Hero Vs Beowulf

Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endures in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In other words, a hero is a normal person who is able to be strong and persevere despite difficult obstacles preventing them. In the book, Beowulf, the the nephew of the king of the land of the geats, helps Hrothgar, another king, kill a series of monsters that threaten his kingdom. He helps Hrothgar kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Firedrake. Beowulf is a hero because he is just an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite the overwhelming obstacles preventing him from doing so. Beowulf embodies Christopher Reeve’s definition of a hero because he defeated the flesh-eating Grendel, who could not be stopped even by groups of elite soldiers. Beowulf also killed Grendel’s mother, a much eviler being who lived in a cave in an endless pool of blood that led to hell. Finally, he defeated The Firedrake, who swelled up and breathed fire when angry.

Throughout the story, Beowulf’s boasts resemble nothing less than a symbol of his arrogance. “…sailors have brought us stories of Herot, the best of all mead-halls, deserted and useless when the moon hangs in skies the sun had lit, light and life fleeing together. My people have said, the wisest, most knowing and best of them, that my duty was to go to the Danes’ Great king. They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth. I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was my errand and the fate they had earned. Now Grendel and I are called together, and I’ve come…I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall. I have heard, too, that the monster’s scorn of men is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I. My lord

Beowulf carries himself as very prideful. But, it is not a bad kind of pride. He has a strong positive self-esteem that drives his quest towards fame. Beowulf very

How does Beowulf's heroic acts compare to today's heroes. The definition of a hero is someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty, someone who cares for others more than himself, and someone who courageous actions that could get them killed in order to save someone.In regards to Beowulf, I believe that he fits those needs.

Heroes bring a hope to people whom they protect. Heroes bring people joy and bring a sense of relaxation to the people of their society because they play such an important role in lives everywhere. Heroes are complex rather than unembellished because they can fight dragons to defend their kingdom, or create a non-profit foundation to enhance the quality of life for more than 2,000 underprivileged kids. Heroes in our present day can be very complex because a person’s viewpoint on a hero’s life can be a completely different than the way another person looks at that same hero. Thomas Davis Sr. can be extremely comparable to Beowulf but they also have major differences.

Beowulf, a legendary hero of Geatish lore, from the epic poem named after him, is the definition of a hero. There is one being who can be collated to Beowulf: the mighty Thor, god of thunder. Derived from Norse mythology, Thor is hot-headed, with an appetite for food and drink. He also is one of the strongest gods, serving as the protector of the people. Both of these characters share similar qualities in what some would define a hero, despite one being a man, and the other being a deity.

Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as bravery, loyalty, and generosity, which portray him as a hero. It is interesting how modern day heroes show the much of the same qualities as Beowulf.

Superheroes are unique and have abilities to do things that ordinary people cannot. A superhero does not have to have physical abilities. A superhero is a overall strong individual, whether their strength is mental or physical. Superheroes are unique and can vary in abilities. Beowulf is a superhero like the well known superheroes in television. Beowulf has similar characteristics to Incredible Hulk, Superman, and Spider-Man. Although Beowulf shares many characteristics, he also has many that makes him unique. Beowulf is strong like Incredible Hulk, but does not hurt anyone unless necessary. Beowulf is brave like Superman, although he is not as big. Lastly, Beowulf is daring like Spider-Man, even though he cannot shoot webs from his

The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf touches on the vice of pride, and is instilled in the main character, Beowulf, the great and mighty warrior. His boasting and arrogance when first dropping anchor at Heorot transitions throughout the poem, and, in contrast with his ideal kingsmanship, motivates him to accomplish and overcome the many challenges he faces as an epic hero. The contrast of his absent humility in the rise and fall of the story help promote the progression of the story, through its different purposes. Beowulf, when first landing upon Hrothgar’s kingdom, boasts, which does not go unchallenged, so that he might gain the trust of the Danes, but when knowingly facing his last battle, uses bragging to comfort and brace himself for his ultimate demise.

In Anglo-Saxon society, boasting was a way of introducing yourself, it was a way of telling others who you were. It is similar to a contemplation of someone’s resume, their social media profiles, and anything else that contains information on them. In Beowulf’s time, they didn’t have the Internet or Google. They couldn’t just look up whoever they wanted whenever they wanted. In their society, boasting was encouraged, but nowadays it is deterred.

Beowulf’s fame and glory is essential to him much like it is to the rest of the Norse culture. When Beowulf first appears to Hrothgar he makes an effort to brag regarding his achievements as a warrior and claims “‘They had seen me bolstered in the blood of enemies / when I battled and bound five beasts, / raided a troll-nest and in the

Beowulf starts boasting as soon as he is introduced to the King Hrothgar. Beowulf tells him, "... every elder and experience councilman / among my people supported my resolve / to come here to you, King Hrothgar / because all knew of my awesome strength" (Beowulf 415-18). His boasting grants him an opportunity to battle Grendel. Later on, after he actually fights Grendel he proudly hangs Grendel's' arm in the wall to prove just how great he is. "Clear proof of this Could be seen in the hand the hero displayed High up near the roof: the whole of Grendel’s Shoulder and arm, his awesome grasp" (Beowulf 832-35), this is an example of symbolic boasting because it represents one of his greatest accomplishments. Beowulf makes many boast, time after time he boast about all his glories. He slowly starts to get more and more prideful till his very end.

Heroes, from Beowulf to Superman our cultures have always created heroes. We may always have political, social, economic and religious differences, but at the end of the day we all have one thing in common, heroes. They help define who we are and what we want to be. They give us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction. They show us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Heroes give us the inspiration we need to overcome problems in our own lives and that is why we create them. Beowulf perfectly embodies the idea of a hero. He defeats the evil Grendel and his mother, slays the dragon and saves his people. He is

Which “No Dane doubted the victory...(355)” and knowing that people honor him for his battles and his eagerness to fight that gives Beowulf a boost in his ego. Without his pride it would be hard to picture the strong and courageous Beowulf we all read about because then he would be without all the characteristic of what an epic hero should be. Though his pride may make Beowulf but it also was what broke him like the time when he announced he would be the only one to kill the dragon even though he was old he still wants to seek fame. Just like the time he was eager to fight Grendel at his lair. He was not afraid to seek Grendel out or kill him in his lair not knowing who or what would be in the monster’s lair when he went in.

Beowulf was many things, including but not limited to a hero and a leader. Leaders sometimes come from heroes; leaders may tend to be humble heroes; not wanting to always be in the spotlight of the people. Leaders know what the people want and need, and try to accomplish just that. A good hero will stand up for the people who are in need and are deserving. There are so many qualities that heroes and leaders have that Beowulf possesses in the narrative of Beowulf.