Qualities Of The Heroic Code In Beowulf

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Most heroes in real life and in stories usually have some sort of code that makes people consider them a hero. In Beowulf, it is referred to as the Heroic Code and consists of three qualities, courage, loyalty, and reputation are the qualities that define the Heroic Code in Beowulf. The three qualities ranked are courage first, then loyalty, and reputation in last place.

Courage is the most significant quality in the Heroic Code because it is easy to distinguish and serves as a way to relate it to strength or power and makes our heroes memorable because people only remember the courage you show. Heroes are often remembered by battling the villain, and through pure courage and willpower, they find a way to defeat their enemy. People such …show more content…

Their loyalty to their country encourages them to sacrifice and leave behind their old lives, committing to a selfless path and may even have them pay the ultimate price of death. Private First Class (PFC) Desmond T. Doss, was a U.S. Army Combat Medic serving in the Pacific Theater during WWII and was portrayed in the movie Hacksaw Ridge. During that campaign, he saved countless lives and was awarded the Medal of Honor (1945) for his acts of heroism. He paid a tremendous toll for his service having been severely wounded in his left arm, took shrapnel, and was diagnosed with tuberculosis, eventually leaving him 90% disabled. Desmond risked his life because of his loyalty towards his country and was injured because of it. Because of soldiers sacrificing like him, many people respect and honor veterans like heroes. As such, loyalty plays a big role in the Heroic Code and would be ranked first but falls to second because even brave actions like fighting for your country requires courage to do …show more content…

People such as Flynn Rider, a wanted thief, in the movie Tangled had a horrible reputation, to the point where he was wanted dead or alive for stealing the royal crown. However, by the end of the movie, Flynn became a key ally to Princess Rapunzel, performing a number of good actions leading him to being recognized as a hero. He even got to marry the Princess, despite his questionable past. People like Flynn don’t need a good reputation to be a hero, but rather they need to do something courageous or be loyal to be a