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Essay On Beowulf Is An Epic Hero

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Everyone need someone to look up to. Someone who motivates them and makes them feel safe and be their hero. The same was true for 6th Century Scandinavians. They were bellicose people because they were in constant fear of the unknown dangers that approach them, and they needed a epic hero to save them. An epic hero is a person who in a story who comes in and saves the day. An example of an epic hero is the character Beowulf in the epic “Beowulf”, translated by Burton Raffel. At this time, the Anglo-Saxons were scared of the unknowe disasters and evil in their life. The were afraid of invasions, natural disasters, monsters, and the unknown. Beowulf was created a an epic hero to help them cope with theses fears. There are several characteristics that an epic hero bears: superhuman qualities along with being larger than life, being noble and reflecting his culture,going on a quest coupled with them having courage, skill, …show more content…

Whiles Epic heroes are strong skillful people, they still get themselves in situations that could end them. This is where God or the gods intervene to help the hero accomplish his quest. While Beowulf was fighting Grendel’s mother, and close to defeat, “he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy/ sword”(lines 530-531). At the moment Beowulf begins to become phlegmatic and he needs to get through. God/the gods have given him the sword he need to be triumphant. Not only do they need help from God/gods, they need magical help to conclude their quest. Beowulf has a magical chest armor that during the battle of Grendel’s mother that “sea beasts who beat at/ his mail shirt, stabbing with tusks and teeth” and she could not puncture it (lines 483-484). Beowulf’s armor is made by an invisible blacksmith and has magical qualities that help him in his quest including the battle of Grendel’s mother. Even the most powerful people need help from time to

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Hero’s are everywhere in this world sometimes they're around you other times they are far away, but everyone has a different hero. When we see a hero most people look up to that person because they know that they have done something good for someone. A hero’s place in society can be all over the world due to their different senses, but most of them will know when something bad is going to happen or when they know that you will need their help to fight mankind. A hero is someone that you look up too because you know that they do the right thing.

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¨True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat¨- Napoleon. Clearly, Napoleon is explaining that a hero will conquer any negative things in life that challenge them. For example, modern day superheroes always overcome their problems in life. Modern day superheroes such as Batman, Superman, and Spiderman fight the villains and grow superior to the negative aspects in their lives. Similarly, heroes in poems and books gain their heroic name by defeating the ills of life.

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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.

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They both go through the “Hero’s Journey,” and display many characteristics of a hero. Beowulf, however, better fits the qualities of an epic hero due to his unselfish personality, his fearlessness, and his nobility. One reason Beowulf is the better epic hero is because his intentions and motives were selfless. He always fought to save the people, not for glory or treasures.

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Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be

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Beowulf says, "No Weapons, therefore,/ for either this night: unarmed he shall face me/ if face me he dares"(55. 683-685). This passage shows that Beowulf is fighting Grendel for the pride of killing the greatest monster, instead of fighting Grendel to save the Danes. If Beowulf's top priority is to save the people, he would have known that his best chance would be to wear armour and use weapons, but because he wants the pride and fame he goes into battle without armour or weapons. Beowulf was the best chance for the Danes to be safe again, and if Beowulf went in with no armour and no weapons, and died, then Grendel could continue killing men, women, and children every day until he finally dies.

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From all this, we know that the perception of a hero from Beowulf’s time differs from our perception today. As we feel that the intentions define a hero while in Beowulf’s time the reputation and accomplishments are what makes a

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Beowulf The Anglo-Saxon Hero A typical hero is someone who is known to be very powerful and have unusual traits that no human being can withstand. They use their powers as an advantage to fight any crime and to protect humans from the bad. However, a hero can be characterized in two different ways; an epic hero or an Anglo-Saxon hero.

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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/

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This proves that he is strong and brave because no one else could kill Grendel let alone face him. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands and without armor on. Other warriors could not even kill him with a sword and armor. “Beowulf’s intention to fight Grendel with only his strength proves that he carries the characteristics of a true hero”(Hailey).

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As has been noted, many of Beowulf 's characteristics are also shared by traditional epic heroes. He 's brave and never "cowers", defeats previously unbeatable monsters, comes from nobility, and has incredible superhuman strength. Beowulf can be compared to any other epic hero, and the similarities found between them will be never ending. However, there are other characteristics that the king of the Geats possesses which make him be very different from most epic heroes. First, there is the issue with Beowulf 's lack of a moral compass.

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Obviously Beowulf would not have become the great epic hero that he would, if not for help along the way. Beowulf was humble about his strength, wisdom, and victories. However, he would often credit God/Lord himself when talking about how he achieved such feats of strength and how he was able to survive such devastating enemies. Even during the battles himself he often thought of his fate or God in helping overcoming imminent defeat.

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