Heroism is shown throughout the poem. Beowulf was heroic in the fight with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. “Behind some broad linden shield: my hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster…” (lines 172-174). In those lines, Beowulf is saying he will fight Grendel alone and without any weapons. “Then Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong…” (line 633).
Throughout the poem, Beowulf fights three different monsters and in each of these situations he chooses to begin the fight without their help. He enters into combat with his men by his side, but when the actual fighting begins he defeats the monsters with very little help from them. Beowulf’s strength and physical prowess was unlike any other man in comparison to his height and incredible grip. Furthermore, Beowulf can be categorized as an outcast based on his personality traits. The main character is set apart from the other warriors because of his courage and humility.
In the poem, Beowulf follows the adventures of the hero described in Campbell's monomyth. In order to be acknowledged as an epic, a story must have many stages, according to the monomyth format. The hero’s journey consists of three main stages. These stages are separation, initiation, and return. And ofcourse, Beowulf encounters each one of these stages
The English epic, Beowulf, takes place in the Anglo-Saxon period where a tale of a hero named Beowulf is celebrated. “Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger: Address to the Nation” is a speech devised by former President Ronald Reagan about the tragic death of the members of the Challenger Seven space crew. The crew members of the Challenger are similar to Beowulf because they both display courage. Although they both plunge into dangerous situations, Beowulf is more heroic than the members of the Challenger because during his hour of need, Beowulf is forlorn by his own warriors, but continues to fight on as though nothing can possibly stop him. To begin with, Beowulf is similar to the members of the Challenger Seven space crew because
My personal dragons Anyone can relate to the struggles and the conflict that Beowulf faces throughout his journey to save Hrothgar and his men. There are so many examples of good vs evil in my life and I can relate to his daily struggles as well. For example, Beowulf had to listen to Unferth, who thought completely terrible of him.
The hero in the epic poem Beowulf is the main character, Beowulf. He demonstrates heroic qualities as soon as the readers are introduced to his character. Beowulf proves himself to be courageous and brave by voluntarily fighting the “undefeatable” monster, Grendel. He is greatly admired by both the Danes and Geats for his courageous acts. Although his motivation is altered to only benefit himself with the title of the greatest warrior, his plan to save the Danes is greatly appreciated by all in the land.
The poem goes on to explain how he rules his kingdom for 50 years after defeating Grendel and Grendel’s mother and returning home. As an old man, even after his previous battles, he continues to be a good king of his people. He soon learns of the havoc that a dragon is bringing to his kingdom in his late years (Beowulf 79-80). He chooses to protect his kingdom and go to fight the dragon, even though he is not physically strong anymore. This is an important point in the story for Beowulf’s character-
Alexander Hamilton once said, “There is a certain Enthusiasm in liberty that makes Human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” Beowulf is an epic poem in which the main character Beowulf did acts of service, but he fought for those who couldn’t fight. The overall theme of good versus evil in Beowulf had Beowulf dealing with challenges that no ordinary man would be able to handle unless they were a true epic hero. Throughout the poem Beowulf proves to be an epic hero by his strength, bravery, and sacrifice.
In this example, Beowulf portrays the reason this poem is an epic poem. He had faith that he could conquer the evil once again after fifty years. In the end, Beowulf did indeed vanquish the dynamic dragon, but he also beat himself. Beowulf was a great hero from battle to battle.
Beofwulf’s structure, events, diction, and the story of a complete warrior depict what a true epic poem looks like. The poem shows the reader many events and tragedies that create a long line-filled poem. Beowulf endures many journeys throughout the narrative that solidify as heroic and truly legendary. Many unlikely and superhuman abilities are displayed throughout Beowulf as well. Structure, heroics, and superhuman abilities in the narrative Beowulf, which tells of Beowulf’s journeys, provide a great example of an epic.
The arrival of Gandalf and his comrades closely mirrors that of Beowulf at Heorot, King Hrothgar 's hall. The Hall was extremely important in Anglo-Saxon culture because it displayed prosperity and the agricultural viability of the land. In Beowulf, the land is plagued by the monster Grendel and the hall is abandoned and falls into disuse. Similarly, in Rohan, the Meduseld is shown as an old building that had seen better days. King Theoden, ruler of Rohan, was under Sauron’s evil influence due to his councillor Grima “Wormtongue” who was a servant of Saruman, the corrupted wizard.
Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/
The poem and movie of “Beowulf” are very different and they are also sort of similar. There are a lot more differences between the two than you would expect and while some of them are minor differences others are drastically different. Most movies are very different from the book they are made from. The biggest differences between the movie and poem were the three battles. The three battles have drastic differences.
Questions of Honor: Beowulf Beowulf’s honor and integrity can be questioned throughout the entirety of the epic poem, Beowulf. Whether or not his actions are inspired by his own pompous arrogance or confidence, one can argue that he is a hero nonetheless. Evidence and experience prove that Beowulf is more of a fearless hero than an excessively prideful man, and his hubris is more than justified due to the formidable duties he is able to execute. Throughout the poem, Beowulf expresses his intense strength and courage to the fearful people in the poem. His daring sense of self-assurance is backed by his victories against all three monsters, (even though he suffers a tragic death after facing the dragon, it is a defeat nonetheless).