Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The six characteristics of beowulf
The six characteristics of beowulf
Characterization of beowulf
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Beowulf was praised during his time, he was a king. He traveled great distances to help and save people from supernatural monsters. Today, true heroes don’t get the praise they deserve. I believe Beowulf was a hero because of the traits he carried, his ability to save people, and his rank in society. Beowulf contained the all traits of a hero. He is very courageous because once he heard about what Grendel was doing, he immediately gathered a group of his strongest men and set off to go defeat this demon. Beowulf displayed supernatural strength by defeating five monsters before Grendel, “I drive five giants into chains”, (48 lines 248-249). He defeats these monsters because of the glory it rewards. After defeating all these beasts, Beowulf is rewarded by Higlac to become king of geatland, and rules it for the next 50 years. His place in society is at the very top. Everyone one looks up to him and praises him because of his heroic actions. All the men, including Wiglaf, swore that they would fight for Beowulf and sacrifice themselves if needed, “all of us swore to repay …show more content…
Their place in society today, is towards the bottom. For example, police officers currently do not have a good rep because of the few officers that have displayed negative actions. Police officers put their life on the line every day to help keep citizens safe, but because of those few that have made poor decisions, instead of being honored like they deserve they are actually hated. Firefighters also risk their lives daily to help save us. They go into burning buildings to try to save someone's life which is also putting their life on the line as well, and they definitely do not get the recognition they deserve either. They must have courage and loyalty to the people to even step foot in a burning building. These modern day heroes are not at the top of society like Beowulf was, they are hardly recognized or praised
In my opinion Beowulf is can be considered a hero. Beowulf can be considered a hero because of the characteristics he displays that resemble heroes. He displays all of the characteristics that heroes have. Throughout the story Beowulf stays true to himself and is morals showing that he is a hero. Beowulf is a hero due to his courage, loyalty, and justice.
These are just a few of the qualities that make Beowulf a hero, however they are his strongest ones. Although his acts of greatness may not be entirely for the right reasons, Beowulf could be viewed as a true archetypal hero figure. His bravery, arrogance, brute force all tie into his greatness. And provide undeniable evidence to his
Thou Hrothgar, hail! Hygelac's I, – kinsman and follower. Fame a plenty – have I gained in youth! (”Beowulf”408-410) Francis B. Gummere the author of the epic “Beowulf”, which tells the tale of a hero. For a story that’s supposed to be told about a hero Beowulf’s actions are not the case with many hero’s and maybe for Anglo-Saxon culture, but Beowulf cannot be considered as a hero in modern times. Beowulf is not a modern hero or a hero that would be accepted in today’s society. Beowulf is not a hero because of his lack of morals and compassion, Beowulf not believing in his own men, and Beowulf’s constant need to be the best or accepted by many.
The mighty warrior Beowulf volunteered to help fight off the monster, Grendel. Beowulf showed great bravery because even though Grendel over sized Beowulf, he still accepted the challenge. He also showed strength, Grendel’s head was so massive that four men each had to carry it, but Beowulf could handle the head all by himself. Lastly, Beowulf revealed loyalty by coming to Hrothgar’s assistance, to help with defeating Grendel. Even after Beowulf became King he went to his last battle to defeat the dragon without any help from his
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
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.”
Many epics have been written and forgotten. Yet, the epic of Beowulf has stayed as one of the premiere examples of a heroic epic. This brings an inevitable question to mind. Why is Beowulf considered a hero?
At the beginning of the novel, Beowulf represents a savage warrior, displaying mostly his strength and bravery by defeating Grendel and his mother. However, as Beowulf ages, he begins to change into a different kind of hero. After becoming King of the Geats, Beowulf matured and took on more of a leadership role in the community, as opposed to a warrior. Even though Beowulf was still a hero, he began to lead an army of geats and acted for the good of the people. In both cases however, Beowulf was respected by others for his admirable
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.
He showed great courage, strength, leadership and intrepidness. Beowulf defeated a beast that swooped up an entire room of people and ate them. He took his men on a dangerous voyage to Grendal’s deep, dark lair. Beowulf also demonstrated strength that a normal man couldn’t when he lifted a sword crafted for giants. Although Beowulf was an Anglo-Saxon hero centuries removed, his heroic attributes still appeal to heroes today. Although Beowulf has super strength, he still shows courage, initiative, selflessness, and desire to make the world a better place just like heroes of
A true hero does not fear death or, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. Beowulf is an epic and tells the story of a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as if he was immortal. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. However, his humanity is exposed by his death. Heroes all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their effort to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. Throughout the epic, Beowulf in many ways exhibited all the qualities and characteristics needed to be a true hero.
