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Beowulf character essay
Talks about courage in beowulf
Bravery shown in beowulf
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In Beowulf "Beowulf," is the son of Ecgtheow. In keeping with the characteristics of the epic hero, ‘Beowulf’ is a Geatish hero who fights several fierceful villains. Such as the fiend of Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. He has exceptional bravery and strength but does not have holy powers, and he fights for a greater cause on behalf of his family and friends. Although Beowulf is big and vigorous, Finding Nemo is more appealing because the hero and the mentor worked together as a team. In Finding Nemo, Marlin and Dory encourage each other, they’re funny together and both want Nemo to be safe. Marlin the father of Nemo, and Dory a friend both see it through the end. They both stick together until Nemo is rescued. Since the beginning, Beowulf was to be meant a …show more content…
character that would succeed at last.
“If the battle takes me, send back this breast-webbing that Weland fashioned and Hrethel gave me, to Lord Hygelac. Fate goes ever as fate must.” Of course we see kings all the time in most novels. Beowulf, the character was supposed to advanced and become one of the strongest men alive. But at the end he fails, we learn that he dies and at last he wasn't really that big. But a doom in a story it's more heart pounding. Especially when a son gets taken away from his father. The call to action. In "Beowulf" the call to action is when the character Beowulf is called in by King Hrothgar. He is brought in to be talked to. Hrothgar's kingdom in the Danes (Denmark) is pounced by the villain/monster of Grendel. Now it is Beowulf's responsibility. The weight on Beowulf's shoulders is to go find Grendel, Grendel's mother and the forever lasting fire breathing dragon. We can relate to the quote above because us readers assume that he will defeat all three and be the best of the best. But Beowulf himself doesn't believe his own lies. He boasts' about him declaring he has the required skills to defeat all three enemies. At
this point the reader can't really relate to Beowulf. Although we see the opening in Beowulf, by far Finding Nemo was best. Nemo one of the important main characters in 'Finding Nemo' is in his wild lair with his other fish friends. Nemo is caught by the men in a boat. Marlin the dad, realizes he has to go get his son back. As hard as it sounds, Marlin is afraid swimming in the ocean, after losing his wife. Thai is heart breaking. Us as readers can feel some sort of way. We understand that losing your wife and having your one and only son kidnapped is pretty harsh. As we keep reading we come to a conclusion that this call to action is a heartbreaker but by far way better than any ordinary person being called to fight and becoming a warrior. After the journey, comes the "Tests, Allies and Enemies." The first night Beowulf arrives he faces a test. Unferth another character, is jealous of Beowulf and tries to make him look horrible in front of the Denmark citizens. Beowulf responds with dignity and at last insults Unferth for killing his brother. That same night Beowulf is greeted by his new allies. King Hrothgar and Welthow. They greatly appreciate the great deed Beowulf is doing for the kingdom. "
“Staring at his grotesquely muscled shoulders--stooped, naked despite the cold, sleek as the belly of a shark and as rippled with power as the shoulders of a horse--I found my mind wandering...He was dangerous” (155). Even from the first day Beowulf showed up at Hrothgar’s kingdom, Grendel knew he was dealing with something worse than a hero. Once they finally start to battle, the monster in Beowulf is fully revealed to Grendel and Grendel sees again the stupidity and meaninglessness in the human’s definition of a hero.“Grendel, Grendel! You make the world by whispers, second by second. Are you blind to that? Whether you make it a grave or a garden of roses is not the point. Feel the wall: is it not hard?...Hard, yes! Observe the hardness, write it down in careful runes. Now sing of walls! Sing!” (171). Beowulf forces Grendel to make a fool of himself and unlike Unferth who longs for a heroic death, Beowulf knows he is going to win and has no desire to die. His mindset of victory, groups him with monsters who have one goal, to kill and never be killed. This shatters the Anglo-Saxon ideals of heroism and in Grendel’s death, when he is surrounded by oblivious creatures who don’t have a purpose, the meaninglessness of it all, including the meaninglessness of heroic deeds becomes evident to the
