Beowulf the Brave and Boastful
“I am Beowulf!” Are you really though? Are you the epic hero that exemplifies courage and bravery? The answer to that question is a resounding “yes.” Beowulf epitomizes the ideals of an epic hero in the sense that he embodies bravery, significance and glorification, and has superior strength, intelligence and courage.
Allow me to first explain how our hero, Beowulf, embodies bravery. From the beginning, Beowulf was brave. The moment he caught word of the story’s first villain, Grendel, he was bound for Danish shores and to the plagued town of Herot. Readers were intrigued by the brave actions of Beowulf in his encounter with Grendel. Though the battle was well fought on both sides, Beowulf reigned supreme over the beast. In his second onslaught, Beowulf was up against Grendel’s mother. His gallantry shined through as he swam to the bottom of a lake to fight her. In the fight, she
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already had a home field advantage, metaphorically speaking in sports terms. Beowulf had the odds stacked against him, but he did not let that falter his attack on the sea witch. Even through the battle in the fight hall full of abhorrent monsters, Beowulf conquered is second foe. Our hero’s final encounter was fifty winters later with an atrocious dragon. Though he was many years older, his dauntlessness never once wavered, even when the victory of a third battle was far from Beowulf’s grasp. Beowulf was a brave warrior and he also substantiates significance and glory. The battle with Grendel was significant because it was the first time the readers got to see Beowulf fight and prove his worthiness to the title of an epic hero. It is how our hero’s quest to glory began. Although Beowulf’s second battle, the battle with the sea witch, was not glorified, it had significance because it symbolized the beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon culture. They believed in courage and bravery. The final battle for Beowulf took place when he was many years older. The battle with the dragon was significant because it was the final time we see Beowulf fight. It was the final time he would stand before his people and warriors alive. The fight alone showed a reader that he was a glorious fighter and he died a warrior’s death. Another reason the battle was significant was because we saw who was really loyal to Beowulf. Beowulf also confirms he was an epic hero by his demonstration of his superhuman strength, intelligence, and courage.
As readers, we witnessed the first acts of this in the subsection titled “The Coming of Beowulf.” The prior characteristics become all the more apparent in the battle with Grendel. He made his superior strength evident by lacerating Grendel’s arm off with this bare hands. The epic hero’s second battle, he practiced his high-caliber intelligence by decapitating the sea witch’s head with a sword hanging on the wall. Beowulf assessed the situation and came to the conclusion he could not defeat her bare handed like he did her son. When the third battle came around, Beowulf was much older and wiser. This fight would ultimately be his last. During the fight with the scaly beast, he too realized that he would soon meet his demise. Even when Beowulf saw the end was near, he fought fearless of the death slowly making its way through his veins. Every encounter with his enemies Beowulf fought with courage and a strength no other man could
possess. If these points do not demonstrate an epic hero, then you need to reevaluate your definition of what an epic hero is. Beowulf symbolizes all of the characteristics of this specified hero. He epitomizes the ideals in the fact that he embodies bravery, significance and glorification, and his superior qualities that trumped three larger-than-life antagonists. Beowulf was boastful and a walking threat to all evil that opposed him. If he was not an epic hero, why would such a common man possess such god-like characteristics?
Bravery is like a very trusted friend, it will never let you down. That statement holds true in the great epic of "Beowulf." "Beowulf" is the story of a great hero who comes to the aid of a troubled king. Beowulf hears that king Hrothgar is having trouble and immediately comes to help with no questions asked. he defeats the monster, Grendel, with his bare hands. Beowulf then defeats Grendel's mother along with a dragon until he is fatally injured. Bravery is a very admirable characteristic that few people possess.
Beowulf shows off his bravery when facing Grendal. “Like Grendal, gripped in my hands and torn, but his breath will be burning hot, poison will pour from his tongue” (Raffel, 670-673). Beowulf has boldness; here it shows that he is not afraid of Grendal even after his hands were torn off. He showed even more bravery when all of his men abandoned him and he was all alone to fight Grendal.
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.
Heroism is found very easily in Beowulf, there are many different forms of heroism portrayed from different characters. The heroism shown in Beowulf goes beyond just physical courage as they go on into war, or defeating the dragon. The Thanes; the warriors who have been rewarded by King Hrothgar, had to show loyalty and trust to the King to prove that they were able to fight for him and the city. As stated at the beginning of the piece “Indeed, we have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes, kings of the nation in days gone by-how those princes performed deeds of courage,” (489) without this act of heroism King Hrothgar and his villa...
A true modern hero is able to set aside fear and act on the matter at hand, which signifies the quality of courage. Being Courageous can set you apart from others, because you are willing to carry out actions that are beneficial for the greater good. Any one can say they are going to do something, but when the claim is backed with actions they truly display courage. Beowulf is the epitome of being courageous. He voluntarily
An epic hero puts what is best for others before his or her own needs. There are many different forms of heroism, and all shares the same quality, self-sacrifice. With Beowulf, he sacrifices his life to come fight for a country that isn’t even his. Beowulf is an epic hero because he puts himself in harm's way, fearless, for the benefit of others.
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...
Bravery is a trait that every young boy wishes to have. It is a desire that is embedded into each human being. It is only whether or not he or she acts on this desire to be brave that matter s. Aristotle writes, “{Bravery} courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” When Beowulf heard of the atrocities that Grendle was committing to the people of Herot, it was bravery that brought him there as their savor, and without fear he would
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.”
Beowulf is a good example of a courageous and strong hero. He shows all of
Courage is a theme that is shown throughout the entire epic of Beowulf. By definition courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes on ones own will and determination. There are many things form the epic that could be used to prove this statement, but I chose to use the section entitled "The Final Battle." In this section there are two great speeches given by both Beowulf and Wiglaf. I believe that in both of these monologues courage is portrayed by the two warriors, and it is easy to see why.
The most obvious positive repercussion of bravery would be fame. Through Beowulf’s bravery and his ability to win battles he earned much fame. Soldiers and storytellers alike told tales of Beowulf’s brave deeds. On pg. 121 there are Geats speaking about Beowulf, and they basically sum up the fame of Beowulf’s among the average person. “Telling their sorrow, telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name.”
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.
By battling Grendel one on one, Beowulf displays both confidence and courage in his skills and strength. Coming to the Danes after they have been battling for twelve years against the monster, Grendel, with no success shows undeniable courage. He went there knowing that the Danes were being attacked by a dreadful, hostile monster who has murdered many of their men. Later during the fight with Grendel, Beowulf had a grip on his hand and Grendel “knew his fingers were in a hostile grip” (764) and in this scene, Beowulf knew that he could do what the people expected of him. Grendel experienced fear for the first time and Beowulf knew his victory was absolute and proceeds to tear off Grendel’s arm to ensure his victory. By consciously choosing
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.