One of the first pieces of British literature recorded is the epic poem Beowulf. The poem concentrates on the life of the adventurous Geat warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf faces several challenges throughout the poem that depict him as a man who would go to extreme lengths to accumulate fame. While creating a legend for himself, Beowulf and other characters within the poem reveal several values of the Anglo-Saxons. These values include their belief in boasting, revenge, and loyalty.
Who wants to be forgotten after death? Clearly not the Anglo-Saxons who believed that all that remained of a person was his fame. This belief explains the outrageous boasting the characters within Beowulf do. When Beowulf arrives in the Danes' kingdom, he begins boasting as he is asking permission from King Hrothgar to fight the monster Grendel who has terrorized the Danes for "twelve winters," (l. 147, 27). Beowulf boasts about his past deeds and then exclaims that he alone could "purge all evil from this hall," (l. 436, 36). Hrothgar had heard Beowulf's accomplishments and grants him permission to fight Grendel. Without the use of boasting, Beowulf's fame may not have reached Hrothgar's ears, and Beowulf might have been denied his quest Sometimes, however, boasting proves to be dangerous because the person who boasts may become too proud. An overabundance of pride afflicted King Hermond, who ."..was once the mightiest/Of men. But pride.../Sent him into exile...," (l. 901-903, 51). Because he was boastful, Hermond became too proud and this resulted in his death. Toward the end of the poem, Beowulf once again begins to boast. This time he faces a monster that has begun to harass the people within his kingdom. When Beowulf learns of this ...
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...f realizes that Beowulf cannot defeat the dragon and that he will die. Wiglaf rushes to his king's side when he ."..needed him most...," (l. 2694, 106). His loyal act does not save his king but allows Beowulf the chance he needs to kill the dragon and die with respect. Because Wiglaf was loyal to his king and stood by him, Beowulf rewarded Wiglac by asking him to grant his dying words. Wiglaf may have been only one man, but out of Beowulf's followers, he is the only one brave enough to face danger when his king needed him.
Beowulf is a wonderful poem full of heroic men. The characters show their heroism while facing many dangers and continually holding their values near their heart. These values shine throughout the poem as the belief in boasting, revenge, and loyalty. Beowulf's and other's courageous deeds make this poem a classic epic for all time.
Wiglaf was the only person that had stayed to help his king and by doing this while all the other soldiers ran away it magnified his glory infinitely more than before. It was magnified so much that Beowulf made him king because of his bravery and loyalty to him.
Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.
In this epic poem, Beowulf, the epic is portrayed to show many events throughout the novel itself. Such as when Beowulf encounters three separate and increasingly difficult conflicts with powerful monsters filled with terror and fear, which depicts the transformation of his heroism. He is manifested as a hero with extraordinary strength and much confidence in himself as a fearless warrior.
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.
In the battle with the dragon, Beowulf is struggling and Wiglaf is the only warrior who helps Beowulf to eventually defeat this beast. The proceeding excerpt is from Beowulf which shows Wiglaf encouraging Beowulf to fight with everything he has left and he will be by Beowulf’s side. “Beloved Beowulf, Summon your strength, remember the vow You made of old in the years of youth Not to allow your glory to lessen As long as you lived. With resolute heart, And dauntless daring, defend your life With all your force. I fight at your side! (1587-1595)” The proceeding quote signifies that Wiglaf will never give up on Beowulf and will always fight on his side. A major characteristic of Wiglaf in this epic is his loyalty to his king, Beowulf. He will never give up on Beowulf. Even when the ten other warriors leave, he stays to help assist Beowulf in taking down the dragon. He is extremely loyalty to Beowulf and will never leave his side even in the face of death. Wiglaf loyalty towards Beowulf helps him to the killing of the mighty dragon at the end of the
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.
Epic heroes usually exemplify the character traits most admired in their societies, and Beowulf is no exception. "Beowulf" is set in the Anglo-Saxon society, a time when war was rampant among the many peoples trying to take over the different kingdoms of England. In this dangerous, violent time people lived in constant peril and jeopardy. These conditions only allowed people of great bravery to survive and men of outstanding courage were admired the populous. These warriors fought for their leader and tribe in return for treasure and protection. This relationship between the lord and his men was the basis of the Anglo-Saxon society. The epic poem "Beowulf" is a perfect example of how this system worked in these trying times.
As Beowulf readers, we all know that at the most crucial point in the story, when the hero’s life is being challenged by the dragon to an extent that it has never been threatened before, the one loyal thane who comes through to help the hero is Wiglaf.:
...pics. Beowulf is a hero and personalized many important aspects and ideals of this time. He was loyal, selfless, and believed in justice. There are many Germanic elements in the poem that are connected to the ongoing theme of fate. Beowulf lived as a warrior-king figure in feudal society. He lived the Germanic Heroic Code that valued loyalty, strength, and courage. Beowulf also conducted himself with many Anglo-Saxon ideals of conduct that included allegiance to the lord and king, the love of glory that rules the meaning and existence of life, and the belief in the inevitability of fate.
Beowulf is brimming with a variety of symbols, motifs, and themes. When examined through a through an analytical lens, it is obvious that the poem uses simplicity to reveal much deeper meaning. Beowulf’s slaying of monsters is not transparent, on the contrary, the majority of the text’s substance is found within the encounters that Beowulf has with these creatures. The hero’s encounter with the dragon is an allusion to the sin of greed, while his battles against the monsters in general show his heroic nature. In addition, the events in the story show Beowulf’s internal struggle of simultaneously being a hero and a king and the importance of self-reliance.
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.
Every culture has many stories and poems to represent what they believe in, and what they look for in a hero. The heroes written in these stories and myths are brave, and are leaders. However, every hero comes with a flaw or two. The epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, has an extraordinary hero named Beowulf. Beowulf was a hero to the Anglo-Saxons which were fierce warriors who fought a lot. Beowulf fights many brutal monsters and threats in his days, but the most barbaric of them all is the inside threat within him. Beowulf had a big ego, and focused more on creating a name for himself than thinking about the real risks ahead. Two of his major battles that he faced along with his internal peril was against the dragon, and the beast Grendel.
Beowulf was written anonymously like most poems during the Anglo-Saxon period. During this time period, “there was a rigid code of behavior that stressed bravery, loyalty and [the] willingness to avenge” (Rougeau-Vanderford “Themes in Beowulf”.) His character represents the true values of the Anglo-Saxon values, from his sacrifices, to the loyalty he shows his people. The Anglo-Saxons culture believed that “life was regarded as valuable,” (Rougeau-Vanderford “Themes in Beowulf”) making Beowulf’s sacrifice the ultimate display of
Living in an Anglo-Saxon society was a tough time. They had to work much very hard for simple things or you had to be born into nobility, but they were not too different from us nowadays. The Anglo- Saxon society, similar to today’s society, can be defined by several key values such as bravery, honor, loyalty, and perseverance.
Beowulf is the story of a great king. Beowulf protects all of his warriors. However, the warrior with the most courage happened to be Wiglaf. Beowulf protects Wiglaf. Wiglaf is the only warrior with the courage to give his own life in effort to save a king he loves and respects. Wiglaf is the hero in Beowulf. Wiglaf’s courageous character confirms that his attempt to defeat Grendel was not for his own good, but to honor his king. Wiglaf’s heroic behavior was in hope to save his lord, Beowulf from the dangerous fumes given off by Grendel.