Everyone has done something good just for others praise and not for the good of others. In Beowulf, the main character Beowulf proves to be a hero to his society in his actions, but not all his actions were always done for the people. Beowulf exhibits characteristics of loyalty, bravery, and encompasses the characteristics of an epic hero. To begin with, Beowulf presents loyalty to his ancestry and even closer ties in his kingdom. Secondly, his bravery shows though battles against his enemies. Lastly, Beowulf has all that it takes to be considered an epic hero including his flaw.
Through Beowulf’s loyalty to his nation, family, and people, he earns their loyalty and respect to him in return. To start, Beowulf brings his to troops to fight Grendel because the Geats owed the Danes. Grendel was not just any monster but rather called “the captain of evil”, yet Beowulf still brings his best men in order to fight (Beowulf 749). Beowulf proves his loyalty to his country by intending to bring honor to its name by personally killing Grendel himself; however, most of the motivation brought glory to Beowulf himself. Furthermore, this same instance shows loyalty to
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Beowulf’s family. Beowulf’s father Ecgtheow had been protected by Lord Hyhelec; therefore, the Geats lead by Beowulf “owe allegiance to Lord Hyhelac” (Beowulf 261). Later on during Beowulf’s rule as king, he promised to fight against the dragon for his people. He would not “shift a foot” because he believed the duty of fighting the dragon belonged to him alone (Beowulf 2524). The loyalty he promised proved to be true during the fight against the dragon. Without the loyalty Beowulf shows, he would not have been the great leader his people saw him as. Bravery remains one of Beowulf’s strongest leadership qualities that stood out to his people. First, Beowulf’s bravery is introduced when he defeats the Grendel in “hand-to-hand” combat (Beowulf 438). He proved his bravery simply by deciding to go after the feared Grendel; furthermore, he took it farther when announcing that no weapons would be used. His courage caught the attention of the Danes. Subsequently, Beowulf opted to go after Grendel’s vexed and vengeful mother after she had attempted to avenge her son. He goes to a lake where the “bottom / has never been sounded by men” (Beowulf 1366-1367). The lake instilled fear even in the deer, but Beowulf still went after the victory. Lastly, Beowulf set out to kill the dragon even at his advanced age. He wanted to fight alone and told his men “[t]his fight is not yours” (Beowulf 2532). His ultimate act of bravery ended in his own death that took the dragon down as well. Beowulf fits all the characteristics that define an epic hero.
First, Beowulf faces supernatural forces and has superhuman strength. The supernatural forces include Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Beowulf’s superhuman strength appears when he rips “the whole of Grendel’s / shoulder and arm” off (Beowulf 834-835). Secondly, Beowulf makes a journey to the underworld and returns alive. However, in this situation the underworld is Grendel’s mother’s underwater lair. At night, the “water burns” to prove this place of a swampish hell (Beowulf 1366). Finally, Beowulf has a major flaw of hubris. Beowulf boasts of his victories as a young teenage in his epic boast. Before his fight with the dragon, Beowulf “made a formal boast / for the last time” about him fighting at such old age to win (Beowulf
2510-2511). In conclusion, Beowulf proves himself as a hero in medieval society through his strong fighting skills against enemies. People of medieval society needed someone to protect them and that just what he did. Beowulf displayed acts of kinship to his thanes by rewarding them with treasure of his victories. Kinship came from his Geat culture and he incorporated it into his reign as the Danes’ king. Even when Beowulf dies fighting for his people, he gives he throne to Wiglaf because he know that he has traits of kinship. Therefore, Beowulf manifests a hero balanced mentally and physically.
society. In Beowulf, Beowulf shows extraordinary courage and strength that gives him special status. This notion is shown, when Beowulf fights Grendel and Grendel’s mother, but it is especially noticeable when he fights the dragon. When Beowulf fought Grendel others had the courage to attempt to fight him. The same is true with Grendel’s mother. When Beowulf goes to fight the Dragon, the other warriors cower away into the woods. Beowulf shows his courage by fighting the Dragon. Even when Beowulf is fighting the Dragon and realizes that his sword can do no damage he continues to fight. After Beowulf is on the verge of death he shows a combination of courage and strength by delivering the death blow to the Dragon, and not just laying down to die. Beowulf’s strength is shown when he is able to actually do battle with the Dragon; any normal man would have fallen to the dragon immediately.
Beowulf is “the strongest of the Geats -- greater / and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (ll.110-111). Even though he is famous for his massive strength, Beowulf has other attributes that are noticeable other than his strength. These attributes, arrogance, bravery, and a strong love for his people are what make Beowulf become such a powerful, epic hero. Beowulf is arrogant. He constantly brags about his supreme strength. The “strongest man alive” lets people know that he is the most powerful person around by saying, “no strength is a match for mine” (l.267). Beowulf does not think that he could ever be destroyed by anything. He obviously never questiones how his fighting ability would be when he was around seventy. Since Beowulf is convinced that God is watching over him, his ego makes him act as if he is invincible, because of the idea that he has a guardian angel. But, as Beowulf gets older, wiser, and fights in more battles he should realize that there was a possibility that he can die. Beowulf also boasts about his many battles, and is proud of himself for winning all of them. One of these triumphs is the battle in the water when he meets up with nine sea monsters which he killeds, and fights with a monster that is digging its jaws into Beowulf’s flesh. Beowulf proclaims that “ I fought that beast’s last battle, / left it floating in the sea” (ll.290-291). This epic tale reads that while Beowulf is in battle with Grendel’s mother, all he cares was about the fame he would get for defeating her. Unferth thinks that Beowulf was arrogant, by saying, “ You’re Beowulf, are you the same / Boastful fool who fought a swimming / Match with Brecca” (ll.239-241). Yes, Beowulf is a boastful fool that loves the attention that his strength gives him. A strong man and an arrogant one, Beowulf is also brave. Even after all of the horror stories that he hears about Grendel, he still fights the cursed beast without any hesitation. When he battles with Grendel, he does it without the things that everyone else would use--weapons. This shows that Beowulf is not scared of anything in the world. He also must be brave to fight a sea monster after swimming in the ocean for days. He went straight into battle exhausted, from the strenuous journey across the ocean.
Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war is inevitable and its inhabitants live with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked within every facet of society. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor instills deep convictions of justified violence. In many ways, Beowulf’s attitude parallels the warrior instinct exhibited by the crusaders as they attempted to recapture the Holy Land. Hence, the world of medieval Europe painted suffering for a just cause as an honorable
Beowulf, the great Geatish warrior, lives a very adventurous life filled with many voyages, battles, and victories. Through all of these events, he meets various people who are considered to be heroes like himself. These heroes, however, are unable to have the same abilities and characteristics of Beowulf. His great achievements cannot be matched by anything that they have done in their lives. Beowulf is a superior hero to Hrothgar, Unferth, and Wiglaf in the epic of Beowulf because he kills every monster that he fights, becomes a widely feared warrior and king, and dies in battle completing his final heroic act.
Beowulf by far endures more than the average person as the poem progresses. He is faced with daunting challenges of defeating three monsters that would kill any other man. Beowulf exemplifies bravery by never backing down no matter what the threat was. He was loyal by honoring his promises of keeping those around him safe and alive. And finally, his unwavering confidence helped him push through the toughest confrontations. These traits and the fights with the three different monsters are what genuinely make Beowulf a hero.
In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is shown as a hero with extrodinary strength. This is not what makes him a hero. By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. However this term does not do Beowulf justice. His self-imposed purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in doing so. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon serves as a critique of the notion that Beowulf is a hero. The Dragon section displays many of Beowulf’s heoric characteristics. Beowulf establishes himself as a hero by fighting the dragon, exemplifing strength and courage when fighting the dragon, and sacrificing himself so that others can live.
Beowulf’s motivation to fight off Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf is that it is his duty. A duty is something that a person must
There are many things to take into consideration when characterizing a person as a hero. Heros are typically seen as people who accomplish brave deeds and fulfill noble tasks for the greater good of things. In the epic poem Beowulf by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet a hero is revealed. What makes Beowulf a hero is his unbelievable strength and power. He does not get discouraged or let anything stear him away from what he feels needs to be done for the safety of others. In his battles with the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon Beowulf exhibits his strength and will to fight. Beowulf, is loyal to his people and his king. What I feel is the most important quality of Beowulf, though, is his willingness to risk his life for the good
A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.
Beowulf is truly an epic hero, because of his wisdom, strength and bravery. These characteristics keep him set apart from all other character. He would take any risk to defeat his enemy and to gain glory. Even when he dies, he defeated his opponent and gained more glory to his name. In Beowulf, there are series of battles centered around the heroic figure Beowulf, who is an epic hero.
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.
When the story begins, Beowulf has gone to the land of the Danes to kill Grendel for the people, not for the glory. Beowulf brings his own hand picked, group of soldiers with him throughout his battles, and refuses to allow help from others. Beowulf also tells the readers he will not use weapons unless necessary. Before the battle against Grendel, a Denmark officer states, “A chosen warrior who bravely does battle with the creature haunting our people, who survives that horror unhurt, and goes home bearing our love” (ln. 210). Also, when Beowulf’s men abandon him in the battle against the dragon, he does not choose to run in fear, but to continue fighting. In this moment much like in his past, Beowulf shows how honorable he really
Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined as an ideal epic hero and Anglo-Saxon hero. He is courageous, loyal, wise, and physically powerful. Beowulf puts himself through difficult situations just to keep his people safe from evil. He battles Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon for his people, though he does it for honor as well. Beowulf shows honor in all of his acts, but he is constantly seeking fame and glory through all of his accomplishments. Beowulf has the perfect qualities and characteristics it takes to be an epic
A guiding principle within both Lord of the Flies and Beowulf is that each society heavily gravitates to the significance of loyalty. Likewise, the focus on one's own place in their community also becomes an underlying theme in each. The stories both rely on the confrontation between good vs. evil, but the Anglo-Saxons believed extensively in a ‘heroic code’ that detailed truth and honor when met with this. Golding’s interpretation is somewhat different, he attributes these traits to be inconsistent, and dangerous if misplaced. Because each society discussed has its basis in how their ethics operated, both strove to uphold these traits in the unstable nature of their existence.
To gain the respect and glory that a person of power needs, one must earn it. There is only one way to achieve respect in the times of the Anglo-Saxons. Only Beowulf was the most honored man throughout all Anglo-Saxon history. He performed three straightforward tasks to reach his level of admiration. In the time of The Anglo-Saxon?s, men lived by the Comitatus Code. One avenged the death of their king. Men lived a lifestyle of boasting and violence. Beowulf?s first major feat was undoubtedly through violence. An evil bloodthirsty creature named Grendel haunted the mead hall of Heorot. Upon hearing of this ghastly monster, Beowulf found it too ?hard to ignore? (Lines 409-410). Many claimed it was an impossible feat to go toe to toe with Grendel (Line 473). ?No one has ever outlasted an entire night with Grendel? (Lines 527-528). Hrothgar said that he would hate to burden anyone with such a great task. For many have tried, yet none have succeeded in killing Grendel. However, Beowulf took on Grendel and ripped his arm off as a sign of his sheer strength. Upon accomplishing this act, Beowulf did what was a customary action for this time. He bragged, boasted, and did not downplay the praise he received. He had just ripped the arm off the monster that had been previously tormenting Heorot?s mead ...