Beowulf
... beast, two men fighting over one woman, and someone or some group trying to save the world. They have evolved a little with the passage of time. Most of the time in today's mainstream entertainment, man versus monster just simplifies down to "good guy versus bad guy." The epic of Beowulf is the first Anglo-Saxon (English) story to use the hero versus monster archetype. Beowulf, who "was the strongest man alive," hears of the Danish king, Hrothgar's dilemma and sails from Sweden to Denmark to help King Hrothgar out. Beowulf plans to kill Grendal, the evil monster, with his bare hands to prove he is truly a hero. This is demonstrated in this quote, " I count myself no less active in battle, no less brave then Grendal himself: thus, I will not send him to sleep with my sword, so to deprive him of life, though certainly I could. Despite his fame or deadly deeds, he is ignorant o...