In Beowulf, the essence left behind by a true hero is extremely important. In epics such as this one, leaders tend to have the determination and boldness of a hero. On the other hand, the main character, Beowulf, does not only display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem. There are many moments in Beowulf that manifest the many traits that a person should have. This proves how important these attributes are to the characters and the Anglo-Saxon society. Although Beowulf has no known author, it embodies many of the beliefs and morals of the early Germanic society. The author of this epic poem uses many approaches in order to demonstrate that respect and trust are fundamental characteristics of a leader and hero.
One of the first examples of respect and trust in the poem is when Beowulf arrives with the intention of fighting Grendel. Beowulf's intention is to honor the allegiance between his father, Ecgtheow, and Hrothgar. When Ecgtheow was alive, he killed Heatholaf who was a Wulfing and it started a war. Hrothgar decided to send treasure to the Wulfings which repair the conflict and ended the
The great heroic story of Beowulf gives many examples of the traits a great leader should have. At the end, those same traits were demonstrated by Wiglaf who then became the king of the Geats. This proves that these traits were essential to the Anglo-Saxon culture; however, this also makes Beowulf contemporary. The poem has many themes that are still applicable today. Natural respect and trust are fundamental parts of character in Beowulf and in today's society. This is a great reason to keep reading Beowulf and take it as an example of honor and loyalty. Beowulf is a great hero but also a great example along with many of the characters. The poem itself teaches the reader about respect and
Beowulf is an epic poem telling the story of Beowulf, a legendary Geatish hero who later becomes king in the aforementioned epic poem. While the story in and of itself is quite interesting, for the purpose of this paper it is important to look at the character more so then his deeds, or rather why he did what he did.
Honor: Before Beowulf’s journey a man named Unfert taunts Beowulf and brings up how when they were little kid they had a competition to see who could swim the farthest and Beowulf kept swimming even though he was being attacked by monsters. In lines 397-400 “ with plowing shoulders parted the waves, the sea-flood boiled with its winter surges seven nights was the greater, his swimming the stronger!…” Basically this guy Unfert was trying to make fun of Beowulf, and Beowulf defended his honor by bringing up how he beat him in the swimming competition. Honor is important to Beowulf because he works hard for what he has accomplished and doesn’t want some guys just making fun of him.
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.
Beowulf was a perfectly shaped epic hero of fame and glory. He possesses uncommon human ability and a very loyal nature. He won the respect of all who came. in contact with him through his champion-like etiquette and dignity. Although these two characters represented entirely different types of heroes, they shared one important similarity.
With those who are good shrouded in light and those who are evil relegated to dark and misty caves, the Nordic people’s separation of moral right and wrong is difficult to overlook. An Aristotelian study of ethics depicts vices and virtues on a linear plane, with the mean virtue in the center and its extremes on either side. A deficiency of a virtue, courage for instance, is cowardice, while an excess of courage can lead to rashness (Aristotle). This view forms the basis for my argument that the characters in Beowulf are subjected to a sliding scale of virtue. Wealhtheow, Grendel, and Beowulf provide valuable insight into how the virtues of modesty, steadfastness, and fortitude are perceived by the audience inside and outside the story, as
Despite its creator being unknown, “Beowulf” continues to be one of the most revised and analyzed epic poems in American and British literature. This is in part due to the narrator’s use of powerful themes such as: “Good vs. Evil” and “War vs. Peace.” However, “The Importance of Fame and Power” is debatably one of the poem’s most prominent themes. Beowulf’s constant search for recognition and appraisal have lead him into the most gruesome and life-threatening battles which make this poem such an epic and classic work of literature.
This recognition that Beowulf receives proves his place as the quintessential hero in Anglo-Saxon society. The unknown author recognizes Beowulf as a warrior who “behaved with honor and took no advantage” (149). This quality is important to Beowulf’s image as a hero. The author also days that Beowulf “bore himself with valor” and names Beowulf “Heroic Beowulf” when describing the hero (135, 149). The author’s recognition of Beowulf as having these qualities and as being heroic shows that Beowulf was regarded as a hero during the authors’ own time. This is also confirmed by the several times people in the epic recognize Beowulf’s heroic qualities. Wiglaf, who was with Beowulf during the final battle, is one of the people to recognize Beowulf’s glory-seeking heroics, saying that Beowulf is “a man unequalled in the quest for glory” (179). This statement speaks much of Beowulf’s willingness to search for and his success in finding glory. Beowulf is also recognized by a thane of Hrothgar’s court during his earlier days. This thane recognizes Beowulf’s heroics and begins “rehearsing Beowulf’s triumphs and feats” by comparing him to Sigmund, an old Anglo-Saxon hero (59). The recognition Beowulf receives from the characters in the epic shows that Beowulf was impressive and heroic to Anglo-Saxons who told his
In Beowulf, an epic poems, the positive effect of the three themes: loyalty, generosity, and reputation are most strongly expressed. One of the central
Many of the characters in Beowulf are, like in most epics, defined by their status. But, in addition to status, the Anglo-Saxon culture also adds an element of honor. To the Anglo-Saxons, a character’s importance, as well as their wealth and status, where measured not only in monetary terms, but it was also measured in terms of honor, fame, and accomplishments. Hrothgar, king of the Danes, is one example of the Anglo-Saxon measurement of importance in Beowulf. In Canto 1 the story teller describes his wealth and importance, not as mounds of gold or jewels, but instead as his ability to “[lead] the Danes to such glory.” and as his tendency to “In battle, [leave] the common pasture untouched, and taking no lives.” Through this display of compassion for the commoner who doesn’t fight in battles, Hrothgar proves the full extent of his honor and therefore the extent of his wealth and status. Beowulf, the hero-prince, also proves his true wealth and status through his deeds as defender of the Danes.. As he fights and defeats Grendel, Beowulf Earns Fame and wealth from his companions, and from the Danes, but more importantly, he earns honor raising him to the level of an archetypal hero. Grendel, on the other hand, is the total opposite of Beowulf. He has no wealth, no honor, and he in infamous as an evil killer. This lack of wealth and honor defines Grendel as a symbol of evil and corruption. In addition to using Honor and wealth to define a character’s character, the story-teller(s) have incorporated alternating Biblical and Paganistic motifs in the epic-poem.
