In the anglo saxon society in which Beowulf took place, there was a warrior code which resulted in everyone trying to gain power over one another. Everyone lived by a heroic code that encouraged battles, feuds, and murders and rewarded the victor with treasure. By showing your insecurities or weaknesses in this age you will be taken advantage of. Beowulf understands the heroic code and uses his pride to get the upper hand on everyone else, Beowulf boasts himself as an invincible hero and goes in battle with out an ounce of fear. Beowulf’s justifies his excessive pride through his . Lastly, Beowulf’s pride made him a leader and led by example to defeat the dragon and ultimately sacrifice himself in the process. Beowulf’s desire for pride …show more content…
resulted in his epic heroism through: bravery, inhuman strength, and leadership. When Grendel began terrorized Heorot Hall, King Hrothgar worried their was no hope because Grendel seemed immortal.
King Hrothgar had no solution to the conflict it was described that “All were endangered; young and old were hunted down by that dark death-shadow who lurked and swooped in the long nights on the misty moors” (Heaney 219). Grendel took over and established a kingdom. Grendel established a terrorizing fear in all the danes, until Beowulf comes along. Beowulf is immediately praised “There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful”, the Danes after seven years have found how to defeat this monster. (Heaney 222) Beowulf travels to another country and is one of kind, no one compares to his might and power. This proves how brave he is to travel to another country to defeat a monster that has had repeatedly attacked Danes. Beowulf emphasizes his bravery even more by declaring ““I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend”. This boastful attitude gives Beowulf the bravery to step up and fight using his barehands. The average warrior would use a shield and sword but, Beowulf is not average he shows that he is a hero and will fight Grendel as if he was invincible. Beowulf defeats Grendel by ripping of his arm and it signifies that he is not a fraud, but a man of his word. Beowulf pride gives himself an …show more content…
astonishing amount of bravery that makes him superior. Beowulf’s inhuman strength is a result of his irrational confidence, in that he believes that he is capable of all.
Beowulf showed these god-like talents in his underwater battle with Grendel’s mother. Beowulf's strength is shown in this fight when he picks up the sword that is described to be:“so huge and heavy of itself only Beowulf could wield it in a battle” (Heaney 302). Everyone thought Beowulf was defeated they all reacted in sadness : “They bowed grey heads, spoke in their sage, experienced way about the good warrior, how they never again expected to see that prince returning in triumph to their king. It was clear to
many that the wolf of the deep had destroyed him forever” (Heaney 304). Beowulf defied all odds, nobody thought that even Beowulf,“the strongest of warriors”, had the capabilities to survive for nine hours underwater fighting and defeating a monster (Heaney 302). Beowulf continues to be driven by his pride to continue to show that he is one of a kind. Their is a fine line when comparing a boss to a leader, the difference is follow a leader and boss just commands. Beowulf is a leader and expresses this from when we are introduced to him all the way to his death. As soon as Beowulf inherits the kinship he immediately creates peace:“The feud was settled on a comfortless campaign”. (Heaney 331) Beowulf immediately needs to prove he is a better leader than Headred. A true leader is generous and gives back to his people. Beowulf shows this leadership when this occured: “So ought a kinsman act, instead of plotting and planning in secret to bring people to grief, or conspiring to arrange the death of comrades.” (Heaney 317). Lastly, the biggest act of leadership in the whole story when Beowulf fights the dragon. Beowulf showed that he is a leader by example when he “drew himself up beside his shield. The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet trusted in his own strength entirely and went under the crag. No coward path”(Heaney 339). Beowulf knows as the most superior man it is his duty to lead the Geats to safety. Beowulf could have sat back and hoped the dragon would stop. As a boastful leader Beowulf knew he had the capabilities to kill the dragon himself. Beowulf sacrificed his life for the safety of the Geats, ultimately proving he is a true leader. Beowulf rose to the occasion, just as he boasted, each time he was presented with an opportunity. Beowulf is driven by his ego and his pride thus each action is done with passion. Beowulf teaches the idea that if you do not believe in your self then who will. No matter who Beowulf was fighting he would not have been able to defeat them without his boastfulness. Beowulf’s bravery, leadership, and his strength were all driven by his pride to protect his reputation.
society. In Beowulf, Beowulf shows extraordinary courage and strength that gives him special status. This notion is shown, when Beowulf fights Grendel and Grendel’s mother, but it is especially noticeable when he fights the dragon. When Beowulf fought Grendel others had the courage to attempt to fight him. The same is true with Grendel’s mother. When Beowulf goes to fight the Dragon, the other warriors cower away into the woods. Beowulf shows his courage by fighting the Dragon. Even when Beowulf is fighting the Dragon and realizes that his sword can do no damage he continues to fight. After Beowulf is on the verge of death he shows a combination of courage and strength by delivering the death blow to the Dragon, and not just laying down to die. Beowulf’s strength is shown when he is able to actually do battle with the Dragon; any normal man would have fallen to the dragon immediately.
