Beowulf is considered one of the greatest epic hero poems of world literature. Although it is considered an ‘epic poem’ there are more characteristics of anglo-saxon hero criteria than epic hero criteria. To be an anglo-saxon hero there must be traces of loyalty/honesty, bravery/courage, generosity, and friendship. Beowulf meets all of the characteristics previously listed throughout the story, making him more of an anglo-saxon hero rather than an epic hero. E. Talbot Donaldson makes a remark on Beowulf saying “Courage is the instrument by which the hero realizes himself.” Beowulf is not necessarily a stereotypical hero, but his loyalty and courage make him stand out from the others in the reading.
Loyalty is Beowulf’s strongest characteristic in the poem. Throughout the reading, Beowulf proves through numerous examples that he is very loyal and honest to his peers. After Beowulf had returned from defeating the monster, Grendel, he went to Higlac’s home “And when Beowulf had bowed to his lord, / And standing in front of the throne had solemnly / Spoken loyal words, Higlac /
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Ordered him to sit at his side” (Beowulf 287-90). By Beowulf bowing, speaking loyal words, and obeying his king's orders, that proves a valid illustration that Beowulf is being respectful, loyal and honest. When Beowulf had beheaded Grendel’s aggressive mother, Healfdane’s great son, the Dane’s Protector, generously rewarded him with many precious jewels. Beowulf states “I lost nothing, none of the gifts / My strength could have earned me. He opened his store / Of gems and armor, let me choose as I liked, / So I could bring his riches back to you, my ruler, / And prove his friendship, and my love” (Beowulf 402-06). In consideration to Beowulf not keeping the gifts and jewels to himself, like any greedy individual or soldier would do, he returns it all to his rewards and jewels he earned to Higlac. When you think of your average hero you probably think of them being very brave and having a lot of courage, Beowulf proves throughout the poem that he is very brave and has a tremendous amount of courage.
“The people suffered, everyone / Lived in terror, but when Beowulf had learned / Of their trouble his fate was worse, and came quickly” (Beowulf 553-55). Beowulf knows his chances of surviving the fight against the dragon are not very likely but he is still more than willing to go up against the beast and put forth his best effort to protect his people. “And he’s go to it alone, / Scorning to lead soldiers against such / An enemy; he saw nothing to fear, though nothing / Of the beast’s claws, or wings, of flaming / Jaws” (Beowulf 589-91). Not thinking anything of the monster’s horrifying features shows great courage and mental toughness by not being discouraged from his
disadvantages. The last characteristic of an anglo-saxon hero that is represented in Beowulf is generosity and friendship. “And Beowulf gave Welthow’s gift, her wonderful / Necklace, to Higd, Higlac’s queen, / And gave her, also, three supple, graceful, Saddle-bright horses; she received his presents; / Then wore that wonderful jewel on her breast” (Beowulf 429-34). Beowulf confirms his generosity by willingly handing over his gifts to Higd, Higlac’s queen. After Beowulf refused to rule in respect of the fact that the king’s son was still alive, “He gave Herdred / All his support, offering an open / Heart where Higlac’s young son could see / Wisdom he still lacked himself: warmth / And good will were what Beowulf brought to his new king” (Beowulf 619-23). As a result of Beowulf respectfully declining the proposition of being king, he still showed extravagant friendship qualities by offering his advice and support to Herdred throughout his reign. During the time of the illustration of Beowulf, there were two categories that the verse could fall into. Heroic poetry was the main category and was a nothing more than a boast of heroic accomplishments. Beowulf is a great example of a reading that represents strong anglo-saxon criteria because of its representation of loyalty/honesty, bravery/courage, generosity and friendship. Even after the many dangers and challenges Beowulf faced he still managed to come out on top. By doing so, he built up a great reputation for starting out at as just a common villager and then becoming of the most significant heros of this time.
