Every day, society misunderstands identities. In the eyes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “A hero is not braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes more.” » Heroism, according to Emerson, is the ability to stand out longer and endure hardships longer. The passengers of United Flight 93, which was hijacked by terrorists as part of the September 11 attacks on the United States, demonstrated a courage few other civilians can match. Although it is unclear whether the passengers of the other hijacked flights resisted persistently, it is known that the passengers of Flight 93 attempted to take control of the plane and succeeded. During the 35 minutes the passengers spent attempting to climb into the cockpit, they achieved a level of heroism unlike any other. The passengers attacked with persistence, and this helped define them as true heroes. In a sense, we cannot compare the heroes of Flight 93 to Beowulf's definition of heroism. Unlike many sane people in today's culture, people, even heroes, don't just put themselves in danger, like Beowulf. It is true that there are people who strive to overcome obstacles in our world. Beowulf does something slightly irregular, however. "Then the hero, stern under his shining helmet, with his strong chain mail and his plated shield, advanced with great strides to meet his enemy." Beowulf appears crazy after looking at this quote. We must view Beowulf's motivations as the result of his apparent audacity. What is the most important reason to put yourself in danger? An intense desire for fame, or an intense desire to show kindness to others? The logic speaks for itself, although in this day and age we can quickly turn to Beowulf's obvious desire for glory, instead of loving kindness,...... middle of paper.... .. instead of trying to get a presence for his kindness. Again, examine the apparent values ​​of the people in Beowulf's time. People believed that there was no substitute for notoriety for becoming a hero. Today's heroes are generally generous people. Bill Gates, for example, has donated billions of dollars to poor people around the world. We consider Bill Gates a hero. Although some might argue that Bill Gates was brave in the business world, he would not have been as much of a hero as he is today if he had lived during the time of Beowulf. Beowulf is a hero in the minds of civilians, and a hero is defined as someone who possesses the raw qualities of Beowulf, less as a generous person. This is further proof that Beowulf is indeed a hero. Because if he had been generous, people would not have considered him a hero, as he is mentioned in so many places throughout Beowulf..