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Comparing king beowulf and king hrothgar
Theme of heroism in beowulf
Examining The Theme Of Heroism In Beowulf
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Loyalty is an important characteristic for Beowulf throughout his career in the epic poem. The first encounter the reader has with Beowulf’s great loyalty is when he comes to assist the Danes. Although at the time it seems like Beowulf is just trying to make a name for himself and to gain honor, we soon come to understand that a family debt Beowulf beholds to Hrothgar who had aided Beowulf’s father in earlier times. At the discovery of the conflict with the Danes, Beowulf is honored to assist Hrothgar, as he announces, “I can show the wise Hrothgar a way/to defeat his enemy and find respite—/if any respite is to reach him, ever./I can calm the turmoil in his mind.” (21).
The next encounter Beowulf comes to in regards to loyalty is when he returns home to Geatland and meets with Hygelac, and when presented with “two arm bangles,/ a mail-shirt and rings, and the most resplendent/torque of gold I ever heard tell of/anywhere on earth or under heaven.” (85). Beowulf does in time present the torque of gold to Hygelac in an act of loyalty and honor. Also, later in the poem Beowulf returns to Hygelac and announces, “I am happy to present to you as gifts./It is still upon your grace that all favour depends.” (147), and presents new treasures such as “boar-framed standard to be brought,/and battle-topping helmet,
Halfmann 2 the mail-shirt…and the precious war sword?” (147). After the death of Hygelac, his wife, Queen Hygd proposes the throne to Beowulf, as she believes her own son is not capable of protecting a kingdom. Beowulf’s loyalty to his uncle and his uncle’s family shines through when Beowulf kindly turns down the Queen’s offer which allows for her son to inevitably take the throne, and Beowulf devotedly serves him. When the ...
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...his last attempt strikes the dragon so hard, and the dragon meets Beowulf’s strike, resulting in the death of both of them. Although Beowulf is seconds away from eternal death, he greatly admires the extent of loyalty the brave warrior, Wiglaf, displays. As Beowulf comes to the realization that his kingdom will be left with no leader as a result of his defeat, he knows no better man to follow in his footsteps and rule with such loyalty and admiration as he himself did than the brave Wiglaf. Beowulf hands his kingdom off to Wiglaf who he knows will rule it well.
Beowulf inevitably proves himself able to meet the standards at the time of a warrior and leader by portraying great loyalty to his people (Troy University).
Works Cited
MAURY MARYANOW, . N.p.. Web. 20 Feb 2014. .
Beowulf. Print.
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.
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
Throughout the poem, Beowulf fights against monsters time after time for the treasures and gold rewarded after a victory. The king of the Danes, Hrothgar, recruits the most prestige fighter around, Beowulf, to save his people from Grendel, a monster that had been disturbing the peace for years. Beowulf agrees to fight Grendel, but his reasoning for fighting Grendel was not for the people, but for grasping the treasures rewarded. After defeating Grendel, as promised, the “Halfdane’s son presented Beowulf with a gold standard as a victory gift, an embroidered banner; also breast-mail and
Once Grendel and his mother are killed, the king showers Beowulf in gifts. Beowulf shows humility and accepts the gifts, and quietly returns to his home. He does not want to bask in his glory. "So they went on their journey, and Hrothgar 's generosity was praised repeatedly"(Beowulf 1885-86). This quote symbolizes the relationship between the King of Danes and Beowulf, because he is constantly thanking him for the gifts. It is not just seen as a business deal where Beowulf has come to provide a service, and collect his reward. There is much more to his actions, he genuinely provides services to the king for the greater good. He is humble in nature, where he is not looking for attention. He does not gloat that he is truly the best warrior he sort of just thanks the king. The king of Danes states to Beowulf "In all things you are even tempered, prudent, and resolute"(Beowulf 17056). It is already known that he is a great warrior, so there is no need for him to overly express
Within the poem, swords, at one level, are used as a symbol of reward and gratitude. After Beowulf heroically kills Grendel, Hrothgar repays him with a sword, described as, “a victory gift … that was both precious object and a token of honor” (pg. 62 1020-1023). This sword represents Beowulf’s brave battle with Grendel, in which he chose to fight without a weapon, in order to avoid an unfair advantage. Beowulf is portrayed as inhuman because of his phenomenal strength, murdering a monstrous beast with his bare hands, and rewarded with an object he has no use for. Further, a noble king is thought to be someone who rewards his brave citizens and is generous. During this time, kings were among the few people to own weapons of such great value, which expresses the great honour it was to receive one. In addition to the generous gifts from Hrothgar, Beowulf receives a “gem-studded sword” from King Hygelac to celebrate his numerous accomplishments (2193). Further, King Hygelac presents Beowulf with “land as well, seven thousand hides; and a hall and a throne” (2195-2196). By gifting Beowulf with land, his social standings would have risen immensely. However, a single sword, not to mention multiple weapons of such value, would have done this as well. Beowulf became an incredibly respected person after his battle against Grendel. He went from a lower class
In Beowulf, after slaying Grendel and his mother, Beowulf returns to his home land, the land of the Geats, bearing great treasures that he has been given by Hrothgar. Beowulf goes to the hall of Hygelac and describes his courageous deeds to his lord and kinsmen, telling them of his welcome into Hrothgar's family, and of his battles with Grendel and Grendel's mother. Beowulf then proves that he is humble and loyal to Hygelac by dedicating all of his courageous deeds to his lord and people. Beowulf says, "My prince, there with my deeds I did honor to your people" (Howe, 36), and this shows the proper attitude of a thane to his lord. All of the gifts that Beowulf has received from Hrothgar are given to Hygelac and his wife, Hygd. The passage ends with Beowulf receiving land, treasures, a sword, and a throne, making him a king.
