“They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to the Geats’ tribute to Beowulf after his death.” Beowulf has so many characteristics that only made him a good, loyal, and courageous hero, but also he is a wonderful epic hero. He is a great leader to his men, he is brave no matter what, and he would risk his life for people he didn’t even know and knew, and also for his men. Beowulf shows extraordinary characteristics of an epic hero in the poem. Beowulf was significant and glorified by the people and society, he had superior and superhuman strength and intelligence, and he risked his life for glory and the society, and was a strong and responsible leader. Beowulf was considered significant …show more content…
When he went and fought Grendel, he was fighting Grendel with his bare hands. Grendel could not be harmed by weapons. When he was killing Grendel’s mother, his sword would not work on her either, and he saw a sword on her wall and grabbed it. He stabbed her with the sword. When fighting Grendel’s Mother he stayed underwater fighting her for hours until he conquered the quest. Then, fifty years later he goes to kill a dragon, he kills the dragon by stabbing it in the throat where he was taught that to kill one you must stab it in the throat. So, he used his superhuman strength and superior intelligence during all his fights with the …show more content…
When fighting Grendel, he took charge in killing him and basically like it was a one on one battle. Then, when he went to fight Grendel’s mother, he decided to go alone and fight her one on one. When he went and fought the dragon he told his men to stand by but stay outside and let him fight the dragon. In the end he had to have a little bit of help with killing the dragon and Wiglaf helps him. He leaves Wiglaf in charge of his country with the one he trusts and knew was loyal to him. He would always do what he thought was best for others and also to get fame and
that will stick forever, loyalty, courage, and bravery. Now today, older traits are still being withheld but they are portrayed within diverse types of heroes. Loyalty, courage and bravery are with“Whether ancient or modern, the distinctive characteristic of the heroic figure… ‘Is willing to risk death.’” (acculturated.com) Heroes are willing to face the fear of constant violent death and embrace fate to have inner peace or exceptional value within themselves. The model hero in ancient times was the type to kill and conquer just to be remembered whereas today, things have shimmered down. Beowulf’s effectiveness as a modern-day hero has taught us something that will stick forever, loyalty, courage, and bravery.
If you have ever found yourself captivated by a novel, or whisked away following a journey, you have most likely read an epic. An epic by definition is “a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation”. Every epic has a main character that undergoes the same archetypal journey as all other heroes, an epic hero. There are specific qualities one must have to be considered an epic hero. Each epic hero possesses superhuman strength, displays a strong sense of leadership, and reflects their culture in a positive, admirable manner.
What do Achilles, King Arthur, Harry Potter, and Beowulf all have in common? They all demonstrate the qualities of epic heroes. Beowulf represents several characteristics of an epic hero and demonstrates the values of the Anglo-Saxons. He is the main character of his story, he has a main goal, he travels and fights with a group of people, and he accomplishes many valorous deeds; the values of the Anglo-Saxons are also shown through the actions of Beowulf, such as courage, loyalty, and fame. For example, when Beowulf heard a cry for help in a far off land, he answered. He fought larger than life monsters, and won. His exceptional strength proves his epic courage and heroism.
Beowulf is tested when Grendel’s mother retaliates to her son’s death. She lashes out and kills Hrothgar’s best man. Then, Beowulf goes down into her cave where he duels her. He nearly loses his life when both his sword and armor fail him. “No sword could slice her evil skin , that Hrunting could not hurt her, was useless now when he needed it.” (1521-24) He took a magical sword that was hanging on her wall and killed her with it. Beowulf’s helpers in this stage would be the sword and God. Without the sword he would not have been to kill Grendel’s mother. Beowulf relies on God’s help and often gives Him thanks after a battle is over. The next stage in his journey is the climax or final battle. After defeating Grendel’s mother, Beowulf returns to his hometown where he reigns as king for fifty years. He is a good king, keeping peace in his country. After fifty years of peace, a fire-breathing dragon is awoken, so he must go protect his people. Beowulf and his warriors venture out to the dragon’s lair. He goes in alone, confident that he can defeat the beast. He is sadly mistaken; Beowulf’s armor starts to melt and his sword breaks against the dragon‘s scaly back. He was left there to die when all of his fellow warriors ran away cowardly into the woods. Only one brave soldier remained: Wiglaf. The final stage in initiation is the hero’s flight. This story’s flight is Wiglaf saving Beowulf.
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.
Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow men through his amazing physical strength. He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious
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
Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Hero’s are around us in our everyday lives such as firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect people and their property. Other hero’s can be found in literature. These hero’s, also know as an epic hero, exhibit superhuman qualities to help fight and protect others while on their quest. Being a hero means taking on enormous responsibilities. With these responsibilities comes great praise from others which both Beowulf and everyday firefighter receive for their extraordinary work.
The debate over whether or not Beowulf is a hero can be taken many ways. My thoughts are that Beowulf is a true hero. Beowulf always shows characteristics of being a hero, he is seen as a leader to his people and never backs down from a challenge or the opportunity to further his legacy. Beowulf was always revered as a great warrior and ruler to his people. He would travel great distances to help other people and to fight off legendary beasts like Grendel, also Beowulf would travel to unknown landsand to the deepest depths of the ocean to battle great beasts that wreaked havoc to villages and kingdoms throughout the known world at that time.Beowulf displayed a great show of bravery and loyalty to protect people when
Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They have a noble birth and show great bravery. They display great intelligence and resourcefulness. They have a reverence for G-d and for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they conquer evil (Vivone 9/27/99). In addition to Beowulf’s heroic qualities, he is very strong. Beowulf was said to have “the strength of thirty [men] in his mighty handgrip” (Bloom 11). Early proof of Beowulf’s extraordinary strength is evidenced by his dismemberment of Grendel’s limb, the fight in the cave under water, and the
Upon entering the Danes' hall, Herot, Grendel is confronted by Beowulf, who immediately seizes Grendel's arms and drives fear into the monster's heart, "... [Grendel] knew at once that nowhere on earth/ Had he met a man whose hands were harder..." (lines 751-752). Through his slaughter of Grendel, Grendel's mom, the dragon, and other monsters, Beowulf proves his amazing strength to the other characters and to the readers.
A true hero does not fear death or, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. Beowulf is an epic and tells the story of a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as if he was immortal. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. However, his humanity is exposed by his death. Heroes all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their effort to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. Throughout the epic, Beowulf in many ways exhibited all the qualities and characteristics needed to be a true hero.
We learn in the the story more about Beowulf’s great strength and killed Grendel with his hands. We learn even more about his strength where it says how he killed Grendel’s mother with a massive sword. It elaborates even more about the sword in the story, as it says no ordinary man would
Beowulf, a character who possesses qualities of strength, willfulness, and loyalty, is an example of an epic hero. Epic heroes, characteristically, are of noble birth. They embark upon momentous adventures and encounter many dangerous obstacles. Beowulf is a classic and incredibly old example of an epic hero; however, modern day stories are also infused with tenets of epic heroism. A modern hero who shares the qualities of Beowulf and characteristics typical of an epic hero is the character Eowyn from J.R.R Tolkien’s
By definition, a tragic hero is a protagonist that due to some tragic flaw loses everything he has. Throughout history, literature has always been filled with main characters possessing some tragic flaw. In Macbeth, Macbeth’s tragic flaw is his enormous ambition to become king. In Hamlet, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his need for revenge for the death of his father at the hands of his uncle. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s tragic flaw is his need to be remembered. In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Beowulf also has a tragic flaw, excessive pride and the search for fame, which ultimately leads to his demise.