The poem describes Beowulf as a big and powerful human. Being that powerful has to come with some responsibilities. It was said that Beowulf got his powers form the gods, and because it came from the great beings above, it was Beowulf’s destiny to fight the Grendel. The Geats’ felt as though Beowulf was bestowed great power for a reason, and this was his reason. Beowulf also may have felt the duty of morality. In Penner’s article about how we have a moral obligation to help those in need says this, “Morality requires us to do the right thing, not just as regards ourselves, but also in our dealings with others.” (Penner). Or in other words, humans feel the need to help others who are in pain, or suffering. The Danes were under great punishment, the Grendel was killing off their city one person at a time. The Danes, along with other heroes, had tried to stop the monster without success. When Beowulf hears of this he wants to help. The Geats tell him this, because they believe him to be an epic hero, Told his it was his duty to help the Geats defeat the Grendel. The Geats had made him a leader because of his bravery and strength. This has to do with his position in his
Despite its continuous aging, the epic poem Beowulf is still currently discussed in modern day English courses, allowing the reader to unfold and discuss certain literary themes associated throughout the epic poem. One arguable theme associated with the Anglo-Saxon styled poem is that if a great warrior can also be a prominent ruler of their land or not. A warrior is usually associated with being victorious in challenging situations, automatically associating themselves as being a great leader or king of a kingdom. However, heroic actions cannot simply determine a great leader, but rather the character’s traits unique to each great warrior which are needed to produce a great leader. Traits such as: god like strength, courage to challenge all, loyalty, and courtesy to others, invoking a dominant respect within their subordinates. In Beowulf, this can be seen in the personal development of Beowulf’s true character from being a young warrior in the beginning, concluding to a mature leader of a kingdom. In opposition, a different argument can be made for Hrothgar, as he can be viewed as a leader lacking the right priorities given is responsibilities. Rather than focusing on prominent conflicts, it can be seen that Hrothgar is more supportive of his personal merriment.
Beowulf is the earliest known epic written in Old English, one of the earlier forms of English that was used by Anglo-Saxons. Beowulf was created to show the culture of Anglo-Saxons, and was shared for hundreds of years before being written. Fame and honor are both important characteristics of Anglo-Saxon culture. They lived in a violent society where warriors were expected to battle for fame and die for honor. The greatest death was achieved in battle, fallen warriors were given great respect and honored for their sacrifice. Fame and honor are both shown in Beowulf in the fight with Grendel, the fight with the dragon, Beowulf’s death, and the monument built for Beowulf.
The epic poem Beowulf embodies the standard for the traditional hero story, in which the kingdom of Herot was in desperate need of a hero to vanquish the evil that resided in it. Although Beowulf is the given hero of the story, he possesses one moral weakness that leads to his demise. The author uses Beowulf to portray the epic hero of the action story, but reveals that pride can destroy even the most noble of people.
Since the first conception of heroes manifested they have provided a lasting impression and serve as amazing role models for children and teens in civilizations across the globe. There are many heroic tales that have been around longer than a millennium from the epic poetry of Ancient Greece to the stories from the Old Testament, but only one epic still survives from Anglo-saxon bards: Beowulf. Beowulf serves as a good role model for many because he left the comfort of his home to help those in another kingdom for no wish for reward, much like our modern day soldiers. “In his far-off home Beowulf, Higlac’s follower and strongest of the Geats - greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world - heard how Grendel filled nights with horror
One iconic story, Beowulf, has been told throughout the centuries. Beowulf was written to tell a tale of a hero who triumphed through the land to make a name, and did so by beating the best. Beowulf was an individual who had god like qualities, a man who can do the impossible and would risk his life for anything. In the story of Beowulf we see a lot of heroism, courage, boasting from the men, such as Beowulf himself and King Hrothgars men. “When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous any day as Grendel (Norton 55)”. Beowulf was symbol of greatness, from a warrior to a king.