Many have heard of the classic story of Beowulf, the heroic slayer of monsters and dragons. However, few have read the story of how he ventured from his own homeland to help a neighboring tribe fight a “. . . Brutus cursed by God. .” (Lawall 1182) and his mother, a “. . . a monstrous infernal bride, . .” (1208). After single-handedly freeing Heorot, the neighboring kingdom, from two such evil creatures, he returns to his homeland to tell his king of his deeds (1219). Many years and feuds later, the kingdom was inherited by Beowulf, who grew old and ruled his tribe wisely (1227). But, after thinking he has become invincible in his strength and ability to fight any wrong, a dragon awakens and destroys the land (1230). With eleven young warriors in his wake, Beowulf slays the fearsome dragon, although he is also killed in the process (1237, 1238). A different story, by far, is the story of the last man to inhabit the Earth in I Am Legend. This is an account of Robert Neville's final years in Los Angeles battling a new species of vampire that was the result of a bacterial pandemic (Matheson 143). He describes his daily life of fashioning wooden stakes, growing garlic, and then the nightly routine of barricading himself in the house while vampires roam freely outside (15, 18, 28). After several years of this daily routine, Neville decides to find out what causes this vampiric state, educates himself on how to use a microscope, and conducts his own research in his home (86). After finding out what he's dealing with and knowing he doesn't have the experience to fight it, Neville spends several years alone fighting these monsters at night (119). Then, one day, he unexpectedly finds a woman walking th...... middle of paper......1209), the strength and cunning of Grendel's mother (1208), and the “. . .extravagant. . .” body (1234). In I Am Legend, Neville must fight monsters that are human in appearance, but grotesque on the inside. These vampires resemble the people Neville knew before the pandemic: children, women, and co-workers (Matheson 29, 58). Although different in appearance, both men battle the monsters that would have been most terrifying for their time. This also takes into account what their fears were. While Beowulf and his people feared above all wild, gruesome, hideous beasts, Neville's fears were embodied in a human form that did not conform to normal behavior. Works Cited Lawall, Sarah N. "Beowulf." The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. 1174-247. Print.Matheson, Richard. I am legend. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2007. Print.