Gangs and pagan warriors

share many similarities. Both thrive on strength, violence, and loyalty to their

groups. Today’s street gangs seem to take the "Old English" warriors’

ideals to a farther, even more violent extent. But all the same, street gangs

exemplify the ideals of the past "Old English" times.