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Beowulf compared to heros
Beowulf compared to heros
Beowulf compared to heros
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Beowulf compared to heros
Beowulf compared to heros
Beowulf compared to heros
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Beowulf compared to heros
Heroes: Fighting for the Small Guy What are heroes, exactly? To I a hero is a man or woman shaped by the values around them, to reflect the people's way of thinking and safeguard what they believe. None other than, the classic hero of old, Beowulf and the Green Arrow, Oliver Queen, the modern hero who safeguards the rights of the people against their oppressors. Both Beowulf and Queen embody and embrace the timeless values of bravery, selflessness, humility, and caring.
The epic poem “Beowulf” exemplifies the claim made by Joseph Campbell regarding the hero's call to adventure. The hero Beowulf and the hero from call to adventure both go through tremendous trials. In both stories the hero's struggle with life or death decisions. If they make one wrong move they are dead.
Beowulf the Epic: A three part poem written in near Omnipotentness, jumping from year to year, and character to character. It is about a man, if you can call him a man, with superhuman strength, with the ability to swim for eight days straight, breathe underwater, and to contest with nightmarish monsters in hand-to-hand combat. Just to name a few. He, notably, combats Grendel; a spawn of Cain himself. Grendel’s mother, who tries to avenge her son’s death.
A hero’s journey consists of many mythological/archetypal characteristics--such as the characters, settings, situations, and outcomes. As unique as both stories are, The Lion King and Beowulf are great works of the hero’s journey following the mythological/archetypal path. The Lion King and Beowulf both revolve around the hero and outcast of the story. The quest and outcome are also other important components of the mythological/archetypal path.
What is the basis for an ideal hero? According to Oxford dictionaries, a hero is “A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” (“hero. ”)In this essay, we will discuss the requirements for an idealistic hero. We will also analyze the actions of Beowulf and Sir Gawain in the epic poems Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Many believe Beowulf to be a fearless and heroic character, though in reality, many of his traits and motives prove just the opposite. From defending the King’s citizens to slaying countless evil creatures, Beowulf may appear to be an extraordinary man of unimaginable feats. Upon further investigation, however, it may become obvious that Beowulf’s heroism proved itself unable to stand the test of time. Beowulf was written to be the perfect protagonist, but displays various flaws throughout the narrative that contradicts his heroic intentions. The character of Beowulf is portrayed to be a fearless warrior- one who has slain an infinity of monsters and demons.
In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero, however in today 's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior. That’s because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments.
Beowulf, like many Anglo-Saxon heroes, is presented as the perfect hero. He is strong, kind, humble, brave, and does not possess any negative traits according to the author. However, unlike Beowulf’s positive traits, the reason for his actions are not clearly stated in the tale. Without an understanding of why Beowulf chooses to undertake his many quests in Denmark, it is not possible to call him a perfect hero.
In the epic poem “Beowulf” the character Beowulf is the foundation for all of our modern heroes, but was he really a great hero? A hero is classified as a person who is admired for their bravery, achievements, or nobility. Although Beowulf displays all these qualities, there are several reasons he is not a hero, mainly him being egotistical and arrogant. This is why Beowulf is not a heroic person. Beowulf is often caught bragging about himself and his great accomplishments.
The Perfect Hero In every heroic tale, there lies a theme of balance in values. Every hero is said to possess a fatal flaw; whether they overcome this flaw or let it define who they are is up to them. In the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, it is not particularly hard for the reader to point out their perceived flaws of our hero: arrogance, pride, egotism. Yet, Beowulf stands tall in the poem as the perfect hero, adored and praised by all.
Everybody likes rooting for a hero. And throughout the evolution of storytelling, from stories written in stone to those in tablets, heroes have always played a huge role in the stories we tell. As literature evolved, and more legends and tales began to appear in different cultures, the idea of a traditional epic hero was established. Stories like "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and "The Odyssey," set the mold for this type of heroes, an influence that can clearly be seen when analyzing literature. In fact, most of these characters, regardless of the time and place they were created in, shared similar characteristics to the two kings.
Once upon a time, there was a marvelous warrior that was a hero to so many and king to some. In the story of Beowulf, the hero, Beowulf, must follow and go through the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey has twelve stages, or three acts. The stages go in the order: 1) The Call to Adventure, 2) Assistance, 3) Departure, 4) Trials, 5) Approach to the Inmost Cave, 6) Crisis, 7) Treasure, 8) Result, 9) Return, 10) New Life, 11) Resolution, and 12) Status Quo (Winkler). Since Beowulf is facing three different monsters, there is not only the story’s significant journey, but also multiple inside it.
Stories contain many characters with some that stand out more than the others. A person is considered the protagonist depending on who is telling the story and what story is being told. The protagonist is the main character in a literary work. Whether good or evil, the audience sympathize with the protagonist and understands the motif of the character. Beowulf is a protagonist whose encounters with evil proves him to be a strong heroic warrior.
Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.
A hero's journey is a pattern of narrative identities that appears in many dramas, storytellings, myths, and psychological development. The journey consist of twelve different steps and in the story Beowulf we read about the magnificent and rough journey that Beowulf and this men accomplish. Many people question if Beowulf is considered a hero and if what he did was good. The journey that he embarked on, leads me to believe that Beowulf is a hero and always will be. The first step in the hero's journey is called the “call to adventure” this is when something is disturbed from external pressure of from inner conflict.