Heroes are a common component in the literary tradition of all cultures. Although heroes are a universal concept, the defining traits that make a hero are different for any individual. I personally believe that a hero must be brave, wise and compassionate. Considering my definition of a hero I believe the famous Anglo-Saxon hero Beowulf is still worthy of the title of hero. Additionally there are heroes in the world around us that are equally inspiring. Bravery is possibly the most common heroic trait exhibited by Beowulf in the epic poem. His bravery is unquestionable and it is easily observed in any of his battles. For example his choice to fight Grendel without armor truly demonstrates his unwavering courage. ”I have heard moreover that the monster scorns in his reckless way to use weapons … I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the heavy broad shield”(Beowulf 215). Another example of Beowulf’s bravery was when he fought the dragon. At the time of the battle, Beowulf is close to seventy years old and he chooses to fight alone, sparing a group of his finest warriors who he has positioned outside of the cave only as emergency back ups. In the end Beowulf only outlives the dragon’s fatal bite through the intervention of Wiglaf. …show more content…
After slaying Grendel he gave credit to his fellow Geats for helping in his fight with Grendel, even though their efforts did not influence the outcome of the fight. ”We have gone through with a glorious endeavor … in this fight we dared against the unknown” (Beowulf 244). Beowulf’s final and best demonstration of generosity was giving his life to protect his country from the dragon. In the process of this action he also exchanged his life for the massive hoard of treasure to be shared among his people. Due to Beowulf’s generosity and other great characteristics as leader, his subjects mourned his death. “They said that of all the kings upon the
In the epic poem, Beowulf truly exhibits bravery and courage. There is no doubt that Beowulf is a brave man. As soon as Beowulf is summoned by Hrothgar, he doesn’t hesitate to take up the challenge to battle with Grendel. Beowulf is valiant as he said,“ my hands alone shall fight for me” (Beowulf 38). He intends to fight Grendel with his bare hands not knowing what the outcome will be. Beowulf is willing to risk his life for others which makes him courageous and brave of them all. As a young warrior, Beowulf has proven
A hero is defined as “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities.” In the classic epic, The Tale of Beowulf, Beowulf shows many qualities of a hero. Three examples of honorary qualities Beowulf possesses are bravery, selflessness, and loyalty.
An abundance amount of generosity is shown through just Beowulf himself. His willingness to protect Hrothgar’s people despite the cost is a trait of a great epic hero.“‘ My purpose was this: to win the goodwill/Of your people or die in battle’”(HRW 31). The death of Beowulf brings upon remembrances of his generosity. “‘Telling their sorrow, telling stories/Of their dead king and his greatness, his glory,/Praising him for heroic deeds’”(HRW 46). As the Geats honor their beloved Beowulf, they recognize his generosity through his sacrifices he made to save the people, risking his life many
The first example of when Beowulf shows courage is when he fights Grendel with his bare hands. Grendel is an evil dragon who is killing people in the mead-hall. A messenger travels to tell Beowulf about what is going on. Beowulf has the option to save the Danes and says, “that king, / the famous prince who needed defenders” (Heaney 200-201). Beowulf shows courage by owing allegiance to Lord Hygelac and believes he has a past reason to help Hrothgar. To be a hero a warrior must protect people who are in danger and this is what Beowulf is going to achieve. By applying the characteristic of courage, Beowulf develops leadership skills and will become a hero for his people. There is a lot on Beowulf’s shoulders to defeat Grendel who is wreaking havoc on the Danes, “There was panic after dark, people endured / raids in the night, riven by the terror” (192-193). Grendel has brought terror to the Danes and Beowulf is going to stand against him. When Beowulf battles Grendel, he elects not to use weapons and says, “When it comes to fighting, I count myself / as dangerous as Grendel. / …No weapons, therefore, / for either this night: unarmed he shall face me / if face me he dares” (677-685). Beowulf exhibits courage to fight with his bare hands and believes he is as mighty as Grendel. This is a battle
Main traits of a hero are bravery, courage, and selflessness. Heros are there for his or her people to protect them whenever they are in danger or a crisis. Abraham Lincoln he willing fought for the right for colored people. Some heros do it for money and fame others do it out of good heart. In the epic poem Beowulf the main character Beowulf proves that he is a selfless hero by serving and protecting people before and after he is king.
