Archetypal Characters Abound in Beowulf

Lucy Deadman explores the existence of archetypes across all literary text types and how they revisit from our childhood by pressing replay in our lives.

Beowulf embodies the Anglo-Saxon archetype of an epic hero. A key moment in the epic is when king Hrothgar welcomes Beowulf to his kingdom and says “But to table, Beowulf, a banquet in your honor:/Let us toast your victories, and talk of the future” (ll. 223-224). Here it is shown that even a king is acknowledging Beowulf’s bravery and is throwing him a feast, one of the highest honors a king could bestow upon anyone, showing Hrothgar’s great admiration for Beowulf. During the feast Unferth questions Beowulf’s honor but is shown to be a coward himself when Beowulf refutes his claims and inspires king Hrothgar with a speech: “The Geats will show him courage, soon/He can test his strength in battle. And when the sun/Comes up again, opening another/Bright day from the south, anyone in Denmark” will be able to enter Herot (ll. 332-342). Much like they typical Anglo-Saxon

Faith Dailey Beowulf Literary Analysis English 2250 March 12, 2024 The Hero and the Outcast The hero and the outcast archetypes are the most used archetypes within Beowulf. There are also mythological characters within Beowulf, who may also have an archetype. In fact, Beowulf seems to be a myth, filled with mythical creatures and heroes. A myth is a traditional story about characters such as deities, heroes, and fantasy creatures. Mythological characters consist of what a myth would usually have, therefore a mythological character could be a deity, creature, or hero.

Beowulf exhibits many obvious heroic qualities, such as his strength and confidence in battle. These along with more subtle diplomatic actions serve to define him as both a great warrior and leader.

Beowulf: A Hero’s Tale Retold, a picture book by James Rumford tells the story of Beowulf a strong-willed and brave young man from the Land of Geats. The pattern of the hero’s journey can clearly be recognised in the text but with a few minor changes.

King Hrothgar had put his trust in Beowulf to defeat Grendel because of the stories that had been told of Beowulf’s bravery in the past. Moreover, when Unferth tried to undermine Beowulf’s success in a swimming competition, Beowulf added that he had lost the competition because he was defeating sea monsters while swimming. Even though Unferth had tried to make Beowulf look weak and unsuccessful, Beowulf was still professional and kind towards him. Additionally, it was very brave of Beowulf to lose a swimming competition in order to defeat the sea monsters and keep numerous people

“A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway”-Joseph Campbell. Stories have so much power connect you to another world and teach you lessons that are needed throughout history. Archetypes give the story a focal point and shape the lesson the author is trying to get across. When ideals get embedded into stories, usually it’s when the hero does something noble and valiant so they want their readers to follow in his footsteps. The Anglo-Saxon Beowulf and Medieval Christian King Arthur display many archetypes and ideals to shape the story and make it exciting. The Beowulf and King Arthur storytellers use archetypes to create stories with suspense and have their heroes display values of loyalty to their respective listeners.

Beowulf is superior to the average person in many areas, among them physical strength. Throughout the poem, Beowulf accomplishes feats that no other man would be able to survive and proves his boundless might. Beowulf is described to Hrothgar, king of the Danes, by a messenger as "...a mighty warrior, powerful and wise" (line 370). Beowulf himself challenges the insults of Unferth by saying, "...no strength

Beowulf is an epic poem whose earliest surviving copy was written in 1000 A.D. The story consists of three thousand one hundred and eighty two lines that follow the life of the title character. The original author of the epic poem is unknown mainly because it started as a verbal tale passed down orally through the ages. Finally someone wrote it down in a document now called the Nowell Codex. The epic tale is centered on Beowulf and his actions in an adventure to repay a debt owed by his father to Hrothgar, a Danish king. A gargantuan monster that is terrorizing Hrothgar’s mead hall is Beowulf’s target and Beowulf sails across the sea to aid his father’s

Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They show great bravery, intelligence, strength and resourcefulness. They have a strong admiration for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they

Many of Campbell’s archetypes are easily spotted in the poem Beowulf. The story’s central character and hero is Beowulf. He is the first hero we have read about in this course that fits classic hero mold. He cements himself as the hero of the story with the action of slaying the act of slaying the monsters, in this story Grendel and Grendel’s mother. However, this slaying of the monster is not his only heroic attribute. Beowulf is an honorable man,and later Lord, who impresses everyone he comes in contact with. He is also shown to be a man of integrity throughout the poem. At the beginning, Beowulf is the one to address the watchman on the wall and offer up his “wholehearted help and counsel” to Hrothgar and that he can “calm the turmoil and terror in his mind”. At the end of the poem he dies fighting the dragon that is terrorizing his land.

Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.

Archetypes are the foundation, walls, and roof to a good story. They build on each other to explain a story in a way the reader can relate to. Beowulf was originally composed in Old English in the 6th century; although there is no known author, the more modern version was translated by Burton Rafel. This story has three main archetypes as such: The Journey, The Task, and The Battle Between Good and Evil.

What others deem impossible, a hero makes possible. There are only a few great heroes that come about in this time and Beowulf is definitely one of them. He is a great warrior and leader, a perfect description for him. Heroes only came along once in a while in this culture but it was well known when they did.

Throughout the story, Beowulf’s boasts resemble nothing less than a symbol of his arrogance. “…sailors have brought us stories of Herot, the best of all mead-halls, deserted and useless when the moon hangs in skies the sun had lit, light and life fleeing together. My people have said, the wisest, most knowing and best of them, that my duty was to go to the Danes’ Great king. They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth. I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was my errand and the fate they had earned. Now Grendel and I are called together, and I’ve come…I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall. I have heard, too, that the monster’s scorn of men is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I. My lord