Beowulf is the oldest known work of literature in the English language. Told around the middle of the seventh century and recorded on paper hundreds of years later, the tale is of a hero, who saves a hopeless people in their time of greatest need. Beowulf, the hero, is a seemingly superhuman individual. He confronts various monsters and mythical creatures throughout his life, always performing his duty to protect his own people or another. While Beowulf is over one thousand years old, it is not the first of its kind. Throughout history, stories about heroes have been repeatedly told, encompassing many of the same themes and symbols found in Beowulf. Because of these symbols, Beowulf follows the archetypal hero quest.
There are several archetypes
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seen in many hero stories throughout history that define the archetypal hero quest. Of course, the first aspect is the issue, or trouble, that will be the purpose of the hero’s quest. Stemming from this, there is typically a call. The hero of a story will either be challenged, commanded, or feel a sense of duty to complete a task. Sometimes, and especially with the character Beowulf, the hero will want to complete a task in order to gain glory for himself/herself. However, in Beowulf, it is not a challenge, but a feeling of duty to help a desperate people. After making a conscious decision to embark on the journey, the hero must prepare, gathering materials, people, and the skills necessary to complete his/her task. Commonly, throughout this preparation stage, the has a mentor. This is someone who is wiser than the hero. All of this happens before the quest itself actually begins. A common expression states, “nothing ever goes as planned.” With any hero quest, this is most certainly true. There are always obstacles that make it difficult for the hero to achieve his/her goal. Allies may perish, difficult terrain and needing to find unknown destinations, and other unexpected enemies, such as mythical beings, can slow the hero in completing the objective. Sometimes, the hero may even be at his/her lowest point because of the obstacles. He must, however, continue on with the quest. After overcoming the obstacles along the way, the climax happens. This is the moment when the hero will either succeed or fail. This is the point when the outcome of the hero’s quest becomes clear. After all, the hero must return to his/her homeland. The hero, however, has been changed during the course of the quest. This change could be a maturing of body, mind, and spirit. This could be the case no matter if the hero succeeded or failed. Perhaps the hero did fail, and has learned from his/her mistakes. This change could also be the opposite, however. A hero who has been successful in his/her quest may become egotistical due to the success. The successes of a hero on the journey may also lead to more responsibility, as it does in Beowulf’s case. The hero could gain more glory, become more trusted by a ruler, or even become the ruler of his people. After the events of a major journey, a hero character will never be the same as when he/she began. In the story of Beowulf, the troubling issue is occurring in Denmark. The Shielding people, ruled by King Hrothgar, are being attacked by a monster outcast named Grendel. For twelve years, the Danes are tormented by Grendel. Beowulf, the hero in Geatland, heard about the Danes’ trouble. This was the call, the purpose of the hero’s quest. Beowulf was seemingly superhuman, mightier than anyone else on Earth during his time. He came up with a plan. He decided he would travel across the ocean, find Hrothgar and help him. While not not outright stated, Beowulf’s decision to embark on the journey is known. The story says, “Nobody tried to keep him from going, No elder denied him, dear as he was to them” (lns. 202-203). Beowulf certainly knew he was going to make the journey. After deciding for certain he would go on the journey to help the Shieldings, Beowulf needed to prepare. The items and people he needed are clearly stated in the poem. A boat was needed to cross the sea. Also, fourteen other Geat warriors would accompany Beowulf. He searched and gathered, “...the best he could find...” (ln. 207). His preparation did not end in Geatland, however. After sailing to Denmark and finding King Hrothgar, Beowulf learns more about the situation with Grendel. Lastly, he comes up with a plan to fight the monster, in which he decides to fight Grendel hand-to-hand. Before the fight with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf’s preparation involves gathering weapons and armor, including a mail shirt and Unferth’s sword, Hrunting. During his stay in Denmark, Beowulf’s mentor figure is King Hrothgar. Hrothgar provides weapons and advice to the hero continuously throughout the story. At the end of Beowulf’s stay, Hrothgar acknowledges him as his own son. Referring back to the quote, “nothing ever goes as planned,” the obstacles in the battles in Beowulf are very clear.
