Beowulf is one in a sea of many epic poems exemplifying battle, glory, great leaders, and, inevitably, death. Classic plot lines have followed the general flow of such stories from exposition to conflict to resolution, the majoity thriving off of a hero-villan mentality. The battle between good and evil has been perpetuated throughout history in literature and story. The media today suffers from the clear segregation of right and wrong just as much as society did in the days that Beowulf was first written. Though literary portrayals of good and evil appear clearcut, the identification of good and evil in daily life is complex and muddled. In Beowulf, there is an obvious divide between monsters and heroes; however, under closer scrutiny, heroes and monsters are not as dissimilar as they appear. Beowulf is portrayed as the fearless hero in his very own epic poem. A native of the Geats, Beowulf is “the mightiest man on earth,/ high-born and powerful” (197-198). He holds a powerful position as the Thane of Hygelac, king of the Geats as well as the title of a powerful monster slayer. Besides Beowulf’s prominent title and advantages in strength, what defines him as a hero? Those who have heard of Beowulf place unfailing belief in his abilities. The men of his homeland have faith in him even in the face of grave danger:
“Nobody tried to keep him from going, no elder denied him, dear as he was to them.
Instead they inspected omens and spurred his ambition to go, whillst he
Whether you are arguing with your siblings, with a stranger at a baseball game, during a debate, with your parents or children, you are fighting for what you believe is right. You perceive yourself as the “victim” in the situation by trying to justify your reasoning behind the argument. Some people may perceive you as the good or as the evil because they believe that you have done nothing wrong, you were being perverse or fighting for the wrong reason. The epic poem Beowulf, is a super-eminent literary example that represents the good and evil in the characters and what they are fighting for. In this fictional poem, in which the author is unknown, the protagonist Beowulf encounters three major battles with a monster named Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and a dragon. Each character is fighting for a certain reason and believe their reason is more dominant. The two audiences that view the characters as good or evil is the Danes and the narrator. Since the characters in the poem believe they're justified in their actions, they prove to not be all evil or all good. In fact, they should be judged based on the rationale behind their actions to fight.
Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.
Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They show great bravery, intelligence, strength and resourcefulness. They have a strong admiration for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they
Overall, Beowulf could only be known as a hero. He shows every characteristic of a hero in everything he does. He shows courage, willingness to put other lives before his, and bravery throughout the whole poem. Beowulf was a great example to his fellow people of the kingdom what it took to keep them safe. There is nothing else that would classify Beowulf, besides being a
Beowulf is the hero of all. He has courage, strength, and is considered the prince of the Geats. He always stand by his word no matter what happened, no matter if he must risk his physical integrity for it. He likes to be there for the people that need his help to be saved from the evil. He is willing to risk his own life in order to save the life of his ideals, and that selfless help identifies his heroic identity and character. He defeats three monsters, two of them were the descendants of Cain, demonstrating his capabilities of performing great feats of strength and courage. This heroic icon demonstrates how brave he is, not only with himself but with other people that need his useful help and he is always there to help others, using his ability of strength and courage.
Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow men through his amazing physical strength. He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious
In the epic poem Beowulf, there is an obvious distinction between good and evil. The hero and his foes play roles that are commonly associated with Anglo-Saxon literature. The lines are clearly drawn and expressed in the poem. As the story moves, the reader cannot mistake the roles being played, based on the characterizations in the epic, one recognizes each character for their purpose and place.
“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.
Beowulf is a hero, and we all know a hero when we see one. There are many traits and characteristics that make someone a hero. These traits and characteristics are more expressed in ancient epics and poems. Beowulf is one of the most famous ancient Anglo-Saxon poems still taught to this day in schools and colleges all over the world. The story starts off of how a man by the name of Beowulf receives news that a neighboring land is being terrorized by a monster named Grendel. Beowulf shows several characteristics of here such as, bravery, loyalty, generosity, friendship, and showing a high level of intellect. Beowulf first shows his heroic character through his bravery while journeying on his epic quest. There are several cases where he is not afraid, and instead of being frightened, he shows great bravery. An example of from the poem is, “Instead, they inspected omens and spurred his ambitions to go, whilst he moved about like the leader he was, enlisting men, the best he could find; with fourteen others the warrior boarded the boast as captain” (Beowulf 205-210). This quote gives proof of his bravery because he was the head of the group leading his men. Beowulf proves that even he himself must be brave in order to lead the bravest of men into battle.
Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They have a noble birth and show great bravery. They display great intelligence and resourcefulness. They have a reverence for G-d and for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they conquer evil (Vivone 9/27/99). In addition to Beowulf’s heroic qualities, he is very strong. Beowulf was said to have “the strength of thirty [men] in his mighty handgrip” (Bloom 11). Early proof of Beowulf’s extraordinary strength is evidenced by his dismemberment of Grendel’s limb, the fight in the cave under water, and the
In the Epic Beowulf, composed in the 8th century, the reader follows the protagonist, Beowulf, on a series of adventures to defeat three key monsters. This old English poem uses a series of motifs to help develop its themes, known as dichotomies. Dichotomies, defined as “opposites on the same spectrum,” range from good and evil to young and old, light and dark to Christianity and paganism. All these dichotomies are represented clearly in the text; however the concept of Heroes and Villains can be pulled in many different directions. Although Beowulf is always the hero, it is questionable as to if his three opponents are simply “villains.”
Beowulf exhibits many obvious heroic qualities, such as his strength and confidence in battle. These along with more subtle diplomatic actions serve to define him as both a great warrior and leader.
Beowulf's values in life and larger than life characteristics are what set him apart from a normal warrior. Beowulf should be viewed as a hero in our world today because of the great strength, the undeniable will to fight, and the bravery that is shown in the battles that Beowulf faces. Generally speaking, strength is often times considered to be a major
Heros are usually depicted as larger than life people stopping the “bad guy” and saving the day. In the story Beowulf, these qualities are shown in many ways. Throughout the tale he slays two large beasts, and later becomes king. He even proceeds to slay a dragon! But why do these actions make Beowulf a hero?
Beowulf is a courageous, honorable, humble, heroic man. The reason why beowulf is a hero is simply because he had a very gruesome battle with a monster named Grendel and he won the battle between him and Grendel and as a trophy he took Grendel’s arm (lines 318-329), and Grendel’s mother went after beowulf to get revenge for her child, at first she went and attacked some of the men, she went back home with an arm as a trophy, but as soon as she did that beowulf wanted to have a battle with her, and they had a battle, he won, and took grendel’s head home as a trophy as a reward for his people (lines 474,494,504-509,510-540) however he did attempt to defeat the dragon but was not able to do so, he was laid to rest. (656-706) So these vicious fights made beowulf a heroic person because he simply defeated the