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.
The authors use of the hero tradition is contradicted when we get a glimpse of Beowulf’s arrogance. During the final battle as Beowulf said his goodbyes to his followers, he humbly reassured them, “fate decides which of [them] wins,” showing now sound of arrogance (666-667). Beowulf is living up to the “hero” expectation in the citizens’ eyes; he is being selfless for this kingdom. However this role is not applicable for him just yet. His humility, that the other characterized for him, is overlooked as he states, “this dragon’s treasure, his gold and everything hidden in that tower will be mine,” showing his true intentions.
Beowulf is an arrogant man who constantly tries to surpass all other men. The hero is fueled by his greed for power, and boasts of his greatness before battling Grendel. “‘My people… have seen my strength for themselves,/
It takes one courageous person to make a change for the better and this person is Beowulf. He comes to protect the land of Hrothgar of which is being attacked. A strong brave warrior takes his chances to defeat the great antagonist, Grendel. Not only does he conquer Grendel, but his mother as well. Beowulf positions symbolism, religion, and epic heroism all into one poem.
Throughout the history of mankind there have been many books and stories written which preview a hero doing dangerous, epic deeds for the good of others. The same is true in the story of Beowulf, titled Beowulf. Beowulf was written by the Anglo Saxons by an unknown author. In the book Beowulf, Beowulf follows the role of the archetypal hero and fulfills it by going on epic quests to help, and save kingdoms. This is shown whenever Beowulf sets out to fight Grendel, an awful beast who is terrorizing Hrothgar’s kingdom.
Throughout the poem, Beowulf fights three different monsters and in each of these situations he chooses to begin the fight without their help. He enters into combat with his men by his side, but when the actual fighting begins he defeats the monsters with very little help from them. Beowulf’s strength and physical prowess was unlike any other man in comparison to his height and incredible grip. Furthermore, Beowulf can be categorized as an outcast based on his personality traits. The main character is set apart from the other warriors because of his courage and humility.
Grendel shows up, 4 times the size of Beowulf. He is not scared, Beowulf is fearless. This fight was very violent, Beowulf ending up ripping Grendel’s arm off with is bare hands! Beowulf didn’t need any weapons in this fight, more because he was confident, less because there was no time to grab a weapon. In conclusion this violent fight showed bravery, courage, and
Beowulf is the main character in the epic poem Beowulf, He is a strong warrior who fought battles for the king of the city Hrothgar. Beowulf is the strongest and bravest warriors to ever live under Hrothgar. There are three major battles that occurred in the epic poem, Beowulf against Grendel, Beowulf against Grendel’s mother and the final battle was Beowulf against the dragon. So just in seeing who fought in the battles shows how many differences and similarities they posses as a whole. As the poem continues, Beowulf’s character changes greatly.
Beowulf is the obvious Medieval archetype, or paradigm, of a hero, and Lesslie Hall’s translation of Beowulf reflects that throughout the texts in the words and actions of Beowulf. Beowulf references his own “undaunted courage” (line 572) when describing his swimming race with Breca, and then later describes the warriors of Geatland (his home) as “heroes unnumbered.” In fact, Hall refers to Beowulf and his group of Geats as “heroes” nearly every time she mentions them throughout the story. His actions reflect his heroicism too, confronting the monster Grendel who no one else dares fight, conquering the throne of the Thanes, and eventually dying in battle, arguably the most heroic possible action for a warrior. Beowulf is possibly the epitome of a hero, in that he has totally shed his fear of death in favor of victory and eternal
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.”
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
Beowulf was invincible in his strength. He battles terrifying monster and risks his life. He showcases his heroic stoicism through his super-human physical strength. Grendel was a horrendous monster that was the incarnation of maleficence. Beowulf’s men had tried to use their weapons to fight, but Grendel “ blunted every mortal man 's blade” (Line 485).
The act of stereotyping is assuming that all members of a group have similar knowledge, behaviors, or beliefs simply because they belong to a group. Using stereotypes is one of the most common reasons why countless people are misjudged. It can occur with the person’s knowledge or it can happen subconsciously. Sometimes, in writing, authors will form stereotypes for their characters to fit into. By using a stereotype, it sets a base for the character to build off of and show change.
POLITICS ESSAY ON ABORTION PRESENT BOTH SIDES ON ABORTION VS. RIGHT TO LIFE. TAKE A STAND ON THE ISSUE. INTRODUCTION “Pro-life” is advocating the legal protection of human embryos and fetuses, especially by favoring the outlawing of abortion on the ground that it is the taking of a human life.
Very little is known about the epic poem Beowulf besides that the story was told during the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically between the years 500-1100. The author is unknown, due to the fact that the story was originally told verbally and not documented until much later. Like many stories told throughout the ages, Beowulf consists of many archetypes. An archetype is a recurring symbol found in literature, such as the Hero archetype. In this epic poem, the hero, Beowulf, travels from his homeland to Denmark to save a kingdom from an awful beast that has been attacking men late at night for over twelve years.