In the battle with Grendel, one of Beowulf’s Geat warriors is killed while he is asleep. This is a sad moment, but the warrior’s death is avenged just a few minutes later when Beowulf rips the arm off of Grendel, sending him running to his death. The fight with Grendel’s mother has the most obstacles to confront of any of the battles in the story. Before this battle, Hrothgar’s highest ranking advisor, Aeschere, is killed by Grendel’s mother. While this is a setback, it is overcome. As Beowulf tells a mourning Hrothgar, “‘We sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning...Bear up and be the man I expect you to be’” (lns. 1384-1396). The next obstacle of the Battle with Grendel’s mother is searching for the hidden, haunted mere. The warriors do so, but take time to do so. Then, during the actual battle, Beowulf faces obstacles. After a day of swimming in the mere, Beowulf is caught by Grendel’s mother. As she drags him along, Beowulf is prodded by other monsters of the mere. In addition to this, the sword given to him by Unferth, Hrunting, breaks when he wields it against the monster. Beowulf eventually overcomes these obstacles, however, and defeats Grendel’s mother in a hard-fought battle. Before Beowulf’s final fight, with the dragon, much of his kingdom is destroyed by the rampaging dragon, searching for the thief …show more content…
who stole from his barrow. In this same battle, a search for the barrow must be conducted, but is overcome when the thief comes forward to admit what he has done. Lastly, in the fight with the dragon, Beowulf’s sword breaks once again, forcing him to use a dagger to end the life of the dragon. While there are many obstacles in the battles of Beowulf, none are insurmountable. With three battles in Beowulf, there are three climactic moments. Once again, the climax is the point in time when it is obvious whether the hero will succeed or fail. In the first battle, with Grendel, the climactic moment happens when Grendel himself becomes terrified; so terrified, in fact, that takes off without his own arm, held within Beowulf’s grasp. In the fight with Grendel’s mother, the climactic moment occurs when Beowulf finds the sword from the giants’ time. The sword is clearly superior. In the hands of the hero, it is used to defeat Grendel’s mother, saving the Dane’s and Heorot once again. In the battle with the dragon, the climactic moment comes when Beowulf is bitten in the neck by the dragon. This is a lethal blow that leads to the end of his life. He succeeds in this battle, however, as he is able to slay the dragon, but at the expense of his life. The last component of the archetypal hero quest fulfilled in Beowulf is the hero’s return.
With the symbolic return of a hero, the hero returns a changed person. For Beowulf, he has matured in mind and spirit during his time with the Shieldings. King Hrothgar even tells him he is very mature in his young age. Also, with Beowulf’s return, he gains much respect from his superiors in his own society. King Hygelac himself had doubts Beowulf would be successful. However, the young warrior’s success in Denmark and the treasure he brings back to his king helps him to earn more respect and honor. As a reward to Beowulf, Hygelac gives him large tracts of land and a special sword. In addition to this, after Hygelac and his son died, Beowulf was deemed the rightful person to lead the Geats. For 50 years Beowulf would lead his people, defending them to the very end of his
life. Beowulf, while being the oldest known epic in English literature, does not follow a special plot pattern. The hero epic of Beowulf follows the path of the archetypal hero quest, which consists of several symbols seen in other hero quest stories throughout history. Beowulf fulfills most of these archetypes, including a call, a preparation stage with a mentor, obstacles which make the hero’s quest difficult, a climactic battle, and a hero’s return home. Not only does the story of Beowulf follow the archetypal hero quest, but does so three different times throughout the epic, each with different battles. There is a uniqueness about Beowulf since it is its own story with its own heroes, enemies, and triumphs, but it nevertheless is a great example of the archetypal hero quest.
Beowulf is an epic poem that explores many themes and motifs within the Anglo-Saxon society. The Author, who remains anonymous, composed the epic around 1000 A.D. The literature focuses mainly on a Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf, who comes to the aid of Herot, a small town ran by King Hrothgar. Beowulf arises to rid the town of evil forces, such as the demon monster Grendel, and his savage mother who seeks revenge for the death of her son. As he ages, Beowulf presumes his title as king of Geatland, still eager to protect his loyal followers from danger.
Ordinarily, Beowulf’s first steps in his quest begin with his brawls with Grendel and Grendel’s Mother. Grendel is the first challenge for the mighty hero to encounter; he is a giant beast with incredible brute strength, and cunning. The many assaults he waged on the mead hall caused atrocious pain to the Danes. Heaney writes, “So Grendel waged his lonely war, inflicting constant cruelties on the people, atrocious hurt. He took over Heorot, haunted the glittering hall after dark” (Heaney 164-67). These acts of evil are enough to get Beowulf to sail to Denmark. Nevertheless, the good in him needs to erase this inherit evil from the face of the earth. Grendel is a spawn of something stronger and more evil, he is a child of hell. This is Beowulf’s first encounter with such a sinister power. He fights the monster in the mead hall and prevails, Heaney concludes, “Before morning he [Grendel] would rip life from limb and devour them, feed on their flesh; but his
Beowulf was a true hero, in the eyes of many, through said traits. He fought a number of battles and was triumphant in all, except his last battle. Beowulf possessed the skills and power necessary to kill Grendel, the monster who had been terrorizing the Danes for over a decade, with his bare hands. While fighting, Beowulf detached Grendel’s arm from his shoulder, which was later hung up as a trophy. Beowulf eventually put an end to Grendel’s life, and naturally, Grendel’s mother had pursued Beowulf. Although Grendel’s mother was an even deadlier monster than her son, Beowulf once again proved his abilities by slaying her, as well. He slashed her neck with a sword that carried unbearable weight. Afterwards, he carried her head with only his own arms, while it took the a...
