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The epic hero characteristics
The six characteristics of beowulf
How Beowulf reflects those traits through his words and actions
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Beowulf, an Archetypal Hero An epic hero is defined as someone who seems larger than life, that exemplifies the cultural values of that time period. A piece of literature that revolves around the archetypal hero is the poem Beowulf. Beowulf is the oldest surviving piece of literature in the English language. Although the poem has historical elements woven into it, it is a complete work of fiction. The poem itself was originally untitled. Later on, the poem was named after its protagonist, whom the poem primarily focuses on. Beowulf accurately portrays the archetypal hero in several distinctive ways which include; being a great warrior, traveling over a vast setting, showing humility, and being of noble birth. Throughout all three battle scenes, Beowulf portrays the characteristic of a great warrior. Heroes during the Anglo-Saxon time period were able to handle themselves in battle and accomplish great feats of strength. For example, Beowulf fights Grendel, the terrible fiend, that had been terrorizing the people of Herot for twelve long years. Beowulf is the only man to have accepted the challenge of killing him. When Grendel came to …show more content…
feast on the sleeping men in Hrothgar’s hall, Beowulf did not hesitate to fight. "The monster's hatred rose higher, but his power was gone. He twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscles and bone split and broke." It is implied Beowulf tore Grendel's arm from his body using only his bare hands. After Grendel’s mother attacks Herot, Beowulf besieges her lair. This lair had never been reached by any man, yet Beowulf reached it. While there, Beowulf beheaded both Grendel and his mother. In the battle with the dragon, Beowulf fights the dragon lasting longer than an average man. The feats of Beowulf are epic in the sense that he defeated creatures that were perceived to be unconquerable. Throughout all three battle scenes, the readers see another attribute of the Anglo-Saxon hero, humility.
Beowulf is not asked, forced, or coerced into helping the Danes. He simply helps the Danes because he has the ability to. This selflessness is reflected in many aspects of the poem. When Beowulf confronts the horrendous fiend Grendel, he still shows humility, stating "my hands alone shall fight for me." Beowulf does this because he wants to prove that he is worthy to fight against Almighty's foe. Most epic heroes have something separating them from the ordinary. This of course, is another attribute of the archetypal hero. Beowulf, like most heroes is of noble birth. It is stated in the poem that he is the prince of the kingdom back home. In the battle with the Dragon, Beowulf is king of
Geatland.
This quote is one of many examples of Beowulf’s pride. Beowulf, a strong warrior, wants to fight Grendel, a malicious monster. Although his adventure is seen to benefit his honor and glory, he is thoughtful of others and gives his time, labor, and treasures to them. The Anglo-Saxons hold a high respect for pride and sacrifice. Beowulf’s lust for glory and pride is obvious he wants to be known and feared. But throughout the story there is an unspoken tone about his constant charity. When he fights a monster for
Many individuals fail to correctly describe a hero. When young, they are taught that heroes have superpowers and are powerful. In the epic poem, Beowulf, Burton Raffel contradicts this belief. He translates the characteristics that make Beowulf an epic hero. Beowulf fits the definition of an epic hero because of his courageous deeds that reflect the values of his era, his character traits that reflect important ideals of his society, and his journey leaving his homeland to live with others.
The mighty warrior Beowulf volunteered to help fight off the monster, Grendel. Beowulf showed great bravery because even though Grendel over sized Beowulf, he still accepted the challenge. He also showed strength, Grendel’s head was so massive that four men each had to carry it, but Beowulf could handle the head all by himself. Lastly, Beowulf revealed loyalty by coming to Hrothgar’s assistance, to help with defeating Grendel. Even after Beowulf became King he went to his last battle to defeat the dragon without any help from his
"p" sound is line 160, "From my prince, no permission from my people for your
Beowulf is going out of his way, "across the sea" to help a lord whom he is not obligated to. He is doing so out of choice to show his respect for Hrothgar, and to help the poor people threatened by Grendel.