Hero: person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities (Webster’s Dictionary). Typical heroic traits include nobility, bravery, strength, etc. Beowulf can be described as a hero because he is remarked throughout the epic poem, Beowulf, as a courageous, strong, and generous warrior.
The title character of the epic poem “Beowulf” himself exemplifies many heroic actions modeled after the Anglo-Saxon beliefs, while defending his village from the infamous beast Grendel. The Danes of his village believe he is a hero to their society during this time period. However, in today's society, he is labeled as monstrous and arrogant, proving he has no real heroic qualities due to his motives and actions .
The story of Beowulf is focused on him as a hero, not as a king. The story of Beowulf is considered a heroic epic which is a story that focuses on the heroism of a certain individual. The story is about the heroic deeds of Beowulf, not his kingly duties. Beowulf is admired for great achievements, he is capable of good strengths, and he is a great warrior and savior. Beowulf has to face enemies, travel the world, and he has humility. You become a king solely because you are next in line for the throne. A king only rules his throne and doesn't have to be a warrior, Beowulf practically ruled the whole world and was the considered one of the best warriors in history.
Heroes don’t just wear capes or fly around in the sky performing super powers. In the old
What is a hero? A hero is a person of venerable courage who posses magnificent qualities and abilities, who is admired for having such character and who is known for brave and noble acts. What gives a hero the title of a hero? Heroes are people who transfigure sympathy into a heroic action. In doing so, they put their finest selves forward in service of others. Throughout the epic Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, the protagonist, slaughters monstrous creatures, and portrays to be the ideal and perfect hero through ambition, loyalty, courage, and implements the people with a touch of security.
One way that Beowulf exemplifies bravery is by being brave enough to stand up to Grendel, the vile, malicious monster that torments the Danish people, when nobody else had the courage to do so. Instead of cowering in his presence when Grendel threatened him, Beowulf “leaned upon one arm” (The Language Of Literature, 41). Being the only man of the thousands terrorized by Grendel that can stand up to him is quite an accomplishment considering that despite hearing of Grendel’s notoriety, Beowulf showed absolute courage from the beginning, even in the face of a potential gory death. Beowulf’s actions also imply that even though he likely is afraid, he pushes aside his fear to protect the Danes and earn his glory; Beowulf’s behavior suggests that a true hero does not have to be fearless, but has to have the ability to transform that fear into determination to defeat the enemy. Beowulf’s bravery and courage during the battle with Grendel, despite hearing of his infamy, and Beowulf’s strength to turn his fear into determination to defeat Grendel help to prove that Beowulf is an epic hero.
There are 4 noble heroic qualities every hero has which Beowulf possesses and they are; courage, selflessness, patience, and care. The first, of course, is courage, and there was not a single part in the epic story where Beowulf did not show anything but courage until the end, but still died showing it. He was a fearless man who killed several monsters and creatures with nothing but his courage and brute strength. In his final battle, Beowulf stated, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles, I am old, now, but I will fight again,...” (Prentice Hall, 52). In that quote from the story, Beowulf tells
Courage can be defined as showing strength in the face of fear or grief. The biggest example of courage in the story of Beowulf was when he “quickly commanded a boat fitted out, proclaiming that he’d go to that famous king, would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, now when help was needed” upon hearing of Herot’s troubles (112-116). Readers are able to identify Beowulf’s true intentions: immediately rising to help a fellow leader, and showing true courage by risking his life to helping
There are many different ideas of a hero. When you say hero, you think of police officers, firefighters, military personnel or even superheroes from the comics and movies. One of the main characteristics to being a hero is sacrifice. Usually the idea of sacrifice with a hero is related to their own life, as in willing to die for others. In Beowulf and in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, they are both considered heroes. (Kile)
Beowulf, an epic poem that has captured everyone's attention since the 8th century until now. What do you think a real hero should have, superpowers? Not all heroes can fly or have invisibility powers. A hero can be anyone that is brave enough to confront evil. The famous poem ¨Beowulf¨ is a great example of the characteristics a real hero should have. Beowulf fights against giant beasts to protect the Deans from getting murdered , along with taking money from a furious dragon to leave it as heritage for the Geats. In every battle he clearly demonstrates that he is a real hero.