The Repercussions of Bravery in the Epic Poem Beowulf
Throughout this paper I plan to examine the positive and negative repercussions of bravery in the epic poem “Beowulf.” I shall demonstrate how the consequences of bravery were beneficial in this epic. I shall also demonstrate how bravery did not always lead to a propitious outcome. The person who demonstrated the most bravery throughout this epic was obviously the main character, Beowulf. Throughout the span of his lifetime he became well renown for his bravery, but due to his bravery his life is lost in battle.
The most obvious positive repercussion of bravery would be fame. Through Beowulf’s bravery and his ability to win battles he earned much fame. Soldiers and storytellers alike told tales of Beowulf’s brave deeds. On pg. 121 there are Geats speaking about Beowulf, and they basically sum up the fame of Beowulf’s among the average person. “Telling their sorrow, telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name.”
Another positive repercussion of bravery is wealth. In this epic wealth would include land, money, and most importantly for a warrior, grandiose armor and weapon. In this epic soldiers can earn wealth by displaying bravery on the battlefield (or wherever else they may be battling). One example of this is after Efor and Wulf kill Ongetho, the Swedish king. The passage read, “Efor and Wulf would have treasure heaped in their battle hard hands; he’d repay them their bravery with wealth, give them gold and lands and silver rings, with rich rewards for the glorious deeds they’d done with their swords. Beowulf earned much wealth in all his days as well. As a warrior he gained much treasure, land, and battle gear.
One other positive repercussion of bravery is that power may be achieved through it. He would achieve this power in many ways. First off, he would have wealth. Since wealth is pretty much power he would have already achieved most of his power. Next, since he is famous. Fame is power as well. This is why Beowulf had the option of becoming king instead of Higlac’s heir, because Beowulf had an undeniably good reputation in battle. This is shown on page 97.
Bravery is like a very trusted friend, it will never let you down. That statement holds true in the great epic of "Beowulf." "Beowulf" is the story of a great hero who comes to the aid of a troubled king. Beowulf hears that king Hrothgar is having trouble and immediately comes to help with no questions asked. he defeats the monster, Grendel, with his bare hands. Beowulf then defeats Grendel's mother along with a dragon until he is fatally injured. Bravery is a very admirable characteristic that few people possess.
Beowulf’s courage is a characteristic of a hero and this is what makes him one as well. In the story he faces his fears multiple times while trying to save others. One example of his courage would be this quote that states "Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked." This is a good example because it shows how Beowulf had the courage to stand up against Grendel and defeat him. In addition Beowulf also put himself in danger while he was fighting the dragon even when he knew he probably not make it. This is an extreme example of courage because it frightened him that he would not make it, but he fought the dragon anyway. I think that these examples show Beowulf’s courage and that is
When people sacrifice themselves, this shows heroism because they are looking out for the other people and being selfless. Standing up for what the person believes is right and having good morals is also important to being a hero. This would include the hero going as far as sacrificing themselves to protect others, because they believe that it is right to help and protect others. Heroes also show great leadership and courage. Lines 630-647 from “Beowulf” shows Beowulf’s leadership, courage, and bravery about the battle with the dragon. Beowulf is sacrificing himself and knows he might not survive the battle, but still tries. This makes Beowulf a hero because of his sacrifice in the
The greatest value of Beowulf is his bravery, some may say bravado. There is no doubt that he is a great warrior. Beowulf's heroism belongs to a different time than that of King Arthur or Sir Gawain. For that reason his bragging about his prowess might seem decidedly unheroic. When he tells Unferth "I count it true that I had more courage, More strength in swimming than any other man" (514-15 (41) it might be interpreted in a poor way. What he is saying though is true. In addition, in order for him to succeed he must orally deliver his resume. Nevertheless, bragging aside, Beowulf is undoubtedly a brave man. When Beowulf sets out to kill Grendel's mother he simply "donned his armor for battle, Heeded not the danger..." (1328-29 60). When his sword fails him he uses his physical strength: "On the might of his hand, as a man must do Who thinks to win in the welter of battle Enduring glory; he fears not death" (1420-23 62). Certainly he is in search of fame. Though this is true it must not discount his brave actions. He gains his fame truthfully by doing battle with menaces to society. He does not lie or manipulate to achieve fame, he uses what is rightfully his, his bravery. Beowulf's bravery differs from that of King Arthur's for several reasons. King Arthur by being king must be brave, to rule the state people must respect him. Beowulf's bravery carries the story. One because it details his ascension in fame and secondly it also outlines his downfall.
