Hero is a word used to describe individuals who profoundly impact those around them. Usually heroic acts receive praise and become valued throughout the town, but certain individuals who possess characteristics of heroism misuse them, those are the people who prove themselves to be questionable. Though Beowulf’s heroism can be argued, Beowulf proves to be more self-gratuitous than genuine. Physically strong, determined, and not to mention handsome, Beowulf appears to be the epitome of a hero, but the intentions behind his actions cause the reader to question his motives. His ego constantly goes to his head, just because he believes in his heritage they’re all meant to be warriors. In reality, Beowulf is using this as an excuse to rant …show more content…
They were for fame and not the townspeople. Which once again shows that the so-called “Giant-Slaying” Beowulf, isn’t anything more than a narcissist. Before the last battle, Beowulf claims how no man but he can defeat this beast. His self-centered opinions only defines what an anti-hero he is. No true hero nor warrior would ever leave his men behind. Which leads to the real question, “Is Beowulf truly a hero?” This is answered as Beowulf says his so lengthy speech. “No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster. No one Could try” (56). Check capitalization. He not only abandons his men, but he remains tangled in his own pride. Before he leaves, he enlightens the men on how all treasures will be his and his only, which exposes Beowulf’s true reason to fight the beast. “And this dragon’s treasure, his gold and everything in that tower will be mine Or war will sweep me to a bitter death.” (57). Ungrateful, ingenuine, anti-heroic, he’d die for pride but not for his men. Seduced by the want for fame, Beowulf never changes and dies in
In the anglo saxon society in which Beowulf took place, there was a warrior code which resulted in everyone trying to gain power over one another. Everyone lived by a heroic code that encouraged battles, feuds, and murders and rewarded the victor with treasure. By showing your insecurities or weaknesses in this age you will be taken advantage of. Beowulf understands the heroic code and uses his pride to get the upper hand on everyone else, Beowulf boasts himself as an invincible hero and goes in battle with out an ounce of fear. Beowulf’s justifies his excessive pride through his . Lastly, Beowulf’s pride made him a leader and led by example to defeat the dragon and ultimately sacrifice himself in the process. Beowulf’s desire for pride
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...
There are several heroic characteristics, all of which Beowulf possesses. First of these characteristics is honor. Honor is showing a sense of integrity in one’s actions. When Beowulf went to the land of the Danes to kill Grendel, he did it not because he wanted money, but because he wanted to help out the Geats. Beowulf felt as if it was the right thing to do since he had been successful in past deeds which he proudly says in lines 321-322, where he says “They had in remembrance my courage and might. Many had seen me come safe from the conflict,”. Beowulf expected no reward for his action, but rather just being able to “put another notch in his belt.”
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 conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
The setting for Beowulf is Scandinavia, before the time Christianity had spread its course. Beowulf, the title character is the hero in this tale. He possesses many of the typical heroic traits such as strength, courage, loyalty and the ability to conquer evil. A “superhero,” by today’s standards, Beowulf proves these characteristics in the confrontations he has during this legend. His strength is said to be that of thirty men. Beowulf is confident about his strength, not hesitating to boast of his accomplishments. Even to Hrothgar, the king, he tells of his great victory in a swimming match. Beowulf encounters monsters many times his size. The great courage that he possesses allows him to fight them with an enormous amount of confidence. Grendel and Grendel’s mother are slain by Beowulf. The dragon, although is dies, also mortally wounds the always confident Beowulf. Regardless of who Beowulf battles, his courage is a major force in his numerous victories. The last of Beowulf’s qualities, and possibly the most important is his loyalty. Beowulf’s loyalty is always on the side of good. He aligns himself with this side, which happens to be Hrothgar, and the people in which Beo...
Do you think you would have been able to live in an era where you have minimal resources but are in constant danger? Would you be willing to risk your life fighting monsters and dragons to protect your people? Even if you say yes, realistically, you probably wouldn’t, as it would take great mental and physical strength, and flat-out would just be impossible. But not for Beowulf, the Geat warrior who would be the star of one of the first pieces of modern literature to be recorded. Beowulf’s superhuman strength and arrogant demeanor mark him down in history as one of the first known epic heroes. He is always up for the challenge of fighting a battle, whether it be his people, the Geats, or others, such as the Danes. His immense strength and courage,
In the tale of Beowulf, King Hrothgar's village was in great trouble, this is when the great warrior, Beowulf is introduced. He is called by the king to come save the village an atrocious monster. "When Beowulf hears tales of the destruction wrought by Grendel, he decides to travel to the land of the Danes and help Hrothgar defeat the demon." Beowulf traveled to the land of Danes without hesitation to fight a vicious demon. This takes tremendous bravery and courage, due to the fact that he knew that his life would be in danger if he fought the demon. This is only one of many reasons Beowulf is in my opinion a great hero. He deserved all the worship and praised that he received.
