Beowulf: The Exemplary Hero of Geat

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Beowulf is one of the most iconic and influential heroic journeys of all time. Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, is a Geat and like no other warrior ever seen before. He is the strongest man alive. He has the strength of thirty men in his arm alone. When Beowulf was only a boy, he had battles with his friends and swam for miles with his sword in his hand and armor on the rest of his body. When he battles Grendel's mother, it is said that Beowulf is underwater for nearly half a day. Aside from being a great warrior, he is also very smart and modest about his strength. When Beowulf arrives in Heorot, he is confronted with opposition. The king, Hrothgar allows Beowulf to fight because has known Beowulf's father, Ecgtheow, and Hrothgar saved him from …show more content…

Beowulf battles his enemies with pride and tells Hrothgar that he will "fulfill the will of your people or else fall in slaughter, fast in the foe's grasp. I shall achieve a deed of mainly courage or else have lived to see in his mead-hall my ending day" (Norton 35). Beowulf is saying that he would rather die in battle, than any other place. A great warrior would rather die in battle. According to Beowulf, it is always better to seek vengeance then suffer than to live in sorrow. Beowulf saves the people of Heorot. He is greatly praised and he receives gifts and good advice from Hrothgar. Beowulf returns home to Hygelac and becomes king. In his old age, he battles a dragon; unfortunately, the dragon gets best of him, and Beowulf falls to his death. The life of a great and praised warrior has finally ended. From Beowulf, we move forward in time to the timeless story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Sir Gawain is originally faced with the challenge of the Green Knight. The Green Knight appears in King Arthur's court and causes a disturbance, issuing an open invitation to all in the court "to strike one stroke for another" ( 287) with his strong, sturdy, and finely-crafted axe as the prize. This test appears simple enough, and it puts Gawain …show more content…

With a domestic gross of $380,843,261, it was the all-time highest-grossing original animated picture until the release of Frozen in 2013. I believe that this movie was so successful due to its wonderful retelling of the classic hero’s journey that people have loved for centuries. Throughout time this journey has not changed, obvious in some cases and more cryptic in others, the basic ideas laid out by Joseph Campbell remain true. From the Anglo-Saxons, to medieval times, to present day, and even into the future, we have and always will use a hero’s journey in our stories. This basic pattern and its elements have stood the test of time and continue to be astronomically successful. No matter what walk of life one comes from, they can recognize and appreciate the journey of a

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