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Who Is The Perfect Legend In Beowulf

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Goodness, devotion, obligingness, equality, and valiance all depict the characteristics a perfect legend would have. In the sonnet Beowulf, there is one character who conveys all and a greater amount of these expressed qualities, and that character is in reality the hero known as Beowulf. All through the sonnet Beowulf kills massive animals that appear to be not of this present reality and, in truth, Beowulf epitomizes the qualities of the perfect and immaculate legend. It begins off with King Hrothgar of Denmark and his kingdom in dread as Grendel, a horrendous evil presence, frenzies by murdering anybody in the mead-lobby called Heorot. Beowulf knows about this and chooses to help King Hrothgar. As Beowulf and his men devour in the Heorot, Grendel approaches. Beowulf battles Grendel without protection and completions him by ripping his arm off. Before sufficiently long Grendel's mom knows about her child's demise and chooses to retaliate for him. Beowulf then kills Grendel's mom and wins. Beowulf …show more content…

Despite the fact that he was youthful and in his prime when he crushed Grendel and his mom, Beowulf does not fear the mythical serpent, or demise. He battles old and with pride. All in all, Beowulf is without a doubt a steadfast, gallant, and respectable man, and genuinely embodies the attributes of the perfect legend. In his basic exposition, "Reconcieving Beowulf: Verse as Social Praxis" John D. Niles states: "There ought to be doubtlessly whatever—it is stunning that anybody needs to express this point expressly that. . . Beowulf is dependably as heavenly part model."5 This remains constant toward the end of the lyric where despite the fact that he is passing on of a toxic chomp, he finds the quality to wound and slaughter the winged serpent. For the duration of his life he demonstrated the attributes and qualities just a genuine and perfect legend could

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Grendel emerged the night Beowulf did and he tore his arm off during their fight proving that he is worthy to subjugate the beast. Grendel’s mother is upset about her son’s death and comes

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Beowulf: The Modern Hero Benjamin Disaraeli once said, “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” This rings true for heroes from all periods of time, especially for those form the historical time of the epic hero Beowulf. This invincible Anglo­Saxon’s definition of heroism is often dismissed due to his arrogance, yet it is still quite relevant. Despite the conventional thoughts of many, Beowulf remains a relevant example of a hero in modern society due to his unquenchable thirst to be the savior to those weaker than he and his uninhibited arrogance and obscene vanity.

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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.

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527 Words | 3 Pages

Not just through characteristics, but through Beowulf's struggle and endeavors throughout the story, it resembles that of an epic hero. J.R.R Tolkien suggested the theme that a ‘man alien in a hostile world, engaged in a struggle which he cannot win’ states that Beowulf struggled in the hostile world, and in something he could not win; though he may have won battles through struggle, he never fully won. Being larger than life, going on a quest, and dying a symbolic death are the characteristics of an epic hero shown by Beowulf. In the theme of the story, the man alien was in a hostile world.

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531 Words | 3 Pages

Beowulf is a beautiful tale of heroism that inspires the audience to live a heroic life without holding onto illusions and false hopes. No mortal is strong enough to win against death itself, but Beowulf has depicted how the human will can transcend and fight the battle against the worst of human fears. There are three evils that Beowulf personified: Physical, moral and metaphysical. A descendant of Cain, Grendel is the most frightening personification of physical Evil.

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608 Words | 3 Pages

Unferth was furious at Beowulf because he thought Grendel was a beautiful creature and when Beowulf saw him like this he offered him a drink but Unferth yelled at Beowulf you killed Grendel. Then “She” Grendel’s mother went to hall Heorot and took Unferth with her after Unferth killed Hrothgar's friend Asher. Beowulf then went to then fen to find Grendel's mother’s home the fen and while doing so he found Unferth's head hanging from a tree by the fen and told his men to bury it . He then dove into the fen and fought Grendel's mother. He killed her and returned home with Grendel's head because he had tried to escape to the fen after losing his arm but died from blood loss.

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1273 Words | 6 Pages

Once there he defeats Grendel without any weapons, just his bravery, and strength. The next day after celebrating his victory, Beowulf discovers that they had been attacked by Grendel’s mother and that she

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710 Words | 3 Pages

In doing so the she murdered one of Hrothgar’s closest friend, which motivated Beowulf to swim to the mother’s lair and kill her. During the battle, Beowulf realized that he was not be able to effortlessly defeat Grendel’s mother as he had done with his previous enemies because his sword could not slice through her skin. However, he continued to fight despite this obstacle, and in the end, was successful in killing her. The narrator of the story says, “...And struck with all the strength he had left / Caught her in the neck

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626 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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To be considered an epic hero, one must not only exhibit acts of courage but also perform acts of being superhuman. Beowulf, known for his great feats of strength, is considered to be one of the greatest epic heros of all time. He posses all the qualifications necessary for him to be categorized as being an epic hero. What does it take to be an Epic hero? It's a name given to few.

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163 Words | 1 Pages

There is only one man that is not afraid to confront this enormous beast, Beowulf. Beowulf is fearless and eventually rips the arm off of Grendel and brings it upon King Hrothgar. The people are overjoyed and feast in the great hall. Grendel’s mother however is furious about the death of her son. Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother with his sword.

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703 Words | 3 Pages

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

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821 Words | 4 Pages

Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”

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1372 Words | 6 Pages

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.

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805 Words | 4 Pages

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).

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