Beowulf shows physical strength in the story by defeating Grendel. In line 219 of Grendel’s mother, it tells how Beowulf killed her. “…cut it through, broke bones and all.” His strength is also told in line 213 of how he “lifted the sword that was so massive that no ordinary man could lift.” Beowulf’s determination, or his will to win, was throughout the story, even up until his death. A quote that describes this is, “…he cut the beast in half, slit it apart. It fell…”(line 185). He shows courage along with his cousin, Wiglaf, when they defeat the fire dragon. In line 189 it says, “…their courage had killed it, two noble cousins had joined in the dragon’s death.”
Many epics have been written and forgotten. Yet, the epic of Beowulf has stayed as one of the premiere examples of a heroic epic. This brings an inevitable question to mind. Why is Beowulf considered a hero?
Beowulf was a selfish sort of hero, he also loved having his revenge. Besides that he was young and cherished. He was also very
A hero is someone who goes on distant journeys, goes through life-and-death struggles between good and evil, and embodies the ideals of his people. In the epic poem, Beowulf fights with three different monsters using different techniques and weapons that reward different trophies. Beowulf is a warrior who fights with purpose.
Beowulf is an epic poem about an optimal hero and warrior, which was written in Old English. Although Beowulf’s avidity for fame and glory incentivized his avarice, he was contemplated as a superior king according to the Anglo Saxons. Throughout the whole poem Beowulf pursues fame in order to acquire glory and treasures. During his fight with Grendel, he manages to establish himself as a good warrior by “renouncing sword and the shelter of the broad shield” (436). This action proved that he is courageous and also fights in an equal playing field. Once Beowulf killed Grendel, Beowulf “won renown” and was now “known to all men far and near, now and forever” (1221). This was due to fame being considered as something of great importance during this era. It wasn’t just for mere vanity, but instead it was earned. The only way to live an immortal life was through fame. Hrothgar thanked Beowulf for his aid and stated that “you have made yourself immortal by your glorious action”
Instead of seeing his true scheme to achieve immortality and greatness, they view him as a self-sacrificing, honorable, and chivalrous warrior. “And so Beowulf’s followers rode, mourning their beloved leader, crying that no better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise” (Beowulf 64). Even after Beowulf’s demise, the villager’s loyalty to their king shows even more and their statement about him living so open to his people demonstrates the exact opposite of how he actually felt. The reader can detect from the villagers feelings and expressions that they never analyzed why Beowulf actually died. Beowulf died due to his self-pride because even after he became old, he still refused to have assistance when going into battle. He would rather die than have someone help him in battle and possibly show him up and cause him to lose any of the stature he has worked his whole life to build. Deceit became one of Beowulf’s most powerful tools, and he mastered it. Even from the beginning, he had Hrothgar fooled by his bravery which becomes recognized as an insult to injury. “And such was his affection that he could not help being overcome: his fondness of the man was so deep-founded, it warmed his heart and wound the heartstrings tight in his breast” (Themes). The fact that Beowulf has the same type of personality as Hrothgar shows irony in the story because Hrothgar never recognizes it. Before he became king, the legend of Hrothgar portrays him as the strongest warrior at that time, until Beowulf came along and took that title for himself. This could explain why Hrothgar became so fond of Beowulf from the beginning, he may perceive him like a father would his
Men are so heroic. How so very brave and masculine they are with their sharp, pointy weapons and chiseled muscles. Prepared to fight any battle at the blink of an eye or the wave of a sword. The world revolves around them, rightfully so. Know a damsel in distress? Do not fear, for surely a knight in shining armor will come to the rescue in no time. Women who? Oh, those things. Must they be talked about? Well, okay. They are wicked, cruel, selfish, monstrosities that are not worthy of much positive recognition; not unless they are good for something in the eye of a man, that is. Alright, while all of that is profound sarcasm, since in a level-headed 21st century society, the vast majority of people no longer hold those beliefs, unfortunately