A Personal Hero In The Epic Of Beowulf

A hero can be defined in several ways. Someone can be considered a hero by the qualities he or she displays. The epic poem Beowulf, written by an unknown author, describes the most heroic man and role model of the Anglo-Saxon times. This hero Beowulf has all the qualities and traits that a true hero expresses. Beowulf, as depicted in the epic Beowulf, is the prototype of the epic hero, a larger-than-life figure who embodies the virtues and ideals of his culture.

Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endures in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In other words, a hero is a normal person who is able to be strong and persevere despite difficult obstacles preventing them. In the book, Beowulf, the the nephew of the king of the land of the geats, helps Hrothgar, another king, kill a series of monsters that threaten his kingdom. He helps Hrothgar kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Firedrake. Beowulf is a hero because he is just an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite the overwhelming obstacles preventing him from doing so. Beowulf embodies Christopher Reeve’s definition of a hero because he defeated the flesh-eating Grendel, who could not be stopped even by groups of elite soldiers. Beowulf also killed Grendel’s mother, a much eviler being who lived in a cave in an endless pool of blood that led to hell. Finally, he defeated The Firedrake, who swelled up and breathed fire when angry.

My son and I haven’t had the best life, his father has not been around for a very long time, and ever since people found out that he is the “seed of Cain,” they treated him horribly and did not see how good of a boy he was. I could tell Grendel was getting tired of the way he was being treated because all the goodness that was once in him was no longer there, he soon started lurking in the shadows, like you might consider a “monster” to do. I always wanted more for him, more friends, and to be well liked. Although Grendel and I never had the best life I always tried to be kind to him and show him what he may have to do to survive our way of living and what it would take for people to stop looking down on him. Nobody can understand what it is like to be us, and I would not want them to feel

Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of hero’s change. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as generosity, strength, and courage, which portray him as a hero. Beowulf is faced with three forces to fight, Grendel, a monster, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Beowulf hears about the troubles that the Danes are having with some evil monster named Grendel. Although Beowulf knows that he could be killed, he still packs

Beowulf; a man whose greatness begun when he saved an entire kingdom from the clutches of the vile monster Grendel. Beowulf was known for countlessly putting his body and his life on the line to save his people. His courage and determination is what kept his legacy alive for all of these years. Not only that, but the respect he had for the people around him made him a remembered warrior as well. That’s what I think makes a hero. Being determined to get a job done, having the courage to step in and complete that job, and having enough respect for your people to still obey their wishes despite your apparent fame. The hero I will be writing about is the fictional Marvel Comics character known as the Black Panther (real name T’Challa). He and Beowulf

A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to uphold others. A hero is humble, philanthropic, magnanimous and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unprecedented epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake exemplifies every characteristic befitting an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the affray with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably ended his life.

“He would sleep in the fire, soon. His soul, left his flesh, flew to glory.” This very quote from the epic Beowulf, sets the tone and very intense qualities of older epics. This specific epic, focuses on the hero and Beowulf, who is the only warrior capable of defeating the vicious villainous creature Grendel, and his mother. Beowulf shares the qualities of many other epic heroes such as showing the nature of being almost superhuman, being the deciding factor in the wellbeing of his people, and showing uncontested bravery no matter the obstacle they must face. In more modern times, the United States Delta Force can be considered an epic heroes based on the sheer values and courage held by its members.

Despite the hero-villain representation usually seen in the fantasies of modern day culture, real heroes and monsters remain today. When defining the terms ‘hero’ and monster’ people often imagine made-up characters. Because of this, the view of a hero or monster in a real-world sense might seem absurd, however, looking at people who have risked their lives, or devastated the world proves their existence. Similarities between the heroes and monsters of today and those found in poetry centuries ago exemplifies how they still exist. In the epic poem Beowulf, characters Beowulf and Grendel represent the ideals of a hero and monster. Their qualities of courage and envy parallel with that of some of the most significant people today. De Vigny

