Beowulf, By William Shakespeare

This leaves Beowulf as the monster, when we believe him to be the hero. For the rest of the poem this leaves us an opening to judge him on character. Because of this fault, one can believe that he is a faulty king and ruler, even though he does what a king is suppose to do; he gives gifts to his Geats.

Beowulf is the hero of all. He has courage, strength, and is considered the prince of the Geats. He always stand by his word no matter what happened, no matter if he must risk his physical integrity for it. He likes to be there for the people that need his help to be saved from the evil. He is willing to risk his own life in order to save the life of his ideals, and that selfless help identifies his heroic identity and character. He defeats three monsters, two of them were the descendants of Cain, demonstrating his capabilities of performing great feats of strength and courage. This heroic icon demonstrates how brave he is, not only with himself but with other people that need his useful help and he is always there to help others, using his ability of strength and courage.

The epic poem Beowulf contains contradictions about the heroic character of the protagonist Beowulf. Two certain passages in Beowulf, one at the beginning of the text and one near the end, offer evidence of inconsistencies within Beowulf 's character. We must ask one question of the poem 's protagonist: Is he really the hero he claims to be? Certain aspects of Beowulf 's integrity, mainly his lies about people 's perceptions of him, contradict the conventional classification of a hero.

“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.

as the only human hero in the story, Beowulf fits into a conventional hero schema; however, the several monstrous qualities that

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

In most stories, it is easy to determine who the monster is. Dementors from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, Scylla from Homer’s Odyssey, and the Balrog from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings make it easy to see who the hero is and who the monster is. On the other hand, the anonymous poet of Beowulf does not make this distinction as clearly. The poet creates an ambiguous feeling throughout the epic that makes it unclear whether Beowulf is the hero of men that he is praised to be or a monster in disguise that uses his unnatural strength to murder his enemies. In Beowulf, the line between humanity and monstrosity is blurred as Grendel and his mother take on human attributes, while Beowulf takes on monstrous ones.

Monsters play a big role in the poem of Beowulf. Without them, there would not be much of a story, and there is a purpose for each of them. They are there to represent the forces that go against the grain, trying to stop others from prevailing. Describing Grendel, “bearing God’s hatred, Grendel came hoping to kill” (Beowulf 33). They take pride in doing so and do not want to be associated with anyone. Later on, the author describes the dragon as “anxious to find the man who had robbed it of silver”(Beowulf 95). The monsters have many ways of heroic code by taking pride with what they do and going against what seems evil to them. It is what they believe in and are unique to themselves. They decide to be and act differently than everyone

“Beowulf” is a medieval heroic epic. The poem originated on the basis of ancient traditions related to pagan times. The poem represent an early example of precisely moral heroism, but not the one that is caused by the desire for fame and power. The main character of the poem, Beowulf, is capable of sacrificing himself and courage in the name of justice. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. His courage is shown by not hesitating to risk his own life to pursue the Dane’s enemies. By being self-assured, Beowulf is able to successfully defeat the fiends, Grendel and his infamous mother. At the time Beowulf is planning to pursue the vindictive dragon, the epic poem states, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, If the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.” (ll. 2511-2515). He feels no fear, is confident in fighting the dragon alone, and has no qualms in risking his life to save others. He declares his bravery by saying, “When he comes to me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins... No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster.” (ll. 2525-2534) In his actions, Beowulf’s bravery is clearly shown throughout the poem. As king, Beowulf is the

When Beowulf, the protagonist in the epic poem Beowulf, declares that he will vanquish the hellish monster, Grendel, without help, it is a statement of humility and faith in God, for Beowulf hopes that if he fights alone, all the glory of the war will go to God and the promotion of His name. Grendel terrorizes the Danes as punishment for their idolatry and Paganism, and Beowulf comes not only to destroy Grendel, but to remove their polytheistic ideals and instill in them the truth and power of God. Beowulf’s noble quest to reform the Danes and introduce them to God, by battling Grendel alone, characterizes him as a hero according to Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth. When Beowulf insists that he go into battle without the help and protection

Beowulf is the epic hero of this poem. He has all the characteristics that a hero should, such as strength, loyalty and bravery. Not only does he fight for good, but he represents it as well. In the poem, there is contrasting evil present to highlight Beowulf’s heroic

Beowulf, composed during the eighth century, has its roots in the traditions of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. King Hrothgar, a successful ruler, builds his mead-hall, Heorot, where he entertains his guests and warriors with songs and feasts. The jubilant songs and festivities anger a horrendous monster, Grendel, who begins to terrorize the Danes, slaughtering and feasting on their corpses. Beowulf, a Geatish warrior, sails to save the Danes from their misery by slaying Grendel. Beowulf remains one of the most influential works of literature today because of its elegant tone and many contrasts. John Gardner draws inspiration for his novel Grendel from Beowulf. The novel offers the reader insight into Grendel’s mind as he attempts to find his purpose

The main protagonist, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose great hall, Heorot, is plagued by the monster Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands and Grendel's mother with a sword, which giants once used, that Beowulf found in Grendel's mother's lair.

   Brian Wilkie and James Hurt in Literature of the Western World discuss what is perhaps the overriding or central conflict in the poem Beowulf, namely the struggle between good and evil, and how the monsters are representative of the evil side:

The epic poem Beowulf, is an Angelo Saxon tale that represents heroism and strength. This poem was written be an unknown poet between around 1000 A.D and showcases the heroic character named Beowulf who comes to save the land of Danes from the beast Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel and then faces his mother the evil monster who is killed as well and is viewed by all the people of Dane as a hero who can never be beaten. An evil Dragon comes and Beowulf is able to kill the Dragon but sacrifices his own life as he is killed by the Dragon’s poison. Beowulf is about more than heroism this epic poem shows true English narration, represents Angelo-Saxon religion, and depicts women’s roles in Anglo-Saxon society