In the epic tales of Beowulf and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the archetype of the “sidekick” serves to convey the epic message by exemplifying the meaning of the message, aiding the hero, and highlighting the hero’s admirable qualities.
The epic message of Beowulf is that courage can defeat evil, as Beowulf and his companions are able to conquer their foes by being brave. The sidekick helps convey this theme by serving as an example of the theme. During the last part of the story, Beowulf leads a small troupe of warriors to slay a mighty dragon that has been terrorizing the Geats. Although most of the warriors flee in terror at the sight of the beast, one warrior, Wiglaf, stays to help Beowulf, fulfilling the archetype of “the sidekick” in the process. With his help, Beowulf is able to slay the dragon. The sidekick’s actions help exemplify the epic message, showing how courage is able to defeat evil, as without Wiglaf’s brave actions, the dragon’s evil would have never been stopped. The archetype of the sidekick also exemplifies the message in the epic story of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. …show more content…
The message of the film is to take a moment to enjoy your life, as the titular character, Ferris Bueller, proclaims that “life moves pretty fast...if you don’t stop and look around, you’ll miss it.”. In the film, Cameron, fitting the sidekick archetype as Ferris’s best friend, is initially introduced to the viewer as a depressed, self-pitying teenager with little ambition. However, Ferris coerces him to go on an adventure through the city of Chicago. Their adventure brings joy to Cameron, as he laughs and enjoys himself at various Chicago landmarks, such as Wrigley Field. As he goes along with Ferris on their adventure, Cameron slowly realizes that there are wonderful things to be done in life. The progression of Cameron’s demeanor conveys the message of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, as he learns to just take a moment to enjoy the pleasures of his life. By definition, the sidekick shapes the plot of the epic story through aiding the hero. Without the sidekick’s help, the hero would not be able to overcome the problems set before him, and there would simply be no plot, and no epic message, as the hero would simply never defeat his obstacles. Both Beowulf and Ferris Bueller receive the vital help of Wiglaf and Cameron Frye. When fighting the dragon, Beowulf struggles against the dragon’s power. However, with Wiglaf’s help, Beowulf and Wiglaf, “partners in nobility, had destroyed the foe [the dragon].”(2707-2708). Without Wiglaf’s help, Beowulf would have been unable to best the dragon. Similarly, Cameron gives Ferris vital support on Ferris’s quest. Cameron allows Ferris to drive his father’s vintage Ferrari, as Ferris does not have a car; without Cameron’s aid, Ferris would not be able to embark on his quest through Chicago. Without these sidekicks, the stories of Beowulf and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would be incomplete, with their epic messages untold. The sidekick archetype also highlights and further amplifies the great traits of the heroes they support. By comparison, the sidekick highlights the almost superhuman nature of the epic heroes; while Wiglaf and Beowulf face the dragon, Wiglaf merely wounds their enemy, as Beowulf, even in his old age, delivers the killing blow (2705). Similarly, while Cameron performs actions that help Ferris on his quest, Ferris is the only character that
The epic message of Beowulf is that courage can defeat evil, as Beowulf and his companions are able to conquer their foes by being brave. The sidekick helps convey this theme by serving as an example of the theme. During the last part of the story, Beowulf leads a small troupe of warriors to slay a mighty dragon that has been terrorizing the Geats. Although most of the warriors flee in terror at the sight of the beast, one warrior, Wiglaf, stays to help Beowulf, fulfilling the archetype of “the sidekick” in the process. With his help, Beowulf is able to slay the dragon. The sidekick’s actions help exemplify the epic message, showing how courage is able to defeat evil, as without Wiglaf’s brave actions, the dragon’s evil would have never been stopped. The archetype of the sidekick also exemplifies the message in the epic story of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. …show more content…
The message of the film is to take a moment to enjoy your life, as the titular character, Ferris Bueller, proclaims that “life moves pretty fast...if you don’t stop and look around, you’ll miss it.”. In the film, Cameron, fitting the sidekick archetype as Ferris’s best friend, is initially introduced to the viewer as a depressed, self-pitying teenager with little ambition. However, Ferris coerces him to go on an adventure through the city of Chicago. Their adventure brings joy to Cameron, as he laughs and enjoys himself at various Chicago landmarks, such as Wrigley Field. As he goes along with Ferris on their adventure, Cameron slowly realizes that there are wonderful things to be done in life. The progression of Cameron’s demeanor conveys the message of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, as he learns to just take a moment to enjoy the pleasures of his life. By definition, the sidekick shapes the plot of the epic story through aiding the hero. Without the sidekick’s help, the hero would not be able to overcome the problems set before him, and there would simply be no plot, and no epic message, as the hero would simply never defeat his obstacles. Both Beowulf and Ferris Bueller receive the vital help of Wiglaf and Cameron Frye. When fighting the dragon, Beowulf struggles against the dragon’s power. However, with Wiglaf’s help, Beowulf and Wiglaf, “partners in nobility, had destroyed the foe [the dragon].”(2707-2708). Without Wiglaf’s help, Beowulf would have been unable to best the dragon. Similarly, Cameron gives Ferris vital support on Ferris’s quest. Cameron allows Ferris to drive his father’s vintage Ferrari, as Ferris does not have a car; without Cameron’s aid, Ferris would not be able to embark on his quest through Chicago. Without these sidekicks, the stories of Beowulf and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would be incomplete, with their epic messages untold. The sidekick archetype also highlights and further amplifies the great traits of the heroes they support. By comparison, the sidekick highlights the almost superhuman nature of the epic heroes; while Wiglaf and Beowulf face the dragon, Wiglaf merely wounds their enemy, as Beowulf, even in his old age, delivers the killing blow (2705). Similarly, while Cameron performs actions that help Ferris on his quest, Ferris is the only character that