Beowulf is an epic poem that focuses on the journey of the warrior Beowulf, detailing three of the battles in his life. By defeating Grendel, the horrific monster, and Grendel's mother, Beowulf brings aid to King Hrothgar, whose kingdom is under great attack by the two creatures. With each of the battles, Beowulf earns fame and obtains riches. He then becomes king of his own people, in which, after ruling for 50 years, he encounters his last battle with an angered dragon who wreaks havoc over his nation. With the three struggles, we see that Beowulf has the defining characteristics of an ideal hero. He never backs down, he takes on any task. He is also the perfect leader, shown through the prosperity and riches he bestows upon his own people. In addition, Beowulf is not only strong and wise, but also selfless, which is seen in his final battle with the dragon, because he is honorable even while facing death. Although Beowulf is the ideal hero, he still has lessons he must learn every step of the way. One of …show more content…
Hrothgar says, “Beowulf, my friend, your fame has gone far and wide, you are known everywhere. In all things you are even-tempered, prudent and resolute” (929: 1703-4). We see that he admires Beowulf's courage to take on such daunting tasks, his respect of tradition, and his temperament. Then Hrothgar fashions a speech to tell of a former ruler named Heremod, who is the perfect contrast to Beowulf. Heremod is evil and stingy, the epitome of an awful ruler. With the address, Hrothgar wants Beowulf to learn from Heremod's mistakes, to realize how easy it is for kings to forget their duties, how easy it is to turn into a dreadful ruler. Ultimately, he would like Beowulf to learn how to be a better leader than Heremod, a leader who is not focused on the material, worldly things, because individuals who indulge in those desires bring destruction to their kingdom and
The Story Beowulf is an Epic poem written in the Anglo-Saxon period. The author of the poem is unknown. Beowulf is the hero of the story and the Thane to Hygelac the king of the Geats in Sweden. When Beowulf finds out the Grendel (the big guy) is causing problems in Denmark he decides to go over there and help them out. He fights Grendel and everyone is happy. Then Grendels mother comes to avenge her son so Beowulf has to go fight her also. After winning that battle Beowulf goes back to the Geats and becomes king and rules for fifty winters. Everything is good until he has to go fight this dragon. The dragon ends up killing Beowulf. In the story you can see how things like Honor, fame, and Courage are associated with Beowulf. The reason that he take the dangerous journey is to gain all there of those characteristics in his journey. Out lines below is how he gets each one of those traits in the story.
The Epic poem of Beowulf is a story of heroism, loyalty, ego, and fate. To be a great leader of men; a great king of the people, you must be respected and trusted. Loyalty is given to those who earn the respect and trust of their people. Beowulf was blessed with great physical strength, the pride and fearlessness of a warrior, and an equally strong command of the spoken word, which he used skillfully to his advantage. He gained the respect and trust of nearly everyone he came in contact with, largely because he possessed the characteristics of a true hero, but in the end it was his ego that sealed his fate. Although it could be said that Beowulf’s character was flawed by an enormous ego, fueled by thoughts of immortality, it is this very trait that made him an ideal hero and king.
Early in the poem, Beowulf hears accounts of Grendel’s destruction of Herot, Hrothgar’s majestic mead hall. Knowing his strength and military prowess, Beowulf immediately devises a plan, recruits men, and orders boats, thrusting himself into a battle that was not necessarily his to fight. Beowulf felt obligated to end Grendel’s reign of terror. Though he knew the death of Grendel would bring him fame and honor, the idealized Beowulf was able to set aside personal ambition in order to end the suffering of the Danes. Shortly after slaying Grendel, Beowulf again displays an awareness of duty when Grendel’s mother extracts revenge upon Herot, killing one of Hrothgar’s best men, Aeshere. Instead of leaving Herot in a state of frenzy, Beowulf comes to King Hrothgar’s side, pledging allegiance and service. Bolstering the defeated king’s moral, Beowulf boldly addresses the older King Hrothgar saying, “So arise, my lord, and let us immediately set forth on the trail of this troll-dam. I guarantee you: she will not get away, not to dens under ground nor upland groves nor the ocean floor. She’ll have nowhere to fall to. Endure your troubles to-day. Bear up and be the man I expect you to be.” Beowulf could not set aside his duty and obligation, though he knew full well the suffering and pain that might result from his actions. Thus, Beowulf is a portrait of
Thou Hrothgar, hail! Hygelac's I, – kinsman and follower. Fame a plenty – have I gained in youth! (”Beowulf”408-410) Francis B. Gummere the author of the epic “Beowulf”, which tells the tale of a hero. For a story that’s supposed to be told about a hero Beowulf’s actions are not the case with many hero’s and maybe for Anglo-Saxon culture, but Beowulf cannot be considered as a hero in modern times. Beowulf is not a modern hero or a hero that would be accepted in today’s society. Beowulf is not a hero because of his lack of morals and compassion, Beowulf not believing in his own men, and Beowulf’s constant need to be the best or accepted by many.
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.
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.
Throughout the story, Beowulf fights three battles against frightening monsters. Beowulf, the prince of the Geats, was a well known warrior with extreme strength who makes a promise to protect his people under any circumstance. In the poem, his strength is tested, but he uses it to save many people in battles against: Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and a dragon. Before, during, and after each of these battles Beowulf shows many similarities and differences in his actions.
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.
By definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist that due to some tragic flaw loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters possessing some tragic flaw. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his enormous ambition to become king. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his need for revenge for the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s tragic flaw is his need to be remembered. In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Beowulf also has a tragic flaw, excessive pride and the search for fame, which ultimately leads to his demise.
The epic poem Beowulf was composed in the Anglo-Saxon period. The poem contains a confident and strong her who helps Hrothgar, King of the Danes, and his people defeat Grendel, a beast who kills at night. This hero also kills Grendel’s mother when she seeks revenge for the harm done to her son. This poem highlights all the characteristics of an epic hero for Beowulf, but the few that stand out are that he is bold and confident, would rather die than be thought of as a coward, and is the greatest and strongest of all men. These three characteristics show that Beowulf is the epitome of an epic hero.
Beowulf is a complex character that is cast as the ultimate hero and champion, whose greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Though his obsession with power yield him courage and strength that allow him to defeat enemies most other warriors cannot bring themselves to fight, his unilateral quest for glory leaves his citizens and kingdom desolate and unprepared for the difficulties they face. Beowulf may be the greatest warrior of one of the greatest epics written, but as is said in the last words about him in the book, his most notable trait is not his greatness as a leader and king but that he is the “keenest to win fame”.
There many ways to describe a hero but in my words the way I describe as is someone who risks dieing everyday for the ones they love or for the people and someone who isnt afraid to stand up to a very difficult task at hand.Beowulf is an excellent example of an archetypal hero in the following in the following three ways: he risks death and glory for greater good of society,he has super human strength,he decapitated grendels mother, and he is a strong responsible leader.In conclusion those are my examples of why beowulf is a hero.
Beowulf’s life was truly epic struggle. The monsters he battled made it so. Grendel and the dragon, capable of crushing men physically, stood for evils that could just as easily crush men in spirit. These two beasts represented society’s greatest fears, as well as detriments, and Beowulf fearlessly took them on. Grendel taught the hero a valuable lesson about maintaining one’s humanity in a world dominated by the dogs of war. The dragon, showed Beowulf’s mortality, his imperfection, but the hero eradicates it nonetheless, saving his people from not only physical threat, but sin. Bringing in such spiritual and moral dimensions, these two beasts certainly give the story of Beowulf depth.
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.