The character Beowulf, “a man of great strength and bravery” (Magill 388), is a hero in the way he defends his neighboring country, Denmark. When the word that a hostile creature, known as Grendel, was killing tons in Denmark, Beowulf set sail to help defend the people and rid them of the hideous monster.
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 Anglo-Saxon culture heroes were determined by their bravery, strength, and glory. In the epic Beowulf, Beowulf is the epitome of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he displays all of these traits. Beowulf exhibits his bravery in the way he fearlessly goes into each of his three battles. He then displays his strength as he defeats each of the monsters. Finally, Beowulf is glorified by his comrades because of his heroic actions. Beowulf is an epic hero because he embodies his people’s ideals of bravery, strength, and glory through his battles.
A true hero is someone who stands up for an idea that has admirable intentions. In the book “Beowulf,” men were considered heroes based on the way they followed the warrior’s code. The warrior’s code included duty, honor, and chivalry. At the beginning of the book, Beowulf seems to have the characteristics of a warrior, but as the story develops Beowulf starts having a different perspective on what a true warrior is.
The story of Beowulf has captivated for many centuries because of Beowulf’s heroic qualities. Beowulf was the epic hero reflecting values and heroic ideals of the Anglo-Saxon society. He not only attained unbelievable strength, but also was honorable throughout Herot. He portrayed what an Anglo-Saxon leader should be---loyal, brave, and generous.
While I was reading the epic poem of Beowulf, I found that Beowulf himself seemed to be the hero archetype, which is most likely why the epic poem is named the way it is titled. Throughout the prose poem, Beowulf charms the reader with his alluring character and presents a variety of pleasant traits, such as honor, wisdom, superhuman strength, loyalty, and the courage to risk his life unselfishly in order to save the helpless people. Beowulf exemplifies an epic hero because of his good hearted nature and through his epic, heroic deeds he does to protect the people around him from danger, regardless of who they are. He is also a fair man, even to his worst enemies. He never lets anyone in battle have the upper hand, not even himself, which makes
Beowulf is characterized as an epic hero by possessing qualities in which common mortals lack, battling for the common good, and displaying honor in every act. An epic hero is the central character in an epic, a long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a legendary hero in pursuit of a goal. According to Jankowski, “Understanding the significance of Beowulf 's acts requires an understanding of the key figures in the epic poem” (1). Epics have been used to preserve values and traditions. They are a rich resource for exploring the history and values of different world cultures. The epic hero character is a larger-than-life figure who is typically of noble birth. An epic hero uses his/her courage, skill, and virtue against
Beowulf isn’t a Dane, he is a Geat, and Grendel wasn’t necessarily affecting him and his people, but the moment he heard about how Hrothgar’s people were being tortured by this demon he immediately requested that a boat be fitted out for him. He didn’t have to go help them, he chose to, and not only did he kill Grendel, he did it unarmed. Modern day heroes fight with a sense of justice, and they care about ridding the area of evil forces and the safety of all the people. “Alone shall fight for me, struggles for life against the monster.God must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip” (268-270). Here Beowulf is saying regardless of what happens, even if he loses his life in battle, he is going to try his hardest to defeat the beast. He put his own life before others, which shows how selfless he
Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” In the epic poem, Beowulf does just that. He shows his heroic character by risking his life a numerous of times in order to help others. Beowulf shows his commitment to other people throughout the text. By helping, protecting, and saving ordinary people, Beowulf transitions from a successful warrior to a true hero. Instead of drowning in fear, Beowulf pushes past all obstacles and becomes triumphant through the power he finds within himself. A hero must not count on others, but be able to trust themselves to succeed. Beowulf is a hero because he shows bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice in order to help others.
The epic poem Beowulf focuses on the hero. Throughout various generations and cultures, people have had an image of the archetypal hero. The Anglo-Saxon ideals of heroism were strength, bravery, and loyalty, which were exactly the qualities that Beowulf possessed. Beowulf, as a result, was an icon of his ancient Germanic heritage. He imitated the world around him by reflecting past traditions of heroes and mirrored their characteristics and actions. With him, his honor and pride made him not only a hero of his own time, but also a hero for generations to come.