Idealistic heroes of the contemporary world only use violence when necessary, whereas Anglo-Saxons use violence as a sign of power and worth. Whereas even modern nonfictional heroes, such as Martin Luther King were valued because of the peaceful manner in which they fought for their rights. When Beowulf decides to fearlessly fight the monster Grendel without weapons or armor, he establishes the intent for fierce and dangerous battle. The poem includes a very graphic description of the fight: “fingers were bursting…contenders crashed through the building…an extraordinary wail arose…