Even from an early age, Beowulf took every opportunity he could to show off his strength and fearlessness. When he first introduces himself to King Hrothgar, a Danish warrior by the name Unferth recognizes Beowulf and brings up a story from his youth. He explains to the entire hall how Beowulf had challenged another young man, named Brecca, to a swimming match and lost. Unferth says to him, ¨both of you daring and young and proud… risking your lives for no reason? All older and wiser heads warned you not to, but no one could check such pride¨ (Raffel 23). It is clear that in this story, that Beowulf´s pride consumes him and fuels his reckless actions. He goes on to tell Unferth about how he had stayed behind to fight 9 monsters, while Brecca
Nobody dared to stop the bravest man in all the land known as Beowulf. Beowulf is the strongest warrior from Geatland. When Beowulf hears about the Danes and Hrothgar’s struggle to keep his men safe, he offers to help. The Danish king, Hrothgar, accepts Beowulf’s request to kill Grendel and his mother. Beowulf proves his strength and becomes famous when he defeats Grendel in a battle using nothing but his bare hands in Herot. He keeps Grendel’s arm as a symbol of his victory. Grendel’s mother looks for revenge, but she is also killed by the brave warrior. Beowulf becomes the King of Geatland after the king’s son, Heardred, is killed. Beowulf rules for 50 years and he is very successful in keeping peace across the land and Geatland becomes very prosperous. Beowulf later dies after a final fight against a dragon. The Geats build a tower strong and tall just as Beowulf requested so that sailors could find it from far and wide. Beowulf perfectly embodies the Germanic heroic ideal.
Some heroes show their strength in the form of smarts, emotion, physical strength, and much more. Beowulf displays a remarkable amount of physical strength, and mental strategies.
Beowulf is proud in the sense that he has no fear. He is willing to go to any length and any condition in order to protect the Danes. “My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were too afraid to, if I hid behind some broad linden shield;”. Beowulf is explaining how he will use no weapons on Grendel to kill him, and in my opinion he thinks it would be cowardly to do so. He is humble because he is okay with dying and he lies his fate in Gods hands. “And if my death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor to Higlac, return the inheritance i had from Hershel and he from Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must!” Beowulf is putting the fate of his life into God’s hands and is willing to die in the chance to kill Grendel for the safety of
How does Beowulf deal with pride? Beowulf would not back down from a fight with the dragon. He was going into this battle for the first time out of angry and hatred instead of pride and being thankful for the power that God has given him. “I won’t shift a foot/ when I meet the cave-guard” (2524-2525)
The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes because of his actions. He is constantly being cited as a "war-chief" and a "gold-giver" (61). Beowulf has achieved fame through what he has done with his own hands. His identity as a leader is based upon the Danish society’s emphasis on personal action, as opposed to the delegation of responsibility through conscious thought. It is this very sense which spurs Beowulf to fight the dragon: "In my youth I engaged in many wars. Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle, perform a deed of fame, if the evil-doer will come to me..." (59). Beowulf derives his power from a strong link to the past. Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th...
