Beowulf is a poem based on heroism. It tells such a great story that it was able to live on for over five hundred years before it was ever written down. Till this day the author is still unknown. It comes from the Old English or the Anglo-Saxon literary and historical period of time. Beowulf holds many characteristics that classify him as an epic hero; inhuman strength, loyalty, and courage The usual epic hero is most of the time on a mission. Beowulf was on a mission to help his people by getting rid of Grendel. He is determined to free the Danes from Grendel.The third characteristic of Beowulf is courage. There’s no way Beowulf would have accomplished anything without courage. “The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes' heroic campaigns.” Beowulf stated here that he’s known for courage, “The man whose name was known for courage, the Geat leader, resolute in his helmet,answered in return: "We are retainers …show more content…
“ None of them expected he would ever see his homeland again or get back to his native place and the people who reared him. They knew too well the way it was before, how often the Danes had fallen prey to death in the mead-hall.” Beowulf along with his warriors didn’t expect him to to live or defeat Grendel but he attempts it anyway knowing he may die doing so. The coast guard states,”Anyone with gumption and a sharp mind will take the measure of two things: what's said and what's done. I believe what you have told me: that you are a troop loyal to our king.” about Beowulf. A third example of his loyalty states that he would rather die than live in shame, “A warrior will sooner die than live a life of shame” All though, Beowulf is still the oldest poem with no author he still represents a hero that is still admired today. His characteristics along with inhuman strength, loyalty, and courage make him an epic
Beowulf is among the earliest surviving works of literature. It was written in Old English and dates back sometime before the tenth century A.D. The poem is set in Scandinavia, and tells the story of the heroic warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf was the perfect hero. He fought for his people and defeated evil with his ability to bring on justice. Three of Beowulf’s traits that serve as evidence of this were his remarkable physical strength, his ability to put the well-being of others before his own well-being, and his courage.
Beowulf is very faithful to the kingdom in which he works with and serves. He says to Hrothgar, “If there is any favour I can perform / beyond deeds of arms I have done already, / anything that would merit your affections more, / I shall act, my lord, with alacrity” (1822-1825). Even if he is home, all the way across the seas, he would drop whatever he was doing and come to help Denmark defeat its evil that comes to that land. He shows his undying dedication to helping the king and the kingdom that he lives in. Beowulf then tries to defeat this dragon, that is, his final battle. He has been in “retirement” and has not fought in quite some time, but he still is being depended on by his kingdom to fight off this evil. Sadly, he does die, but he was so dedicated, brave, and strong enough to fight off this dragon to make sure all is safe. It was, “that final day was the first time / when Beowulf fought and fate denied him / glory in battle” (2573-2575). Each characteristic has a special part of an epic hero, but faithfulness can really set the tone for a hero's life.
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.
In the poem Beowulf, the protagonist is portrayed as a heroic figure who strives to spread his name and glory out across the land in order to be remembered. Although his acts may not entirely be for the right reasons, Beowulf does express his heroic qualities of bravery, arrogance, and brute force.
Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war is inevitable and its inhabitants live with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked within every facet of society. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor instills deep convictions of justified violence. In many ways, Beowulf’s attitude parallels the warrior instinct exhibited by the crusaders as they attempted to recapture the Holy Land. Hence, the world of medieval Europe painted suffering for a just cause as an honorable
When Grendel first walk into the hall he lets an innocent soldier get eaten alive and acts like nothing happens. In the end he killed Grendel but didn’t make sure that everything else as safe. He just assumed that the job in Herot was done and zoned out. If he had kept his guard up he could have stopped Grendel’s Mom from killing Hrothgar's best friend. Beowulf didn’t plan and in return, failed in completely protecting Herot. He might have killed Grendel, but his mother still killed more innocent people.
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.
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 is a poem of the Anglo-Saxon world approximately a thousand years ago. It was a unique piece of literature at the time it was written and helps us today understand the life of the Anglo-Saxon people during this time. It successfully combined pagan and christian ideas into a story that would help teach the youth of the time good qualities of a leader and a man. The story of Beowulf is one of glorious battles, bold adventures, and of course Epic Heros.
During the battle with Grendel, Beowulf knew that many men had tried to defeat him and many men had failed. That didn’t stop Beowulf though, he knew that if someone had any chance to defeat the beast it was him, even if that meant he might possibly die. He knew that if he didn’t take the chance that many more men would die. He sat out to fight Grendel and after a long battle Grendel was finally defeated, Beowulf risked his own life to save others. Although Beowulf thought that he was finished with Grendel’s threats he wasn’t. Grendel’s mother was enraged because of her son’s death and began to terrorize the king’s men, much like her Grendel had done. Everyone knew that Beowulf was the only one able to stop her, so once again he set out to risk his life to save others. Beowulf was almost defeated during this fight, but he finally killed Grendel’s mother, because of this he became king of the Geats and ruled without fighting for 50 years, until the Dragon attacked and burnt down his house, that is. Even Beowulf knew that his chances of winning this fight were small, but he knew what he had to do. At the end of the fight Beowulf was victorious, the Dragon was dead, but Beowulf suffered an injury from the dragon and also died. Because of Beowulf’s sacrifices the people were finally safe once
... enormous risk that all the instincts of self-preservation resist”(Hanning 60). Beowulf is always ready to take the risks for the fame.Beowulf “fight Grendel alone and without weapons to maximize his chance for glory; if he fails he is fully aware that it will mean death”(Hanning 61). This clearly shows his bravery and how hard he goes to gain glory, and he values them all more than his life. His bravery keeps him to fight for glory, and this quality clearly makes him an epic hero.
Beowulf is the oldest known work of literature in the English language. Told around the middle of the seventh century and recorded on paper hundreds of years later, the tale is of a hero, who saves a hopeless people in their time of greatest need. Beowulf, the hero, is a seemingly superhuman individual. He confronts various monsters and mythical creatures throughout his life, always performing his duty to protect his own people or another. While Beowulf is over one thousand years old, it is not the first of its kind. Throughout history, stories about heroes have been repeatedly told, encompassing many of the same themes and symbols found in Beowulf. Because of these symbols, Beowulf follows the archetypal hero quest.
Beowulf has no doubt in his mind that he is more than able to kill the wretched Grendel. But because of his overconfidence and populari...
The story of “Beowulf” begins at a time where a great hero is needed. This is where Beowulf’s character takes the initial place of an epic hero. In the first story of “Beowulf,” Beowulf takes on the responsibility of destroying the great threat, Grendel. This immediately shows the courage, honor and bravery of Beowulf. When Beowulf sailed to the Danes to kill Grendel, he was not searching for money, he was simply putting the Geats lives before his own. Beowulf was not yet
Beowulf is the single greatest story of Old English literature and one of the greatest epics of all time. Ironically, no one can lay claim to being the author of this amazing example of literature. The creator of this poem was said to be alive around 600 A.D. and the story was, since then, been passed down orally from generation to generation. When the first English monks heard the story, they took it upon themselves to write it down and add a bit of their own thoughts. Thus, a great epic and the beginning to English literature was born.