The Journey in Becoming A Hero
In the epic poem, Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is considered one of the eldest examples of what society believes are the qualities that a hero should possess. This leader shows selflessness and physical strength as he defeats Grendel in the story. Beowulf exemplifies courage in all his battles along with the intelligence that is needed in order to defeat his nemeses. In Anglo-Saxon literature, being honorable was the most ideal trait that a person must have in order to be depicted as a hero. Because a hero is considered to be a role model to others, they must do what is needed to be done in order to strengthen everybody around them to the best of their ability. Like Beowulf, a ruler should be prepared to lead, be selfless and must have mental and physical strength.
A ruler must be able to take an active role in the part that he or she is stepping up to. A leader must not sit back and observe what is going on, they should be making the decisions that is best for everybody and be making sure that all their
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They are the ones who takes the first steps in any battle or advancement. The text states, “A king must allow a man to grow famous, and his family rich, gives him land and towns to rile and delight in,” (1728). This means that a king must think of the good of others before they think about themselves. Like in Beowulf, at the final battle, Wiglaf, Beowulf’s right-hand man, shows the same bravery, loyalty and devotion that Beowulf showed during the entire poem. This loyalty is selflessness because Wiglaf ignored his own safety and showed bravery and his courage against the dragon and helps Beowulf (2694). Although the rest of Beowulf’s men ran away from the dragon’s flames, Wiglaf stood behind to help his leader in a time when Beowulf was needing more people. The selflessness that a ruler should have was evident in Wiglaf during this
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.
Ernest Gaines novel, A Lesson Before Dying, is a story about, Jefferson, a black man who is wrongfully charged with a crime he did not commit. He cannot get a fair trial because he is a black man in the south. He is sentenced to be executed, but before he dies Grant, an educated black man, teaches him how to walk like a man, so people do not think of him as a hog. "Beowulf" is an epic poem over one thousand years old, which was told from one generation to another. It is about, Beowulf, a great hero who defeats three different monsters to save the kingdom. In his last battle he is much older than before and is killed by a dragon. A hero does something that other people do not do and he does things for others, and other people look to a hero for guidance.
The poet of Beowulf uses many literary devices to enhance respect and trust in the poem. The great heroic story of Beowulf gives many examples of the traits a great leader should have. At the end, those same traits were demonstrated by Wiglaf, who then became the king of the Geats. This proves that these traits were essential to the Anglo-Saxon culture; however, this also makes Beowulf contemporary. The poem has many themes that are still applicable today.
Not everyone is cut out to to be king; some simply fit the role better than others. Beowulf, for instance, is an exemplar of what the ideal Anglo Saxon leader should strive to become. Yet despite his heroics, Beowulf is often criticized for his actions due to the seemingly selfish nature of his motivation, even though his actions are crucial to his kingdom’s solidity. The narrator of Beowulf asserts that Beowulf’s intention to fight Grendel and the dragon stems from his desire to uphold his heroic image, suggesting that the ideal Anglo Saxon leader must maintain a valiant profile to be successful.
Many people say that Beowulf was a great example of the Hero’s Journey, but many people also disagree that Beowulf was a great example of it. The Hero’s Journey consist of different stages the hero should overcome. In Beowulf, Beowulf had to overcome many difficult stages similar to the Hero’s Journey, but not just quite like it. In this essay I am going to discuss Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney and Excepts from Myth and the Movies, Stuart Voytillam Foreword by Christopher Vogler. Beowulf encounters many similar steps to the Hero’s Journey, but he never gets to fully complete the Hero’s Journey due to his failure to achieve peace. In “Beowulf” Beowulf was not able to complete the hero’s journey because of the time period, culture, and ignorant choices Beowulf took. The hero’s journey should help mold the hero who is on the journey by changing the inner character changes throughout the journey because of the surrounding events. Also in the hero’s journey once the hero completes the journey he is supposed to be recognized by the people he helped out and enjoy his life back at home. But in Beowulf this does not take place because once he completes the journey he does not learn from his mistakes, failures, and achievements that he faces while on the journey. The hero’s journey is supposed to teach and change the hero as they go through the adventures. In the hero’s journey the heroes purpose is to serve and sacrifice an answer or remedy that will help and could save one or many people’s lives. In “Beowulf,” Beowulf first receives a call to adventure from King Hrothgar and he agrees to the call of adventure to go to Denmark. When Beowulf accepts the call to adventure he skips a step of the hero’s journey as it is described as the ...
Beowulf: The Selfless Hero Beowulf is an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it. The poem starts with a journey across the sea to defeat an enemy that has plagued the land of Herot for twelve years. The poem ends with Beowulf’s final deed of defeating a dragon that was plaguing his own land, but with the defeat of the dragon also comes the death of Beowulf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem of bravery by one of King Arthur’s knights. Sir Gawain takes up the deed of playing a Christmas game with the challenging Green Knight.
Beowulf was one of the first great literary pieces ever told. Not only was it one of the first great orally told stories, it also was one of the first heroic tales. Beowulf was a great warrior who risked his own life to save a village from a savage monster, so when I was asked if Beowulf was a hero or not, I didn’t have to think twice of my answer. Beowulf showed many characteristics of being a hero, although there were a multitude of evil monsters who were attempting to contravene with his heroic actions. The battle of good and evil with forever be an essential part of literature and also real life!
There are many traits that are possessed by those who seek heroism. Whether it is in real life or in fiction, every hero desires these character traits in the past, present, and future. IN my opinion, the two traits that are most prominent in the poem Beowulf are bravery and goodness.
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
Beowulf is a good example of a courageous and strong hero. He shows all of
A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to uphold others. A hero is humble, philanthropic, magnanimous and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unprecedented epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake exemplifies every characteristic befitting an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the affray with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably ended his life.
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.
In order to determine whether Beowulf is a hero, we need to look at how a hero is viewed in the poem's time. Within the tale of "Beowulf" four character traits can be found which define the Anglo Saxon Hero. The first trait is loyalty, as can be seen by the warrior's relationship with their lords. A proof to that can be seen by the way Beowulf is introduced: not by his name, but by "Hygelac's thane" (line 194). The second characteristic is strength. Upon Beowulf's arrival to the Danes land, when the watch-man describes him, He says "Nor have I seen / a mightier man... unless I am mistaken, / he is truly noble" (lines 247-250). It is obvious that the watch-man is impressed with his might and concludes from his look only that he his noble. The third trait is courage, which is given as a reason for Shield Sheafson's greatness (line 2). The last trait is the notion of fame, what will be remembered of a warrior after his death. When Beowulf introduces himself to the watch-man, he speaks of his father. "All over the world / men wise in counsel continue to remember him" (lines 265-266). The proof that Ecgtheow was such a great and noble character is the fact that even these days wise men still speaks of him.
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.
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