Beowulf is a great tale but as a person, he isn’t that all that people make him out to be. In his older years his need for attention and glory ended up with the death of him. He fought the dragon alone and in return, ended up killing the dragon, but also sacrificed himself. Even as he died he asked for one thing, his people to build him a memorial near the sea so everyone could see the person that he was. His need for attention, lack of planning, and need for glory caused him to be just a prideful man, not a
In contrast, Beowulf is seen as a hero, even when exemplifying the violent and dangerous qualities the dragon is feared for. Anglo-Saxon society prized loyalty, personal valor, and fame. In order to be a hero, one must recognize the need to act, and not shy away from it. The dragon, based on that definition, embodies the Anglo-Saxon idea of a hero: it is loyal to its cause, it is a good warrior, and it recognizes the need to act. It even has a sense of justice and a sense of wrong, shown by the way it reacted to the theft of the chalice. The dragon becomes vengeful and defensive, using cruelty as a means to correct the wrong. Described as “the guardian of the mound” (2302), the dragon’s intent is identical to Beowulf’s. Beowulf is seen as a hero not only because of his actions, but because he is human. The only thing that makes the dragon different is its inhuman qualities, and therefore it is a monster, a “ground-burner” (2713). Heroism in Anglo-Saxon society is a concept embodied by warriors and guardians, who would vie to be the most well-known. Heroism, to the Anglo-Saxons, is an excuse to use cruelty as a way to further one’s fame. It is a social crutch of sorts, leaned on for the vain chance to be immortal. When Beowulf agrees to fight the dragon, it is to have a heroic death, so he may be remembered. In the battle, just as with Grendel and Grendel’s mother,
In fact, it is probably Beowulf biggest downfall along with overconfidence. For example, Beowulf in his 80’s still fought a dragon. Who in their right minds would face a dragon, knowing he or she is old as a cassette tape. However, acknowledging this, Beowulf still faces the dragon and tragically died along with the dragon. Not only did this show that Beowulf’s greed for fame is unending, but also shows that his pride is part of it.
Beowulf’s high self-regard acts as a promise to his people. It is a promise saying that he will provide for them and he can keep his country in order and away from harm. Because Beowulf speaks very highly of himself he is required to support his claims and give to the people. Hrothgar claims that flaunting is a way to keep the Geats happy because they believe what he says. “I will stand by my word make good my promises. To your Geat-friends now will make you come with counsel courage for their hearts through long comfort years”(1706). The Geats need someone to believe in and who would believe in someone with low self-esteem or someone who didn’t believe in themselves. The people need assurance and they found that assurance in Beowulf. Beowulf reassures his people that the Dragon will be dealt with and gives them courage to withstand this threat. “ I lived in my youth through hard war-moments--- now here I am ready battle weary king battered with winters for final glory-time if that grim hall burner will come to meet me from his mound of gold” (pg. 81). Beowulf wants to reassure his people that he can once again succeed in defeating his enemies. The people believe that Beowulf will succeed again. Beowulf’s obligations to the people require him to slay the dragon. Beowulf’s self centeredness is what makes him an ideal leader in the eyes of Hrothgar.
Over the course of the poem Beowulf transforms from a galient warrior into a wise leader. In the beginning we see his self-sacrificing fight with Grendel. Then when, Hygelac dies, Beowulf does not hurry and seize the throne, but rather supports Hygelac’s young son to become king. Instead of accepting the Queens offer of the throne, wanting all of the glory for himself, he understands that it is better for the community that he wait for the throne. Another self sacrificing act that Beowulf does for the good of the community is fighting the dragon. This last act of Beowulf’s is from a consciousness of virtue and community and not an act
To start off, Beowulf, identified as the greatest Anglo- Saxon, pursues glory and fame. He brags about himself and his accomplishments. When it was time to battle Grendal, Beowulf states “my youth have been filled with glory”. (143-144). He boasts about what the people have witnessed. Beowulf says to his men, “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of the race from the earth” (151-155). In addition to Beowulf bragging about himself and his accomplishments, Beowulf embodies that fame and glory mean more than anything else. When Beowulf helmet failed him, he jumped back in battle because
Beowulf has the fatal flaw of pride, making him fearless and independent during battle, thus leading to his untimely death and making him a tragic hero, instead of an epic hero. Beowulf disregards the dragon’s potential danger because of the immense pride he has in himself, “Yet the prince of the rings was too proud / to line up with a large army / against the sky plague. He had scant regard / for the dragon as a threat, no dread at all / of its courage or strength” (2345 – 2349). Beowulf has a lot of pride, mainly because of his past achievements in battle. This pride has led Beowulf to the point where he doesn’t want to fight with an army because he truly thinks he is stronger and better than anyone who fights him. Well, pride definitely got the best of Beowulf, because his decision to fight by himself because of his deluded pride, got him killed by the dragon. His death was not an accident, it was because he was too satisfied with himself, which makes his death pathetic, sad and tragic. Beowulf doesn’t acknowledge what can possibly harm him, “Pride prevents us from acknowledging our human vulnerabilities” (Amodeo 3). Beowulf is so blinded by his own pride, that he is unable to see how vulnerable he is in a situation where he has to fight a dangerous beast. Pride gives Beowulf the false notion that he can surpass the
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.