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Pilgrim Vs Beowulf

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The Greater Modern Hero
For years, people have told stories about heroes undertaking epic journeys and overcome overwhelm feats. The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines a hero as “any person, especially a man, admired for courage, nobility, etc” (298). A modern hero exhibits not only courage and nobility but, determination, compassion, loyalty, and sacrifice. Beowulf is a better example of this quality than Dante the Pilgrim.
Beowulf is more courageous than Dante the Pilgrim. A hero confronts any conflict fearlessly. Beowulf exhibits this multiple time in the poem. He defeated Grendel (Heaney and Donoghue, 22) and Grendel’s mother (Heaney and Donoghue, 41). With the assistance of Wiglaf, old King Beowulf killed the dragon with a knife. …show more content…

Beowulf takes on treacherous enemies, never giving up. Even in his old age, Beowulf was open to any challenge. When his people was threatened by the dragon, Beowulf declared, “I marched ahead of him, always there at the front of the line; and I shall fight like that for as long as I live, as long as this sword shall last” (Heaney and Donoghue, 63). Here, Beowulf proclaims that he will continue to fight for his people until his last breath. His determination also makes him an honorable leader. On the hand, Dante does not display this level of determination. Dante’s quest required little determination from Dante. He was guided and protected through his quest.
Beowulf and Dante the Pilgrim are very compassionate characters. Beowulf has so much compassion for his people that he fights for them without expecting anything in return. Beowulf not only shows compassion for his people but, also for his enemies. He refuses to take an unfair advantage against Grendel saying, “He has no idea of the art of war, of shield or swords-play…unarmed he shall face me if face me he dares.” (Heaney and Donoghue, …show more content…

He came to the aid of Hrothgar, who settle the feud between Beowulf’s father and the Wulfing. Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow, pledged oaths of allegiance. Beowulf honored the alliance years later when he went to fight Grendel (Heaney and Donoghue, 14). Another example of Beowulf’s loyalty is when Queen Hygd offered Beowulf the kingship over her son, Heardred, Beowulf refused to deny Heardred his birthright and gave the young king his loyalty (Heaney and Donoghue, 60). In The Inferno, Dante also displayed loyalty in a way. His loyalty is not as evident as the loyalty Beowulf displays, nonetheless, he was loyal to Virgil. He listens and follows Virgil’s

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Sacrificing his life for his people, Beowulf proved in his triumph over the dragon his legacy and hero status would resound forever within the Norse community. I do support the idea of confronting the dragon differently, but I insist Beowulf wisely decided to encounter the dragon. Since Beowulf lost his life as a result of the clash, questions arise when evaluating his preparation to battle the dragon. However, the conflict proved inevitable and necessary. Honoring his family and nation, Beowulf stood up to the dragon with valor and never needed to consider avoiding the burdensome task.

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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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The follower of almighty Beowulf, is “hailing” and praising his leader, to pronounce his true companionship and respect for the “Beowulf.” This exhibits secure loyalty to Beowulf. “My tongue grows heavy and my heart, when I try to tell you what Grendel has

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He alleviates the innocent people from a terrible, mysterious evil, but he never truly satisfies his hunger for victory. Even fifty years past his prime, Beowulf, not content with his spectacular defeat of both Grendel and Grendel’s mother, hungers for more battles to win. Beowulf sees a conflict and aims to resolve it, no matter what obstacles stand in his way. However his need for glory ends up getting the better of him, and his final battle with the dragon ends up in their mutual destruction.

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But he knew the greatest threat came knocking at his door for a fight that will live on being told for eternity. Beowulf sacrificed his own life for those around him, “Quickly, the dragon cam at him, encouraged as Beowulf as Beowulf fell back; its breath fared, and he suffered, wrapped around in swirling flames- a king, before, but now a Beaton warrior” (lines 687-691). In the end Beowulf fought till the end fighting not only for himself but for his people. He fought like a king until his death. Beowulf gave the ultimate sacrifice to save his people.

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Beowulf, a typical middle-class man wanted to become immortal so he tried to become popular by fighting grendel to show off to Hrothgar. News spread fast that Beowulf was fighting Grendel, which ignited his quest to fame. Throughout his lifetime, Beowulf successfully defeated Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the fire-breathing Dragon. In hopes of leaving a legacy behind, Beowulf proved himself as courageous, brave, and powerful. Beowulf also filled in the leadership role of the king.

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Moreover, Beowulf never escaped the dangerous and he used the appropriate way to fight with Grendel. Only the people who have the ambition to win the war or fight will at full cock before the fight begin. Beowulf is a person who is confident to vanquish the

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Beowulf's courage shines through these battles. In the confrontation with Grendel, he boldly asserts, "Might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to," emphasizing his refusal to hide behind a shield and instead choosing to confront the monster directly with his hands (47). Facing Grendel's mother, Beowulf's readiness to use his hands if weapons prove useless reveals his unyielding courage and determination to prevail (53). This courage is particularly evident when Beowulf, in the battle with the dragon, utters his final boast, proclaiming, "I've never known fear," showcasing a lifetime of fearless battles and an enduring pursuit of fame (55).A lifelong pursuit of impetuous disputes culminates in Beowulf's unequivocal courage, implied by his provocative confrontations with monsters with just the palms of his hands and his aversion to conceal himself behind

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Beowulf lack of humility for Grendel’s mom cost him this time and he has to use someone else’s sword to kill his enemy instead of his own, with who he killed huge sea creatures and Grendel. Humility nearly antagonize what courage is, but they both are equally important and go hand in hand in any super heroes life whether it’s today or during Anglo-Saxon period. Humility is an honorable trait that can be acquired only through age and

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In today’s society, anybody can be considered a hero. A hero is a selfless person who is admired for their courageous achievements. A mother, celebrity, or even a mailman can be a hero to someone. In Beowulf, the epic poem translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is recognized as a hero who craves too much glory. In today’s world, Beowulf is viewed as an irrelevant hero since he displays poor qualities of arrogance and selfishness.

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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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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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Not only have we seen brute strength, honorable courage, and admirable loyalty shine through beowulf, Beowulf also possess a great trait not many others have; his will to fight to the death, or self sacrifice. Not once throughout the story did Beowulf ever turn down a battle. Not once did he fear or flee his enemy. Not once did he ever give up even if death had him by the throat causing his mind to flood nothing but fearful thoughts and feelings throughout his body. Every battle Beowulf fought, he fought as if it was his last and that is what truly makes him the great warrior he is.

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I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me." (52) To Beowulf, even as an older and supposedly wiser man, his main reason for fighting monsters continues to be to gain more fame. Other heroes, like Gilgamesh and Odysseus, usually do heroic deeds to help their kingdoms and men. For example, Gilgamesh kills the heavenly bull to avoid a famine from wrecking his kingdom, while Odysseus works to save his men throughout the story multiple times. Loyalty towards himself before anyone or anything else, is one of the qualities that separates Beowulf from other traditional heroes.

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Beowulf risked his life multiple times by battling Grendel and Grendel’s mother to save the people of Denmark. He also embarks on a battle with a dragon as an old man ascending on the Geats Throne. Each battle Beowulf fought has all been for the safety of his people. Although the Knight did not battle as a deed for his people, he also is viewed as a humble person his battles were for a purpose greater than himself. The knight never talks about his brave and valorous deeds.

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