...fight the dragon. Beowulf understood that the key to being a great leader was selflessness, which is also why he chose Wiglaf, son of Wexstan, to be his successor. In Beowulf’s time of greatest need Wiglaf was the only selfless warrior that came to Beowulf’s aid. Even in death, Beowulf understood all the qualities of a great leader and saw them in Wiglaf.
Beowulf feels a sense of loyalty to Hrothgar which leads Beowulf “…to sail the swan’s road and search out that king, / the famous prince who needed defenders” against the marauding monster, Grendel (200-201). Beowulf’s generosity leads him to Hrothgar’s mead-hall to save Hrothgar from the clutches of Grendel. Regardless of fate and lineage, Beowulf is driven by forces out of his control. It is true that the qualities of an Anglo-Saxon warrior drives Beowulf to become the hero he is, but his lineage and fate define his
Although she isn’t known to be as strong as her son was, revenge motivated her to give it all she had. While in battle, Grendel’s mother managed to rip and claw at him, biting holes in his helmet; that too failed him. In all of his years of being a warrior and wearing that helmet had it neglected to warn him glory. Beowulf, however, longed only for fame among his people so he quickly jumped back in, tossing his weapon aside. After a long drawn out battle between the two of them, he managed to claim victory once again. Beowulf’s men quickly traveled back with him while happily rejoicing in his defeat of Grendel’s mother. Upon their return Hrothgar showed gratitude to him for such bravery and commitment to protecting the king and his people. He is granted the honor for such
Greenblatt explains that this relationship is based solely on mutual respect, contrasting the reality of most relationships in the militaries of the time in which relationships were based on subordination and rank structure. Within this warrior society these relationships were tied by respect and loyalty that was earned in battle and was also considered as duty. It is the duty of the warrior to vow allegiance to his lord, but not allegiance as if he were to serve as the lord’s servant but as his confidant. As the king’s men prove their loyalty in battle, the King’s duty is to reward them with riches in return for their valor. In the poem Hrothgar rewards Beowulf with gifts and treasures for defeating Grendel and his mother. Beowulf, who becomes King of the Geats, reigns for fifty years is victorious in battles and rewards his men for their gallantry. Beowulf’s heroic nature and humility reveals a sense of Christian influence. His gift-giving to his thanes in return of their loyalty compares to the Christian theology of Christ rewarding his followers with eternal life in return of their loyalty to him. This Christian influence comes from the poet whom many believe to be a Christian writer. As
Throughout the epic poem this brother bond between a liege lord and his comrades is discussed and its importance is both shown and stated. There is an understanding between a liege lord and his thane, when the bond is true, that if a thane is faithful and honest enough to bring his lord all of the treasure he has obtained, he shall be rewarded most handsomely. When Beowulf returned to his king, Hygelac, with the many great gifts bestowed upon him by Hrothgar, he offers them up to his king. “Now to thee, my prince, I proffer them all, gladly give them...
Beowulf’s loyalty to his king is called to attention when Grendel attacks Heorot. Upon arriving, he immediately declares his heritage and to whom his allegiance resides. “We belong by birth to the Geat people/ and owe allegiance to Lord Hygelac” (Heaney 260-261). This quote exemplifies that Beowulf is dedicated wholeheartedly to his king. Because of this demonstration of devotion, he is on his way to triumphing and accomplishing the ultimate target of glory. Another example of Beowulf showing faithfulness to his king is when he presents a series of gifts to King Hygelac after slaying Grendel and his mother. “These, King Hygelac, I am happy to present/ to you as gifts” (2148). Rather than keeping the gifts for himself, he praises his king which expresses his steadfast fidelity and love for his beloved master. Yet again, Beowulf does not hesitate to continue on his journey in attaining
In Beowulf’s younger years, he personified all of the best values of the heroic culture when saving another kingdom from their demons. Beowulf’s willingness to sacrifice his life in order to save strangers his father owed a debt to is quite selfless. His bravery comes into play when he remains unchanged in his resolve even after hearing of all the King’s men and subjects slain by the beast.
Passing down a hero's armor is a grand tradition in the Anglo-Saxon Age. As Beowulf speaks on his deathbed, “I’d leave my armor to my son, now if God had given me an heir” (742-43). Being an offspring to a legendary hero is a great honor. The heir receives said hero's armor from battle with the yearning to become just as grand a hero if not more. With his dying breath, Beowulf's explains his want for his burial in hope everyone with remember his name:“Here at the water’s edge, high / On this spit of land, so sailors can see / This tower and know my name, and call it / Beowulf's tower. Beowulf hopes that his name will forever be remember, especially after all the selfless deeds he has accomplished in his