Thinking back to childhood, many people can recall a certain celebrity that they wanted to grow up to be just like. As we grow and mature, we still find people to look up to and emulate. This craving to admire somebody is a societal trait that has been around since the beginning of time. It is a human archetypal trait to put somebody on a pedestal and to idolize them. This trait is even seen in futile societies. This idea is commonly seen in literature. Works of literature dating back long before even the 1800’s can sometimes best demonstrate this idea. A good example of the human trait of admiration in literature is Beowulf, the Epic Poem translated by Seamus Heaney. In Beowulf, the plebs and soldiers are in constant admiration of the Epic Hero Beowulf. They look at him like a savior, shower him in gifts, and give him a burial that eternalizes his spot on the pedestal. The epic poem Beowulf highlights the human trait of admiration through the …show more content…
Throughout the entirety of the Epic Poem, Beowulf is treated like a God. He is constantly given praise and acclaim, he has an avid following, and he is looked at as if he is the light of life. Beowulf is showered in admiration from his people, his soldiers, the Danes. He is treated like their savior, rewarded immensely, and is given an eternal place on the pedestal. Subconsciously humans do this and have done this for as long as they have inhabited Earth. It is a human trait to idolize somebody. Every little kid grows up trying to emulate somebody else, every teenager goes through phases where they reinvent themselves to be like somebody else. It is a longstanding human craving to idolize and admire others. Once humans decide who they are going to idolize, they often reward these icons with gifts and never ending emulation. Humans are hardwired to do