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).
Beowulf and Grendel`s mother are in a dispute where Beowulf defeats and saves his fellow people from this evil entity. The battle of good and evil is portrayed throughout the whole poem, but the hero succeeds slaying the evil. Beowulf and his men go off to Grendel mothers lair where “the water [is] calm and clean” and Beowulf
Beowulf embodies many universal societal heroic values that are signified in the modern world like courage, bravery, and strength. In the poem, Beowulf displays courage. “Now, I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat” (Heaney 425-426). This quote shows courage because he’s telling them that he can fight Grendel and wants to weather he wins or loses.
Emerson has stated the basics for heroism, and Beowulf follows them effortlessly. One of the characteristics Emerson states is having self-trust and confidence. Beowulf shows his confidence when he says, “The foe I must grapple, fight for my life then,/Foeman with Foeman.” Grendel does not use weapons and kills with his bare hands, and Beowulf is stating that he’s confident enough to fight the same way. Another quality trait Emerson talks about would be bravery; Beowulf shows bravery when he tells Hrothgar that he has defeated many beasts before, and will do so again with Grendel.
This battle displays the Anglo-Saxon values of loyalty, strength, and community as Wiglaf and Beowulf show all of these things. Beowulf shows his heroic abilities as he boasts about fighting the dragon no matter the circumstances, “I’d use no sword, no weapon if this beast could be killed without it”(613). This shows that he has gained confidence in his battle with Grendel’s mother and is willing to do whatever it takes in order to defeat this monster. Additionally, he shows his heroism when he has a resurrection towards the end when “Wiglaf rejoins Beowulf”(26). This shows him coming back from a low point and his companion Wiglaf showing Anglo-Saxon values.
During, The Battle with Grendel’s Mother, “ Beowulf defeated Grendel's mother by using a specific sword, too heavy for an average man to handle, and killed Grendel's mother.” (line 513-525) The author illustrates Beowulf as a strong godlike individual. The importance of this passage, is that it portrays and supports the motif of strength within the characters of the story. Finally, in the final story we see how roles are reversed and the men to something honorable for Beowulf.
Beowulf went through so much to prove he was worthy enough to protect their kingdom and defeat Grendel. The story Beowulf was a great story to read and a great movie to watch; however, the battles were very eye catching and had a lot of extravagant and heroic doings of Beowulf. The first scenario that I’m going to discuss in the movie and story of Beowulf is The Battle with Grendel. In the movie Grendel attacked Beowulf in the Heriot while everyone was dancing and singing.
Heroes have always been a part of the human caricature. Although, these heroes have not always been categorized in a similar way. Ideas about heroism changed from the Anglo-Saxon period through the Middle English period by the hero becoming a man with characteristics other than being brave. First, as the reader can view in Beowulf, a hero is someone that is a well-spoken, stronger-than-life, and an invulnerable man.
In times of adversity, people stand up, not letting their fate overcome them, but fighting to change it. These people are good reflections of heroism, great courage and valor. While physical traits can be important in heroism, it’s mainly about moral courage and bravery to stand up for what’s right. This concept of heroism is strongly portrayed in the epic poem Beowulf, which tells the tale of a hero, Beowulf, who overcomes challenges in a heroic matter. Beowulf is a great example of what it means to be a hero because while he shows off his tough, strong qualities, he also displays the moral courage that truly makes a hero a hero.
"Hear me! We've heard of Danish heroes, ancient kings and the glory they cut for themselves, swinging mighty swords." These verses were words sung over and over, by singing poets all over ancient Europe. They were sung in the presence of kings and warriors. They are the beginning lines of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, an ancient tale of monsters, dragons, kings, warriors, battles, life, death, and the virtues of a hero.
Is Beowulf a Hero? The poem Beowulf, tells of great the great undertakings of Beowulf, a man who has defeated many ruthless monsters and seeks fame and glory. If we take Beowulf and compare him to the Anglo-Saxon ideal hero, Beowulf fills all the necessary requirements but, when compared to modern day standards, Beowulf doesn’t quite make the cut. In the modern day, selflessness is the ideal.
There are many examples of epic heroism throughout history and today. We see good conquer evil, or visa versa, in many different stories and also in real life. The definition of evil has changed over many centuries, but the idea of a hero stays the same; someone who travels great distances to save someone or something from that evil. A hero is someone who risks their life to save someone else and defeat the bad. Beowulf is a true hero because of his great strength, will-power, and ability to fight evil in the epic poem, Beowulf.
“Beowulf” the epic poem shows characteristics of strength, bravery, feeling of respect, and loyalty and the use of kennings. The heroism in “Beowulf” really stands out. Beowulf stands up for anyone and protects his people from danger. In lines 53-56 it talks about how Sheafson led Beowulf to learn how to fight at a young age
Beowulf manifests the features of a literary epic by reflecting the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture from which it came from, and containing great, descriptive language and plots that include great battles and conflicts. The warrior culture is evident from the explanation of the story in Journeys where Beowulf, along with his group of warriors, sails to Denmark, ready to defeat Grendel to the very end of the excerpt where defeating Grendel brings Beowulf honor, pride, and glory. “He was happy with his / nightwork / and the courage he had shown” (826-828). Great battle and conflict, as well as descriptive detail, can be seen in this line from Beowulf and Grendel’s battle, “Every bone in his body [Grendel’s] / quailed and recoiled, but he could not
At this point in the poem, it has been fifty years since Beowulf crushed Grendel and Grendel’s mother; therefore, Beowulf is now fairly old. However, despite his age, he insists on fighting the dragon. He says, “I feel no shame, with shield and sword/And armor, against this monster: when he comes to me/ I mean to stand, not run from his shooting/Flames, stand till fate decides/Which of us wins.” (page 57, lines 635-639).
