What is a hero? The Webster dictionary describes it as, “a person...who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” But how can mere words on a page create icons that change the course of a culture? Lost in the midst of time, two stories emerge from the medieval era, telling of two great kings who clash in various ways. “Beowulf,” a heroic epic passed down by word of mouth until the 6th century, tells of a brave soldier who gained glory by defeating different beasts. Beowulf, King of the Geats, chased riches and treasures every chance he got. His pride and desire for glory led him to Denmark to defeat the dreaded Grendel- a demonic beast who seeked vengeance for the intrusion of the Danes. Beowulf …show more content…
not only chopped off Grendel’s arm and severed his mom’s head, but he also slayed a horrific dragon in his old age. Beowulf’s dying wish was to be surrounded by gold and precious stones, which utterly reflected the type of king he was. On the contrary, the story of King Arthur told of a legendary British leader who led the Britians to defeat the Saxons in the 6th century.
Arthur was the first born son of King Uther but was advised to stay hidden until the need of his reign. However, when the King died, there was much controversy over who would be the next King. Merlin, a magician who knew of Arthur, set a sword in stone that read, "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is the rightwise born king of all England." When Arthur unexpectedly stumbled across the sword and pulled it out, he humbly took his place as King of England. In both stories we see each King possess a famous sword which aids their defeats. King Arthur simply finds the "sword of the stone", called Excalibur. Excalibur is a symbol of King Arthur's sanctified kingship and the responsibly of his divine power. On the other hand, Unferth, one of the Danes, lent Beowulf his shining sword Hrunting. Beowulf used this sword, as foreshadowed in line 1496, to "gain glory" against Grendel's mother. Even though the sword itself failed him, he did not lose the battle and ended up killing her with a sword guarded by …show more content…
giants. It can also be deciphered that both Kings were heroic and one of a kind. Beowulf gained glory by saving the Danes of the terrors of the night and King Arthur was remembered for defeating the invading Saxon army. When faced with death, both kings stood fearless. Even though Beowulf's death was imminent, he never backed down from the battle against the dragon. And when King Arthur was faced with hardship, he was described as brave and clear minded. It's clear that these kings were both seen as men of great courage by their lands. Beowulf and King Arthur were both naive victims of fate.
In Beowulf's culture, they believed in Wyrd- a conception corresponding with a person's destiny. "She" is considered a goddess who decides when and how a person dies. The Anglo-Saxons literally defined her as, "the principal, power, or agency by which events are predetermined; fate, destiny.” In line 34 Beowulf says, "Fate (Wyrd) often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good." Obviously, Wyrd "showed favor" on Beowulf at the beginning of the book because of his courage, but he danced with death too often not to know that his end was near. Because the people in Beowulf's time thought their end was predestined, they did whatever they could to go out with a bang. In comparison, it was believed that it was fate that led Arthur to the stone to pull out the sword which granted kingship. In the story, “The Sword in the Stone: Arthur Becomes King,” it describes the event where Sir Kay, Arthur's brother, accidentally left his sword at home. After traveling a long way, Sir Kay said, "I have forgotten my sword; a fool's trick...now it falls on me to wind back the length of the road and fetch it." Arthur, having a sincere heart, volunteers to go back to their house to grab it. Since all of the villagers were at the tournament, nobody answered when Arthur battered on the door. When he remembered no one was home, he looked about for a sword to bring his brother so he would not be disappointed. This, eventually, led to Arthur
discovering the hidden sword in the stone which he continued to bring to his brother. Although these epics have much in common, the kings themselves could not be more different. The character of Beowulf is polar opposite than that of King Arthur. Beowulf was consumed with the desire of a glorious life, and wanted nothing more than to be the center of attention. He strived to gain treasures and riches of this world. He never quite grasped the fact that they will eventually fade. Beowulf seemed to believe that his legacy would last forever if he sold his life to the treasure. Ironically, however that was not the case. Beowulf died and his story ended, as everyone’s someday will. The problem Beowulf faced was that he never realized that he could not take gold with him when he passed. King Arthur, on the other hand, seemed slightly more noble than Beowulf. Arthur was young and scrawny when he became king, which by itself made him stand out. “The Sword of the Stone: Arthur Becomes King” explains how the barons all complained of Arthur’s composure, “...he is but a boy-...the realm cannot be rightly governed by an unbearded stripling.” Arthur was looked down upon because he was young and did not have the right ‘stature’ of a worthy king. But, that did not stop him. When the people requested to have another reckoning, Arthur was forced to show patience, a virtuous quality, until he was deemed worthy of becoming king. While Beowulf was caught up in the earthly riches, Arthur seemed more caring of his people. Beowulf was an arrogant, prideful, selfish ruler who put himself on a pedestal, and King Arthur was a courageous king who put his people before himself.
In Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is shown as a hero with extrodinary strength. This is not what makes him a hero. By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. However this term does not do Beowulf justice. His self-imposed purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in doing so. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon serves as a critique of the notion that Beowulf is a hero. The Dragon section displays many of Beowulf’s heoric characteristics. Beowulf establishes himself as a hero by fighting the dragon, exemplifing strength and courage when fighting the dragon, and sacrificing himself so that others can live.
King Arthur and Beowulf are both Heroes that stories originated in the England area. They were written at different times, by a different era of people, but some of the core ethics are present in both stories. Both heroes were admired because they saved a whole group of people. King Arthur and Beowulf were also leaders, Beowulf was king of the Geats, and Arthur was the king of England. This is interesting because this means that they were both well known even before they had stories written about them, and they both possess qualities that can be found in leaders. While Arthur is a romance hero and Beowulf is an epic hero, the use of a magical weapon is seen in both stories which is generally a characteristic in the romance stories. "Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by the giants, strong and blessed with their magic, " 242-244 Beowulf. Arthur's magical weapon is Excalibur, which is pretty much well known to anyone that has heard of his story. I also felt that fate had a role in both of the stories. In Arthur's dream he had a premonition about what was going to happen to his people, "Below him, many fathoms deep, was a dark well, an in the water swam serpents, dragons, and wild beasts. Suddenly the scaffold tilted and Arthur was flung into the water, where all the creatures struggled towards and began tearing him from limb to limb." Malory 194. The beasts and dragons were the two armies and when someone drew their sword Arthur, who was connected to his people was thrown in.
Beowulf and King Arthur share many similarities that depicts them as epic heroes. Both men are fearless leaders, strong, brave, and admired warriors for their powerful reputation. Both stories display a supernatural intervention; a deus ex machina. While in battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf’s sword fails to protect him. Suddenly, Beowulf spots a sword on the wall, as if a supernatural force placed it there, and uses it to behead Grendel’s mother. Likewise, in the story of King Arthur, it is the ability to remove Excalibur from the stone that displays supernatural powers. King Arthur’s tremendous physical strength upon the removal or the sword from inside the stone, suggests that he is chosen as one of God’s elect to become King. Beowulf
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject. It usually is about
A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.
Beowulf is a heroic tale; "The Nun's Priest's Tale" is mock-heroic. In what ways does Chaucer use "The Nun's Priest's Tale" to ridicule the heroic style? Increased length is a clear result; name other story elements or writing techniques Chaucer uses.
Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf shows his love for glory by fighting for his kingdom. Beowulf was Geatland’s greatest warrior which means that he was always thirsty for a battle. So once Geatland found out that Denmark was being terrorized by Grendel, Beowulf was the first to help. One of the first ways the epic shows this trait of a love of glory is after the
Beowulf’s generosity leads him to the shores of Heorot after hearing the news of Grendel’s gruesome murders. Beowulf being the kind warrior that he is offers his help to king Hrothgar. Beowulf explains that “...news of Grendel, hard to ignore, reached me at home: sailors brought stories of the plight you suffer in this legendary hall, how it lies deserted, empty and useless once the evening light hides itself infer heaven’s dome. So every elder and experienced councilman among my people supported my resolve to come here to you King Hrothgar, because all knew of my awesome strength…” (pg. 29). Beowulf’s battle with Grendel not only symbolizing his strengths, courage, and bravery but also the youth of a warrior. Beowulf proved that he was young and strong enough to face Grendel with out any weapons. ...
What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.
In the story, The Crowning of Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Arthur shows an unrealistic ability of strength. While everyone in the town was at a jousting tournament, Arthur, who was known as a peasant, went to fetch his brother’s sword because it was left at home. Since everyone was at the fight, the lodging doors were locked. Arthur did not want to leave his brother hopeless, so he decided to ride to Saint Paul’s because he heard there was a sword that was wedged in a stone there. With nobody being present, Arthur pulled the sword from the stone without reading any of the signs that were posted. When he gave the weapon to his brother, Arthur was informed he was now the King of Britain because he was able to remove it, something that only the true born king could do (Malory, The Crowning of Arthur 1069). Arthur started as a peasant and grew to be king because of his ability to be able to pull o...
Day by day, individuals are faced with challenges that lead to extremes. People confront hurdles while achieving everything they are obligated to do. Every day, ordinary people are to some extent heroes. It is normal for people to face obstacles and barriers when performing their duty of duty. But within those people, the ones that do not quit due to their frustration are the real heroes.
Beowulf , a hero from a past story that was written in the 6th century, is one of the oldest English stories today. This story is written by an anonymous, mysterious author and is partially based on facts as well. The story is about a hero named Beowulf, the strongest man of his group known as the Geats, fought Grendal, a monster who was terrorizing people in a banquet hall due to his jealously, along with other enemies. Still even though Beowulf is a relevant hero to have memory of, the heroes that exist in the real world are known to this day are more relatable. Their differences and similarities lie within their methods of their heroic acts, how capable they’re really are, and how can they inspire people.
King Arthur began as a young fellow, always looked upon as a nobody, a reject, a charity case, he was destined to be a squire, but one of those days, he made it. It was the day of Sir Kay’s duel, in which he forgot his weapon. Wart ( Arthur ) goes to get a weapon and gets the sword in the stone, which makes him the king. In the ending of the book, there is a part that summarizes the whole story wonderfully, deciding his fate as a king, “ ‘ Yes Wart,’ said Merlin. ‘ Or rather, as I should say (or is it have said) Yes, King Arthur’.” (White 209) This is confirmation of the fact that Arthur is now the king, and will live happily for the rest of his life. It is a final assertion of his
Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.
In sending his King his armor it recommits himself to his country and lets his King be reminded of his bravery every time he looks upon it. That is the extent to which Beowulf and King Arthur are similar. Beowulf has way more confidence in his fighting ability then Arthur has in his. This is evident in the fact that Beowulf fights Grendel unarmed, he says my hands / Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life (Beowulf, line 172-173). His reasoning behind this is that Grendels, scorn of men / Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none [so] / Nor will [he] (Beowulf, line 167-169). By facing Grendel unarmed to shows that he is brave and more importantly unafraid to be equal to Grendel. Since Grendel is going to fight without the use of weapons, Beowulf creates equality and therefore more respect upon himself by doing the same. Were as the much less confident Arthur fights only with weapons and once his wounds were amended his first thought was, I have no sword (Morte dArthur, paragraph 41) followed by the task of finding him a sword. This demonstrates Arthurs weakness in his dependence of weapons and thus Beowulfs greatness in comparison. Beowulf is indeed the greater hero as the help he received from his men was useless, not by fault of his men but by the simple fact that Grendel, had bewitched all mens weapons, laid spells / That blunted every mortal mans blade (Beowulf, line 322-323).