...ir courage as they prepare. Nelson uses the example of Beowulf’s last great battle to show how even with an extensive, powerful boast of bragging and promise, his objective of slaying the dragon was not accomplished. Beowulf did in fact kill the dragon, but the problem with his boasting lies in these lines: “I shall through courage / gain gold, or battle, fierce mortal wound, / will take your king!” (2535-2537). Beowulf’s use of either-or boasting did not save his life. His initial bragging did push him to victory over the dragon, but in his second boast he claimed that he would gain from victory
Heroism is found very easily in Beowulf, there are many different forms of heroism portrayed from different characters. The heroism shown in Beowulf goes beyond just physical courage as they go on into war, or defeating the dragon. The Thanes; the warriors who have been rewarded by King Hrothgar, had to show loyalty and trust to the King to prove that they were able to fight for him and the city. As stated at the beginning of the piece “Indeed, we have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes, kings of the nation in days gone by-how those princes performed deeds of courage,” (489) without this act of heroism King Hrothgar and his villa...
A true modern hero is able to set aside fear and act on the matter at hand, which signifies the quality of courage. Being Courageous can set you apart from others, because you are willing to carry out actions that are beneficial for the greater good. Any one can say they are going to do something, but when the claim is backed with actions they truly display courage. Beowulf is the epitome of being courageous. He voluntarily
In the epic poem Beowulf, the struggle between good and evil reveals its omnipresence in even the oldest of tales. The many allusions and symbols throughout the story relate to Christianity and other Pagan beliefs. By looking at them, it becomes apparent that the author of Beowulf believed that the constant war between good and evil is not only fought by the common man but also in the ranks of their highest esteemed rulers and warriors, and even in their dreaded nightmares where monsters lurk and wait for the death of man. Beowulf was written during the budding of Christianity in England, when it was newly forming. In the story there are obvious references to Christian rituals.
Bravery is a trait that every young boy wishes to have. It is a desire that is embedded into each human being. It is only whether or not he or she acts on this desire to be brave that matter s. Aristotle writes, “{Bravery} courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” When Beowulf heard of the atrocities that Grendle was committing to the people of Herot, it was bravery that brought him there as their savor, and without fear he would
Bravery today has changed from that of Anglo-Saxon times. In the poem, Beowulf uses his bare hands to defeat the evil, monstrous Grendel. He believes that it would be braver and mightier if he were to defeat Grendel without use of a weapon. “My lord Higlac/ Might thing less of me if I let my sword/ Go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid/ Behind some broad linen shield: my hands/ Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life/ Against the monster (15).” However, in modern times, bravery is associated and accompanied by weaponry.
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.
Bravery is the quality of a person who displays courage and fearlessness in the face of danger. Such qualities show splendor and magnificence in a person. Fear and terror sometimes hinder the determination someone can show. Overcoming this fear is what portrays bravery. In Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, Frederick Henry shows bravery by freely joining the Italian army, risking his life for some ambulance drivers and swimming to freedom, being shot at the whole way.
The ability to show courage is very important to be a hero. Courage means the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous, and being able to carry on in spite of danger
To start, Beowulf presents the trait Bravery because he asks his king if he can go to Daneland to help the Danes deal with Grendel. During his time in Daneland he killed two beasts. Grendel, and Grendel's mother. In order to even think about battling something that's not human
Bravery can be attained without true love and can be used for the wrong reasons, giving it the possibility of becoming a vice. Bravery can be good, and along with the virtue of fortitude, it can help warriors defend, and give others the strength to survive difficult situations. This is shown in “the Story of the Defender”, when Hoka guards the campsite and the elk kill of the day against a possible bear (141-150). In this way the virtue of bravery is used properly. However, it is also quite easy for bravery to become a vice. This can happen when one becomes arrogant - one of the vices of humility - or attains an excess of courage. This can cause one to fight just to show off skill. Another way that bravery can become a vice is when one fights an unworthy opponent, or for a cause that they do not believe in. If a brave person fights a much weaker opponent, they do not show love and mercy which are important components of a virtuous life, and must come before personal advancement and the show of power. Fighting for the wrong reasons, just to show power, or for something immoral is just as fighting an unequally matched opponent because the action of bravery cannot cancel the object of the decision, which is to fight for something one does not believe in, or be lives to be morally