Beowulf
The classic hero is a well-known character of high social position whose qualities represent those valuable to his society. The hero is pitted against monsters and is, therefore, strong and courageous often to the point of seeming superman. Beowulf often displays cunning and craftiness in dealing with others. At the same time, since he represents all humans, he struggles to overcome human weaknesses. He is challenged and he triumphs. In Beowulf: A new telling by Robert Nye, Beowulf is a classic hero. He struggles against monsters, endures challenges, suffers, and eventually is victorious over evil. His words and actions, which help him decide the fate of a group of people, demonstrates that Beowulf is a brave, wise, and benevolent leader.
Beowulf seems to always show signs of bravery thoughout the story. He is pitted against monsters and is, therefore, strong and courageous often to the point of seeming superhero. For instance, when Beowulf is going to go find and kill Grendle with his men, he stops to talk with the coast guard, Beowulf says " ... Then you are either the bravest man in the world..." Many poeple throught the story think the Beowulf is very brave! Once Beowulf and his men leave the coast guard the author makes a remark; "When Beowulf had heard of all the stories about the dreadful demon Grendle, he was determined to go and help Herothgar kill the monster..." This demonstrates intrepidity, because he is willing to go risk his life for another country. Another source of courage is when Breca and Beowulf fights off the nine sea monsters. First of all even doing the daring contest in the sea is a sign of dauntlessness, but a true sign of bravery is this, " And I swung my sword to fight them off..." Can you now see that the author meant for Beowulf to be the hero, and the bravest one of them all ?
Robert Nye wouldn't cut the hero of the story short with only bravery; Beowulf was also wise. All through the book Beowulf was wise. There are many of examples of his cleverness. Beowulf uses his sagaciousness when he is getting ready to do something and in his every day problems.
Another heroic characteristic, which Beowulf possesses, is bravery. Bravery is being able to go against the odds and possibly risk your life in the process. An example of Beowulf showing bravery is when he goes to slay the dragon even though all his men abandon him. He realizes that the dragon is more powerful than he is, but he will still not back down. In line 1493, he says “Not one foot’s space will I flee from the monster,” thus showing his true bravery by not giving up to the more powerful foe.
Courage is certainly a trait which every hero must possess, particularly because no one wants a hero who is a coward. Thankfully, Beowulf is no coward. When Beowulf hears of Grendel’s exploits in Denmark, he travels to the “distant” land, without hesitation, to rid the Danes of that “demon…conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God”. Beowulf’s courage is displayed even more when he chooses not to fight with weapons, despite knowing that the “fiend” has sharp claws and teeth, for Grendel does not use them. After Beowulf arrives in Denmark, he tells of his acts of courage and bravery, his “boast” convincing Hrothgar to let him protect the meadhall. After Grendel is defeated, Beowulf’s courage becomes even more evident when he is also asked to rid the Danes of Grendel’s mother. On...
Beowulf’s bravery comes from his confidence that he can defeat monsters using different strategies. Hailey W. Odessa states Goodness, loyalty, courteousness, evenness, and bravery all describes the traits an ideal hero would possess. Then she says in the poem Beowulf, there is one character that carries all and more of these stated characteristics, and that character is indeed the protagonist known as Beowulf. We all need to understand life is an unforgettable journey. Beowulf’s life changed when he got older. The only question is what makes someone a hero? Features of what it means to be a hero are shown throughout Anglo-Saxon main values. One of the most renowned works from that time period is Beowulf. The story tells us of how one man,
The Beliefs of Christians About Their Responsibility for the Beginning and End of Their Life
Beowulf is a good example of a courageous and strong hero. He shows all of
Beowulf also shows courage in all of his battles. His intelligence is far above any others. He used the sword made by the giants to kill Grendel’s mother. In lines 210-222, it describes how he was quick and saw the sword “hammered by giants, strong and blessed with their magic…and struck with all the strength he had left, caught her in the neck and cut it through…”
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.
Beowulf’s courage is a characteristic of a hero and this is what makes him one as well. In the story he faces his fears multiple times while trying to save others. One example of his courage would be this quote that states "Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked." This is a good example because it shows how Beowulf had the courage to stand up against Grendel and defeat him. In addition Beowulf also put himself in danger while he was fighting the dragon even when he knew he probably not make it. This is an extreme example of courage because it frightened him that he would not make it, but he fought the dragon anyway. I think that these examples show Beowulf’s courage and that is
...mately, Beowulf’s traits of loyalty, strength, and bravery were what an Anglo-Saxon warrior strived for to win glory for himself and his lord. Beowulf is the heroic prototype for future warriors, and his character has set the stage as one of the most influential classical heroes in literature.
A hero not only needs to be physically outstanding, but he also needs to have integrity, moral values and needs to act without thinking in his own benefit. Beowulf has many characteristics of a hero but he also has some defects that make me think that he wouldn’t be considered a hero in today´s world. A hero concept evolves with a culture, Beowulf has many things that the Anglo-Saxons viewed as heroism but he misses many things that are important for a modern hero.
While fighting the Dragon Beowulf shows feats of strength and courage that define him as a hero. The classical hero displays a special quality that separates him from the rest of
Beowulf was brave in that he fought many battles for the good of others. In the epic poem, Beowulf fights the monster Grendel, saves his mother and loses his life while fighting the dragon. Next, Beowulf decides to fight Grendel with his bare hands. He could have easily obtained some kind of weapon to fight with. Beowulf was the first warrior ever to have enough sheer bravery to go up against such a monster with neither help nor weapon or shield to aid him. He was a warrior that believed somewhat in fate and in God. Believing that God made the decisions and was in control, Beowulf trusted that his life was in good hands. Defeating Grendel with his bare hands, Beowulf not only proved his bravery but also his loyalty. Defeating Grendel weaponless was another display of magnificent bravery. He kept coming back and defeated Grendel 's mother along with a fire-breathing dragon until he was fatally injured and killed. Bravery should not only apply to warriors but also to everyday people. Beowulf fights Grendel, saves his mother and loses his life while fighting the dragon. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf came back twice in order to kill Grendel 's mother and a fire-breathing dragon. Although during his bout with the dragon, Beowulf was fatally injured. As his services were needed, he always prevailed; Beowulf 's bravery never tired. He
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 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.
The usual epic hero is most of the time on a mission. Beowulf was on a mission to help his people by getting rid of Grendel. He is determined to free the Danes from Grendel.The third characteristic of Beowulf is courage. There’s no way Beowulf would have accomplished anything without courage. “The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes' heroic campaigns.” Beowulf stated here that he’s known for courage, “The man whose name was known for courage, the Geat leader, resolute in his helmet,answered in return: "We are retainers