Beowulf is one of the most bravest legends. He has no fear! This man will go and fight whoever needs to be fought, with or without help. As soon as Grendel's mother came to get her son’s arm back, Beowulf immediately set out to go find and kill her. He went to the place where she lives and after he plunged into the water, Beowulf swam all the way down to her lair. After he reached the lair, “Beowulf got ready, / donned his war-gear, indifferent to death; / his mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail / would soon meet with the menace underwater” (1442-1445). This task also seems to be a death sentence written all over it, but Beowulf looks death in the face, and goes after his mother. He knows that they are immortal, but right next to Grendel’s mother, is the only sword that can kill them. Beowulf is brave enough to grab that powerful sword, and kill both Grendel and his mother. Men today would not do that. Beowulf does not just stop at Grendel and his mother: he continues to fight more monsters to defend what is his. He then took a break and now decides to come home to Sweden. The son of Ecgtheow bids Denmark farewell, and has a moment with Hrothgar. Hrothgar says, “You are strong in body and mature in mind, / impressive in speech. If it should come to pass / that Hrethel’s descendent dies beneath a spear, / … and you are still alive, then I firmly believe / the seafaring Geats won’t find a
In the story, Beowulf travels to Heorot to help King Hrothgar with a problem involving a monster named “Grendel”. This is the first step of Mr. Campbell's guidelines for a hero; the “call to adventure” (Monomyth Website). There is a conflict (Grendel, the monster and the killing he is doing), and Beowulf is answering that call to solve this problem. Mr. Campbell describes this as “the first stage of the mythological journey- which we have designated the call to adventure- signifies that destiny has summoned the hero...” (Monomyth Website). It is important to note that this is a voluntary action, that “the hero can go forth of his own volition to accomplish the adventure...” (Monomyth Website), however, at this point Beowulf begins to deviate from the traditional mono-...
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
Throughout the heroic poem, Beowulf demonstrates his sense of duty and justice in numerous events. During the preparation for battle with grendel, Beowulf displays his passion for justice by exclaiming, “That this one favor you should not refuse me-- / That I, alone and with the help of my men, / May purge all evil from this hall.” (164-166). This quote signifies Beowulf’s integrity and devotion to his people. Another instance when Beowulf demonstrates a sense of duty and justice is after he defeats Grendel’s mother. As he was exiting the cave after his success, Beowulf encounters Grendel’s lifeless body and severs his head to bring to the King; “He sought Hrothgar / To salute him and show Grendel’s head.” (601). The act of Beowulf bringing Grendel’s severed head to Hrothgar signifies the importance of justice to Beowulf. Moreover, Beowulf exemplifies how a hero should care for his people by saying, “For all of this, that His grace has given me, allowed me to bring to my people while breath / Still came to my lips.” (807-809). This quote signifies Beowulf’s sense of duty and justice because he demonstrates his responsibility for the safety of his people and the success of the kingdom. A great hero has a sense of urgency when his kingdom is in harm’s way and a passion for justice regardless of the consequences. Evidently, Beowulf encompasses a sense of duty and justice throughout his
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...
The main character, and protagonist, Beowulf is first introduced in the novel by means of ancestral lineage. Born into greatness, Beowulf makes his reputation indisputable through action. With the King Hrothgar as witness, Beowulf declares his intentions to aid the Danes by way of slaying the awesome beast Grendel who has caused havoc among the lands. "Now I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat." As every great hero fulfils his boast, Beowulf did not fall short. Though the destruction of Grendel brought relief and rejoicings- a mother's wrath would cause it to fall short. Again, the mighty Beowulf takes on this mighty beast, descendant of Cain. As Hrothgar desperately states: "Now help depends again on you and you alone./ Seek it if you dare."