“The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men and their story is not given only on stone over their clay but abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the stuff of other men’s lives,” said Perculus (PR). You’re born, you live a little, and then you die. There is no simpler way to sum up life. Often times this is done through oral tales, paintings, and various other ways. For those whose lives were truly something great, something memorable, their stories are transcripted into writings. Whether these are simple biographies or symbolic fictional works, stories are often based on someone greater than the writer. These “epic heros” are protagonists that fulfill their potential of greatness through using their bravery, strength and

Beowulf, the wonderful--yet very tragic--epic poem expresses the true importance of heroes and outcasts within any given myth. A hero is a character who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities; while an outcast is a character who is separated from society due to a physical impairment or an emotional or physiological realization that makes him/her different. These characters are also known as archetypal characters. Some of these characters include Beowulf, Wiglaf, Grendel, and Grendel’s mother--all of which are essential to the completion of Beowulf. For a myth to be successful, an outcast and hero must be present because each plays a significant role in the storyline.

In the Epic Beowulf, composed in the 8th century, the reader follows the protagonist, Beowulf, on a series of adventures to defeat three key monsters. This old English poem uses a series of motifs to help develop its themes, known as dichotomies. Dichotomies, defined as “opposites on the same spectrum,” range from good and evil to young and old, light and dark to Christianity and paganism. All these dichotomies are represented clearly in the text; however the concept of Heroes and Villains can be pulled in many different directions. Although Beowulf is always the hero, it is questionable as to if his three opponents are simply “villains.”

There is a hero and a villain in every story, we have: Batman and The Joker, Spider-Man and The Green Goblin, Thor and Loki, and of course Beowulf and Grendel. In the epic “Beowulf” our two main characters are Beowulf the hero of the story, and Grendel the evil demon who terrorized the world. In the epic, Beowulf and Grendel are noticeably different, but at the same time alike in many ways. The people in the story may not have notice the similarities, but they could not be hidden from the peering eye of the reader. In the story Beowulf was was brave, while Grendel was cowardly, Beowulf was helpful, while Grendel only wanted to hurt people; in comparison, they were both unnaturally strong and very arrogant.

Heroes, from Beowulf to Superman our cultures have always created heroes. We may always have political, social, economic and religious differences, but at the end of the day we all have one thing in common, heroes. They help define who we are and what we want to be. They give us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction. They show us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Heroes give us the inspiration we need to overcome problems in our own lives and that is why we create them. Beowulf perfectly embodies the idea of a hero. He defeats the evil Grendel and his mother, slays the dragon and saves his people. He is

In literature we often see a hero. The hero is often the main character of a who story goes on a quest, faces dangerous risks, and battles good and evil along the way. In the narrative poems Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight we as readers witness two examples of the epitome of a true hero, according to the cultures that produced these works. Beowulf, the Geatish hero of an Anglo-Saxon folk epic, sets out on a quest to kill Grendel, a monster who has caused much chaos in the land of the Danes. Beowulf embarks on this quest for the safety of Hrothgar’s people, but also (and primarily) to further his own fame and renown. In addition, Sir Gawain also exemplifies a true hero for the readers of the Late Middle Ages as he accepts the challenge of the Green Knight and embarks on a hopeless journey that involves presenting his head for decapitation. Even though Sir Gawain contradicts himself in the end because of his disloyalty, he triumphs in the battle of good vs. evil. These archetypal characters both represent a force of “good” within their narrative poems in terms of how their respective cultures defined

Throughout literature, the idea of the hero has changed to represent a number of differing. Heroes were originally personified as being an individual who were not bound by limitations, as well as demonstrating an archetypical sense of moral judgment. Later on, contrasting adaptations of heroes started to form in which the hero of a story would typically exhibit traits that would closely resemble the limitations and troubles that ordinary people faced. For the most part, a contemporary “hero” is simply looked at as the protagonist in the story. Acclaimed heroes in literature, such as Beowulf and Hamlet, when compared to one another can give a person a better sense of the changes in the hero. Although they both are the main characters