Beowulf is “the strongest of the Geats -- greater / and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (ll.110-111). Even though he is famous for his massive strength, Beowulf has other attributes that are noticeable other than his strength. These attributes, arrogance, bravery, and a strong love for his people are what make Beowulf become such a powerful, epic hero. Beowulf is arrogant. He constantly brags about his supreme strength. The “strongest man alive” lets people know that he is the most powerful person around by saying, “no strength is a match for mine” (l.267). Beowulf does not think that he could ever be destroyed by anything. He obviously never questiones how his fighting ability would be when he was around seventy. Since Beowulf is convinced that God is watching over him, his ego makes him act as if he is invincible, because of the idea that he has a guardian angel. But, as Beowulf gets older, wiser, and fights in more battles he should realize that there was a possibility that he can die. Beowulf also boasts about his many battles, and is proud of himself for winning all of them. One of these triumphs is the battle in the water when he meets up with nine sea monsters which he killeds, and fights with a monster that is digging its jaws into Beowulf’s flesh. Beowulf proclaims that “ I fought that beast’s last battle, / left it floating in the sea” (ll.290-291). This epic tale reads that while Beowulf is in battle with Grendel’s mother, all he cares was about the fame he would get for defeating her. Unferth thinks that Beowulf was arrogant, by saying, “ You’re Beowulf, are you the same / Boastful fool who fought a swimming / Match with Brecca” (ll.239-241). Yes, Beowulf is a boastful fool that loves the attention that his strength gives him. A strong man and an arrogant one, Beowulf is also brave. Even after all of the horror stories that he hears about Grendel, he still fights the cursed beast without any hesitation. When he battles with Grendel, he does it without the things that everyone else would use--weapons. This shows that Beowulf is not scared of anything in the world. He also must be brave to fight a sea monster after swimming in the ocean for days. He went straight into battle exhausted, from the strenuous journey across the ocean.
In Beowulf, the essence left behind by a true hero is extremely important. In epics such as this one, leaders tend to have the determination and boldness of a hero. On the other hand, the main character, Beowulf, does not display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem.
To qualify as an epic poem, Beowulf reflects the values of the culture in which it was created. The Anglo-Saxon culture and the poem share many of the same values. They shared a heroic ideal that included loyalty, strength, courage, courtesy, and generosity. Like all epic poems Beowulf is a long narrative work that tells the adventures of a great hero and also reflects the values of the society in which it was written. Both Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons believed in those qualities as an individual.
Many people have read the tale of “Beowulf” and consider him a hero to the town of Herot. For 13 years Herot was cursed with a demon named Grendel which hunted down innocent citizens. Grendel was only mad because of the large parties held at the Hall. Just as Herot seemed helpless a “hero” named Beowulf showed up. Beowulf isn’t a hero because he used the issue to promote himself, not bring order to Herot.
"p" sound is line 160, "From my prince, no permission from my people for your
Epic heroes usually exemplify the character traits most admired in their societies, and Beowulf is no exception. "Beowulf" is set in the Anglo-Saxon society, a time when war was rampant among the many peoples trying to take over the different kingdoms of England. In this dangerous, violent time people lived in constant peril and jeopardy. These conditions only allowed people of great bravery to survive and men of outstanding courage were admired the populous. These warriors fought for their leader and tribe in return for treasure and protection. This relationship between the lord and his men was the basis of the Anglo-Saxon society. The epic poem "Beowulf" is a perfect example of how this system worked in these trying times.
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
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 displayed great courage and honor throughout his journeys and battles; he was an epic hero. An epic hero is a person who is viewed as larger than life and possesses values of a certain society. From the time of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel to his brawl against the dragon, he has showed everyone what being an honorable hero looks like. His heroism is revealed through both youth as a young warrior and wisdom as a reliable king. He never backed down and didn’t give up when situations were tough. Beowulf had obligations to fulfill and went about every aspect of his life with courage and strength. He cared for his people and was willing to take on anyone that threatened them or his kingdom. He sincerely was the hero of his time.
Every culture has many stories and poems to represent what they believe in, and what they look for in a hero. The heroes written in these stories and myths are brave, and are leaders. However, every hero comes with a flaw or two. The epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, has an extraordinary hero named Beowulf. Beowulf was a hero to the Anglo-Saxons which were fierce warriors who fought a lot. Beowulf fights many brutal monsters and threats in his days, but the most barbaric of them all is the inside threat within him. Beowulf had a big ego, and focused more on creating a name for himself than thinking about the real risks ahead. Two of his major battles that he faced along with his internal peril was against the dragon, and the beast Grendel.