This demonstrates his boldness since he was the set out man toward the Geats. By picking the most grounded and boldest individuals, Beowulf mirrors that he himself more likely than not been considerably more valiant with a specific end goal to have the capacity to lead his honorable individuals. Thusly in picking the overcome men he did, not just did he demonstrate the amount more overcome he was, Beowulf additionally demonstrated that he was by a wide margin and epic saint. Beowulf had three huge phases of his life. The real battles changed his life until the end of time. Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and the mythical beast was the hardest adversaries, he ever needed to battle. The New York Times states "Beowulf" was an early love, and a sort of Rosetta Stone for his imaginative work. His investigation of the ballad, which he called "this most noteworthy of the surviving works of old English lovely workmanship," educated his reasoning about myth and dialect. I trust that Beowulf will never be overlooked in light of the fact that regardless it demonstrates the distinction amongst immaturity and senior
Beowulf has been living at his home land taking on challenges that others may not have wanted to take on. He has always been a man of action, always looking for adventure that challenges his strength. When Beowulf was told of the rumors that a demon is tormenting Hrothgar famous mead serving hall he accepted the wise men decisions to help him rid them of the demon. This is where step two of the hero’s journey comes into play. There is a call to adventure that affects the hero in some way. Beowulf may have formed a personal connection to the cries of Hrothgar reason being his father was once had history with Hrothgar . When Hrothgar helped Beowulf 's father settle things with the Wulfings Beowulf may have felt a need to repay his father’s debt. When Beowulf and his men finished the feast the king provided in the mead hall that was closed due to Grendel’s blood lust. ¨Epic heroes possess qualities that mere mortals lack. Bravery beyond compare, superhuman intelligence, strength or skills and a driving desire to find success¨(Connie Jankowski). In this part of the story Beowulf and his men have proven that they do contain the courage
“In my youth I engaged in many wars”, Beowulf boasts to his warriors, which is certainly true. Throughout his life, he faces many deadly foes, all of which he handily defeats, save one. His story focuses on the most challenging, as well as morally significant of foes, Grendel and the dragon. These creatures reveal much about society as well as Christian virtue at the time. Even after Grendel and the dragon are defeated physically, the two monsters pose a new threat to the hero on a higher plane. Beowulf is not only at risk of losing his life, but his humanity, virtue, and even spirituality.
The titular character is first presented as a classic storybook hero, “a man who of all men / was foremost and strongest in the days of his life” (788-9). From the perspective of a Danish civilian watching the story of Beowulf unfold, his confidence is both terrifying and respectable. He waltzes into Denmark ready to kill Grendel with his bare hands. Whether or not he doubts his abilities is unclear to the reader; the audience sees only his confidence. For instance, just before the initial fight with Grendel, Beowulf boasts that he “shall fulfill that purpose, / prove myself with a proud deed / or meet my death here in the mead-hall” (636-8). With this one-sided look at the hero’s feelings, it is difficult to discern true confidence from the illusion of courage fabricated for the story by Beowulf. His virtue of courageousness could easily fall apart if he does not truly possess it. To explore this concept further, consider the fight with the dragon in the final act of the poem. At this point, Beowulf’s mortality creates the conditions leading up to his death, and he acknowledges it, telling his troops, “This fight is not yours, / nor is it up to any man except me / to prove his strength … I shall win the gold / by my courage, or else mortal combat, / doom of battle, will bear your lord away” (2532-7). Beowulf’s insistence on fighting alone is the manifestation of his overconfidence. His
Beowulf is driven by forces that are beyond his control. Just as his lineage contributes to his preeminence, so to do the values of generosity and loyalty common to most Anglo Saxon warriors impact the course of Beowulf’s life. The lineage of a character in Beowulf greatly affects the character’s life expectations, especially for princes, warriors and monsters. The concept of fate (wyrd) manifests itself in Beowulf as the will of God, which Beowulf often credits his success in battle. Beowulf, along with other characters, believes that God will determine the winner in every battle. Because of this belief, Beowulf puts his trust in God and accepts that “fate goes ever as fate must” (455). Fate is a concept that is accepted by many characters
Beowulf was a Geatish warrior. He went to the Danes in order to fight the dragon, Grendal. Beowulf's goal was to prove his strength and courage by defeating this horrible demon that had been terrorizing the Danes for a while. The King of the Danes holds a great fest in Beowulf's honour, during which Beowulf boasts of past accomplishments. Grendal comes during the feast to once again, terrorize the Danes. Beowulf fights the Demon with no weapons and proves his strength to be greater than Grendal's. As Grendal tries to escape, Beowulf rips his arm off. Grendal goes back to swamp where he dies. Beowulf fought the dragon with no weapon in order to prove his great strength even without a weapon. The Danes greatly rejoiced in Beowulf's great show of power and ability by killing Grendal. Grendal's mother however, determined to extract revenge for Grendal's death. She killed one of the Danes, Aeschere, the King's most trusted adviser, and then went back to her swamp. When the Danes mourn the death Beowulf says to the King, "Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark." By saying this Beowulf shows that his reason for everything he does is to win glory before his death. He also firmly believes that revenge is better than mourning. To avenge Aeschere's death the Danes went to the swamp. Beowulf dove into the swamp to fight Grendal's mother. Fighting underwater, Beowulf defeated her and then cut the head off the corpse of Grendal, which was at the bottom of the swamp, as a prize. Beowulf departs from the Danes and went on...
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.