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Beowulf noble motivations critical essay
Heroic qualities of beowulf
Beowulf as a hero
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Beowulf noble motivations critical essay
Heroic qualities of beowulf
Beowulf as a hero
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Recommended: Beowulf noble motivations critical essay
“You are, so to speak, the brute existent by which they learn to define themselves” (Gardner 73). Solomon notes that fate is fixed, no matter what, it cannot change. Secondly, Beowulf is a depiction of the “New Christ” so has to be a war hero. Historically, the Christian faith had predicted that the Messiah was to be a war hero. The fight is given detail in the poem by “But Beowulf grappled and gripped him hard, / Struggled up on his elbow the shepherd of sins…”
The following quote: “This monster himself, our mighty king, fight this battle alone and unaided.” shows how other men portray Beowulf. The result of heroism in both Beowulf and Antigone result in death. Each of these stories shows the reason for a God or multiple God’s. Although the readers primarily focus on the bravery portrayed in each of these texts the readers do not focus on the evil.
Since the beginning of time, people have debated about whether we make our own choices or if we live out a predetermined life. In literary works, the idea of fate being the reason for a character’s actions leads to empathy toward him/her. Free-will, however, makes the character responsible for his/her actions. In many literary cases, fate seems to be the reason for everything. In the epic poem Beowulf, Grendel is a murderous monster that terrorizes the people of Herot.
From the beginning of time humanity has looked for a hero. In an epic a hero is someone who is a great warrior but also has a fatal flaw. An example of an epic hero is Beowulf. Today a hero would be someone who could save a nation not with brute strength but with intelligence.
Have you ever heard the phrase “In order to succeed, you must never give up”? In the powerful poem, Beowulf, this was the constant variable that occurred in every battle that had taken place. His dedication and lack to give up, compassion for others, and his trust in his men were the key components that later led him to his Heroic name. As in the quote “he knew too well that here was the last of life, an end of his days on earth“ (12) proves that no matter what the risk, he was always willing to sacrifice himself in order to save the lives of others.
Fate is often described as the will or principle by which things in general are believed to come to be . The question of fate has been pondered over for ages , with the epic poem, Beowulf, raising questions on the concept of fate versus free will. The epic raises the question in the form of the complex,yet dynamic character Grendel. Although it seems at certain points that Grendel acts on free will ,he is in fact led entirely by fate. The idea of fate leading Grendel’s life is made entirely from the fact that he was born a monster and an unfortunate descendant of Cain.
If we just trust God, he has the best plan for our lives. We can accept or reject God’s plan. Our lives are full of choices. The choices we make determine our fate. Beowulf’s choices to fight the battles and risk his life determined his fate.
His prediction is proven accurate and he proves through action that his power through divine inspiration can provide respite. Beowulf also proves his ability to provide respite when he defeats the sea monsters and makes it so that the “sailors would be safe (ll. 564).” Beowulf showcased his ability to provide a temporary peace in his victories against Grendel and his mother and during his final victory against the dragon. Without his deep connection to God and destiny, Beowulf would not have been able to be the flicker of light to the world that he
He relied for help on the Lord of All, on His care and favour. So he overcame the foe, brought down the hell-brute. ”(1269-1274). This shows how Beowulf was not going to give up until all evil was gone away from his kingdom and people. As bad as any evil is, the good will always defeat it.
There is a always a uncontrollable factor in life. Some may consider it luck, and some fate, however some definitely contain a kinder piece than others, and in the epic poem Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, the main protagonist Beowulf, follows this flow of fate throughout his life long journey, guided swiftly, and accurately by it, to follow out his celestial pre-planned way of life. Furthermore, Beowulf is an Epic, about a Geatish warrior who faces many enemies and is forced to overcome them, using mostly just his natural strength, and supernatural luck granted to him by fate. Moreover, with our great warrior and future king of Geatland, there are numerous examples of fate guiding our hero Beowulf in almost all major points of his
Beowulf is too blinded by his past to realize he was no longer as strong and could not defeat the dragon: "Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast for the last time: 'I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning'" (2510-2514). Beowulf had an army and his warrior, Wiglaf willing to help him, but he scoffed at the idea of help. Beowulf seems to believe that his prosperity will last forever and his lack of judgement in this situation like, Heremod leads to his downfall. Beowulf, like Hrothgar, also defends the Danes from many creatures and believes he could defeat any creature, which ends in tragedy.
Typically, today in modern Judeo-Christian culture, one god determines the fate of human beings, yet in Danish culture there are no gods who are interested enough in the events of man enough to try to control their destiny (“Beowulf's Pagan and Christian Elements.”) In this epic, Beowulf includes several direct references to fate, which can also be known as Wyrd. An example would be “Wyrd often saves an undoomed hero as long as his courage is good,” which implies the fact that if a man’s courage holds out, he has a hope of winning through since Wyrd will often work to help such a man, as long as he is not doomed; conversely if a man is doomed then not even his courage can help him stand against ‘the course of events.’ (Wyrd: The Role of Fate) This can be seen during the fight with Grendel, when it was said “But fate, that night, intended Grendel to gnaw the broken bones of his last human supper,” meaning that no matter what Beowulf did, he was meant to beat Grendel.
The theme most evident throughout our selection from the Exeter Book, Beowulf , and The Man of Law 's Tale from The Canterbury Tales, is wyrd: or a concept from Anglo-Saxon culture and society and correlate to fate and one 's personal destiny. Wyrd plays a large role in all of these literary pieces, because they’re in part descended from Anglo-Saxon literature, and is an ancestor to modern British literature. Theses stories helped preserve and channel the beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Throughout the Anglo-Saxon Culture the theme of fate, or known as wyrd, is heavily prevalent, and can be expressed as one 's personal journey. Beowulf is an epic poem, that takes place in modern day Denmark and Sweden, around the sixth century.
Given all these things, it is apparent that according to Beowulf, God is the one who is ultimately in control of everything. To start, right from birth, your destiny is decided by God. Take for example the Great Shield Shiefson. He was the most legendary of all the Danes
Epics are stories about heroic feats that usually illustrate society’s idealistic qualities such as bravery and loyalty. The poem Beowulf has outlasted the trials of time and has become a classic epic. Considering the story Beowulf was originally told orally, no one today knows the primordial author. Whoever the author was, he would demonstrate the idealistic warrior in these primitive times through his writings. Not only does he reveal the ideals of society, but he also shows complex topics such as the passing away of society and loyalty of friends.