Beowulf was a highly skilled and great fighter, but because of his over-confidence in himself the fire-breathing dragon kills him. Beowulf’s excessive pride is evident from the very beginning of the epic. He is almost always boasting about himself to one person or the other. In the first part of the epic, when Beowulf first travels to Hrothgar’s kingdom to rid him of Grendel, he talks about the mighty deeds he has done in his life. “Hail, Hrothgar, health ever keep you! I am Hyglelac’s thane and kinsman; mighty deeds I have done in my youth…they saw themselves how I came from combat bloodied by enemies where I crushed down five, killed a tribe of giants, and on the waves at night slew water-beasts; no easy task, but I dove out trouble from Geatland-they asked for it, the enemies I killed.”(Beowulf p73) One can easily picture him standing proud and tall in front of a multitude of fellow warriors, proclaiming all the deeds he has accomplished in his lifetime.
Beowulf is a very brave hero, he has fought and killed many creatures before, but this battle was different. He knew this battle was of great importance to everyone, and that made him that much more nervous. This creature was fierce and had been tormenting their village for as long as they could remember, so her death would be a huge victory for Beowulf and it would be an even bigger relief for the villagers. All of the people in the village were cheering for Beowulf as he walked away headed off to the greatest battle of his life.
Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined as an ideal epic hero and Anglo-Saxon hero. He is courageous, loyal, wise, and physically powerful. Beowulf puts himself through difficult situations just to keep his people safe from evil. He battles Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon for his people, though he does it for honor as well. Beowulf shows honor in all of his acts, but he is constantly seeking fame and glory through all of his accomplishments. Beowulf has the perfect qualities and characteristics it takes to be an epic
In the old English epic Beowulf, a prince by the name of Beowulf travels from the land of the Geats, after hearing of the troubles King Hrothgar has sustained with Grendel the monster. In this poem there are numerous amounts of dialogue about heroism and the qualities needed to be a hero. Some attributes discussed are perseverance, loyalty, and one of the most critical ones being heart. Heart is a heroic quality that is most important in this poem because of what it reveals to the reader about a warrior's mentality, and how it is displayed through resilience and emotion.
A hero is someone that helps others no matter what the situation. There are many qualities that a hero must posses such as bravery, courage, strength, intelligence and honor. These qualities alone are not enough to make a hero. They must also be pure at heart, fight for the good of mankind and only fight when it is to protect the people and not out of revenge. Beowulf is everything a hero should be, but contains a few qualities that a hero should not posses. When Beowulf sailed with his men to Herot he had one goal, to rid the hall of Grendal. Beowulf was under no obligation to destroy Grendal and never asked for anything in return for his services. A true hero would never ask for money or anything of value. He put his life at risk to save the people of Herot, who he didn’t even know, out of his own good nature Great strength has been a trait that has been identified with heroes in many stories and legends. Than he saw hanging on the wall, a heavy Sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons But so massive that no ordinary man could lift... (II. 1557-1560) Beowulf possessed great strength that separated him from other men. Being able to use a sword that no ordinary man was able to carry gives the feeling that Beowulf is something more than a human being. It makes him special and causes him to stand out from all other men. Fame is something that makes a hero more noted. Beowulfs popularity had spread all over the world. He never let this go to his head and he never thought that he was better than everyone else because of it. “Your fame is everywhere, my friend,/Reaches to the ends of the earth, and you hold it in your heart wisely...” (II.1704-1706). A hero should not be foolish or full of himself. Unferth said: You’re Beowulf, are you- the same Boastful fool who fought a swimming Match with Brecca, both of you daring and young and proud,exploring the deepest Seas, risking your lives for no reason But the danger? (II. 506-511) A hero should not have to prove to himself or to anyone else that he is brave, fearless or courageous. If he is pure a heart and his intentions are good then he can be considered a true hero.