“A thane, they declared with the strength of thirty in the grip of each hand.” This quote show that Beowulf was insanely strong and had no comparison to other humans. Beowulf even had the strength to hold his breathe underwater to fight against Grendel’s mother. Which just adds to the list of Beowulf’s strengths.People would claim Beowulf to be brave, I would too. Beowulf put himself in many situations in which he could have died, such as fighting Grendel without any weapons, diving under to fight Grendel’s mother, and even fighting the dragon which ended up getting him killed. But no matter what the situation was, Beowulf stood up for his men and protected them, which shows his bravery. “Grendel now, monster cruel, be mine to quell in single battle!” This quote shows that Beowulf wasn’t scared of anything or anybody and proved that by fighting Grendel without any weapons.Leadership was another great trait Beowulf has obtained. He was humble and he had faith. He didn’t show fear which actually led his men to not be afraid of
In recounting the two versions between the battle of Beowulf and Grendel, it’s a fact that Beowulf exceedingly fits as the hero. A true mythical epic hero must meet a specific set of standards regarding his abilities and character. Heroism is defined as being proficient in doing a countless number of unordinary things. They are constantly achieving goals and never give up on anything. Characteristics that a hero possesses are courage, excellence, and bravery. Christopher Reeves, an American actor once stated “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” This quote relates closely to all things that took place in the stories told between the two. Though
He defeats a monster that had been terrorizing the mead hall for twelve years. “Beowulf, a prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel..” (pg. 42 of British Literature Book). Even when Beowulf was no longer young and able to do as much as he used to he still took that task and did what needed to be done. He took on the task because he was the strongest man around. “In his far-off home, Beowulf, Higlac’s Follower and the strongest of the Geats-greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world..” (pg. 36 of British Literature Book). Beowulf did a lot of the fighting and everything for fame as well. A hero should not be a hero for the fame. If they defeat the monsters and do their jobs then they will be famous. There is no need for them to try and get extra fame for them. The only trait that I believe that Beowulf did not display as strong as the other is caring. He killed the monster that was terrorizing the kingdom but that does not mean that he cared about all of the villagers and the people that had already been killed. Beowulf was a very patient man. In the Mead Hall after the party he was laying there awake, waiting for Grendel. He let Grendel eat one of his men before attacking him. That shows that he is a very patient man. He was also very loyal to his word. He told the king that he would fight Grendel without weapons. “Too, that the monster’s scorn of men is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I. My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet are afraid to..” (pg. 38 British Literature Book). He kept his word on that no matter how intense the battle got. He was honest to his word. He was dependable. Towards the end of the poem there was a dragon at the bottom of the castle and even though he was older than he
A hero is someone that helps others no matter what the situation. There are many qualities that a hero must posses such as bravery, courage, strength, intelligence and honor. These qualities alone are not enough to make a hero. They must also be pure at heart, fight for the good of mankind and only fight when it is to protect the people and not out of revenge. Beowulf is everything a hero should be, but contains a few qualities that a hero should not posses. When Beowulf sailed with his men to Herot he had one goal, to rid the hall of Grendal. Beowulf was under no obligation to destroy Grendal and never asked for anything in return for his services. A true hero would never ask for money or anything of value. He put his life at risk to save the people of Herot, who he didn’t even know, out of his own good nature Great strength has been a trait that has been identified with heroes in many stories and legends. Than he saw hanging on the wall, a heavy Sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons But so massive that no ordinary man could lift... (II. 1557-1560) Beowulf possessed great strength that separated him from other men. Being able to use a sword that no ordinary man was able to carry gives the feeling that Beowulf is something more than a human being. It makes him special and causes him to stand out from all other men. Fame is something that makes a hero more noted. Beowulfs popularity had spread all over the world. He never let this go to his head and he never thought that he was better than everyone else because of it. “Your fame is everywhere, my friend,/Reaches to the ends of the earth, and you hold it in your heart wisely...” (II.1704-1706). A hero should not be foolish or full of himself. Unferth said: You’re Beowulf, are you- the same Boastful fool who fought a swimming Match with Brecca, both of you daring and young and proud,exploring the deepest Seas, risking your lives for no reason But the danger? (II. 506-511) A hero should not have to prove to himself or to anyone else that he is brave, fearless or courageous. If he is pure a heart and his intentions are good then he can be considered a true hero.