The general definition of a hero is, “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Although, the interpretation of a hero is always dependant on the society in which the hero resides. The “hero”, Beowulf, is not depicted the same way as he is in the self-titled poem “Beowulf” as he is in Grendel. The poem “Beowulf” is said to emerge from the Anglo-Saxon period or the 5th-6th century. It was later translated by Burton Raffel. The “hero” of the poem, Beowulf, is a glorified Geatish warrior whose hunger for fame and wealth drives him to the land of the Danes to rid of the evil monster, Grendel. He is depicted as a strong, brave, and courageous man and admired by the Danes. On the other hand,
Beowulf was one of the first great literary pieces ever told. Not only was it one of the first great orally told stories, it also was one of the first heroic tales. Beowulf was a great warrior who risked his own life to save a village from a savage monster, so when I was asked if Beowulf was a hero or not, I didn’t have to think twice of my answer. Beowulf showed many characteristics of being a hero, although there were a multitude of evil monsters who were attempting to contravene with his heroic actions. The battle of good and evil with forever be an essential part of literature and also real life!
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
King Hrothgar once again looks toward Beowulf to take care of another monster. To get ready for this battle Beowulf wears armor and uses the Horting sword which has never lost in battle. Once again Beowulf shows his courage by deciding to go to the bottom of the monster filled swamp and fight alone. Fighting off monsters on his way down, Beowulf reached the bottom where he was met by Grendel 's mother. He tried to cut her head off with Horting, but she is too strong. Beowulf takes a sword made for giants off the wall, and uses his super strength to cut the mother 's head off. As a trophy of this battle Beowulf finds the body of Grendel in a corner and decides to take his head back to the mead hall. Hrothgar celebrates another victory by once again throwing a large celebration where they gave more gifts to Beowulf and the Geats. After two battles, Beowulf decides it is time for him and his men to head back to their homeland. Continuing to show courage, honor, and strength Beowulf states that if the Danes ever have anymore problems with monsters he will help protect
In the beginning of the novel, Beowulf takes interest in the plight of Hrothgar, King of Denmark, and wants to help him fight Grendel. Grendel is a large monster that has been harassing members in the mead-hall of the Heorot. Beowulf owes Hrothgar a favor, due to the fact that Hrothgar saved his father in years past. Hrothgar is honored to have Beowulf attempt to fight the swamp monster, and decides to hold a feast in his name. When Grendel shows up to the feast, Beowulf illustrates his bravery by fighting Grendel without any armor. When Beowulf wins the battle by ripping Grendel’s arm off, everyone in the mead-hall praises Beowulf for his acts of courage. In this scene, Beowulf proves that he is a hero by fighting off a monster that everyone else was afraid of. This made him look
“I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.” This was said by the main protagonist in the epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf himself becomes an epic hero throughout the story be demonstrating that he is on a quest, by becoming significant and glorified by his people, and by risking his own safety and possible death for the greater good of society.
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
The epic poem Beowulf centers around the hero. From the character of Beowulf, the reader can see the importance of community, orality, and heroism. Beowulf, as a result, is an icon of his ancient Germanic heritage. He is mimetic of the world around him. In addition, he reflects the past?s tradition of heroes; he follows in Shield and Sigemund?s footsteps, mirroring their characteristics and actions. Thus, when Beowulf passes on, both the ancient world and the new world collapse.
Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his loyalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and fate
Beowulf is a warrior of Hygelac who was the strongest of men alive in that day. Beowulf was mighty and noble. He learns that a monster named Grendel is terrorizing King Hrothgar and his people, the Danes. He swears to kill the monster with his bare hands and travels to Herot to do so.
Beowulf is a poem based on heroism. It tells such a great story that it was able to live on for over five hundred years before it was ever written down. Till this day the author is still unknown. It comes from the Old English or the Anglo-Saxon literary and historical period of time. Beowulf holds many characteristics that classify him as an epic hero; inhuman strength, loyalty, and courage
Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.