Beowulf Character Analysis

To begin, the meaning of what a hero means to certain people have altered throughout the years. Both Beowulf and Batman have similar qualities of strength. During the battle with Grendel, Beowulf with his mighty power, rips off Grendel’s arm ferociously with his bare hands. With that being said, Batman shows his strength by defeating gangs and criminals on numerous amounts of occasions, showing not only strength but endurance just like Beowulf. Batman proves to not only himself but to the city that he does not allow for murder unless it is necessary. If the criminals are not an immediate threat to Bateman, he will let them go. Beowulf as well shows this type of persona

Beowulf is an epic that is large in scale and scope in terms of both time and space. Early on within the tale, the reader is introduced to the great hero and namesake of the story, Beowulf. He is a man above men and exemplifies what it means to be a great hero within his time. Predominantly,

Next, the many similarities between the epic hero Beowulf and the crime-fighting Batman are also quite apparent. The “classic hero” possesses strength, follows an ethical code, and most obviously- fights evil for the common good of others. This model applies to Beowulf and to the modern hero, Batman. First, it is quite obvious that both heroes have strong ethical codes. Batman only kills when it is absolutely necessary. In the comics and movies, he would frequently release his criminals after fighting them rather than just killing them because he felt they would no longer be a threat. Beowulf also shares a similar code of ethics. This was shown while he was fighting Unferth; condemning him he said, “You murdered your own kin… You’ll suffer hell’s fires, Unferth forever tormented.” It is plain to see that both heroes are true to their ethics.

The story of Beowulf has an unreliable narrator because the story is very one-sided with every battle being convenient for the protagonist Beowulf. The narrator glorifies Beowulf in the story to seem like a God who knows everything and can fight any monster. Even though, the narrator is unreliable doesn’t mean they are untrustworthy because there is consistency in the story. The story Beowulf can also contradict itself by using Pagan and Christian references in the same story. Consequently, Beowulf has an unreliable narrator who is fallible and makes mistakes based on character flaws and not untrustworthiness.

Beowulf does not undergo much character development considering what he goes through. His personality and leadership traits remain static throughout the story unlike most other stories that involve a similar plotline. This both shows great strength as well as the inability to change which is often considered a weakness if this stillness is viewed without context. In the case of Beowulf this primarily brings out his strengths as a hero and allows the story to move at a quicker rate and not focus on character development, but on other aspects of the poem, this being the alliteration and beauty in the writing far beyond the plot itself. Beowulf is a consistently strong warrior that stays honorable through the poem, but just increases his levels of glory through each enemy defeated as well as each year of peace after he attains a full level of sovereignty.

The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is a seemingly invincible person with all the extraordinary traits required of an Anglo Saxon hero. He is able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encounters many monsters and horrible beasts, but he never fears the threat of death. His leadership skills are outstanding and he is even able to boast about all his achievements. Beowulf is the ultimate epic hero who risks his life countless times for glory which to him meant eternal life.

“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.

“There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil.” – Ayn Rand. To fully understand the complex world and culture of the Anglo-Saxons, one must examine the only form of historical evidence available – texts. One particular great work from this time period is often underrated and overshadowed in modern society by many other ancient works such as Iliad or Oedipus Rex. The epic poem, Beowulf, was sung by multiple unknown Anglo-Saxon poets four centuries before the Norman Conquest. The theme of good versus evil was constantly reappearing throughout the storyline, the portrayal of evil and its downfall initially shaped the poem’s plot, and illustrates an alien presence; something that

Beowulf is a hero, and we all know a hero when we see one. There are many traits and characteristics that make someone a hero. These traits and characteristics are more expressed in ancient epics and poems. Beowulf is one of the most famous ancient Anglo-Saxon poems still taught to this day in schools and colleges all over the world. The story starts off of how a man by the name of Beowulf receives news that a neighboring land is being terrorized by a monster named Grendel. Beowulf shows several characteristics of here such as, bravery, loyalty, generosity, friendship, and showing a high level of intellect. Beowulf first shows his heroic character through his bravery while journeying on his epic quest. There are several cases where he is not afraid, and instead of being frightened, he shows great bravery. An example of from the poem is, “Instead, they inspected omens and spurred his ambitions to go, whilst he moved about like the leader he was, enlisting men, the best he could find; with fourteen others the warrior boarded the boast as captain” (Beowulf 205-210). This quote gives proof of his bravery because he was the head of the group leading his men. Beowulf proves that even he himself must be brave in order to lead the bravest of men into battle.

Through analysis of the text Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, it is questionable of whether or not Beowulf is good or evil. Based on his actions, intentions and motivations behind his actions, and the way culture shapes him, it is clear that he is, in fact, an evil character. Beowulf is a dishonorable character who is self-absorbed and only saves the people of Herot for fame and wealth.

A lot of people have a routine. A pattern of events that makes their daily lives run with ease. People also have a keen eye for finding routines in the world around us. There are patterns in everything. In music, musicians tend to use the same couple of cords throughout their songs. In movies the hero usually ends up winning. This was a pattern noticed and outlined by Joseph Campbell in his book The hero with a thousand faces. The story will start with an ordinary world in which our hero’s parents are odd in some way. There is a call to adventure which is often initially refused. Then our hero meets a mentor who teaches him about his power. There are some trials and tribulations until the hero overcomes a supreme ordeal. Finally the hero returns

While both the characters Beowulf and Sir Gawain are similar in the fact that they are both heroes, each story uses different ways to tell their tale. From going on an adventure, to fighting the enemy, to trying and save a kingdom, both stories contain the good versus bad elements that makes the telling of two brave heroes. One way that both characters are similar is the fact that they both go on an adventure, while showing acts of bravery and selflessness. Both characters jumped at a chance to risk their lives to save their king and earn their honor and respect. However, while both characters are considered heroes, each character focuses on different values. Despite the minor differences each character has from one another, both characters

In the epic poem, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, it is said, "Behavior that's admired is the path to power among people" (Beowulf 5). That being stated, it is very apparent throughout the entirety of the story. The main character, Beowulf, quickly comes to a position of power once defeating multiple atrocities and executing numerous heroic deeds. The people in the city admire Beowulf and abide to his ways; but once offered kingship, he declines. Throughout the epic poem, it is obvious that Beowulf would rather be a hero than a king because of the individual representation that comes with it, the rewards, and the self-reliant aspect.

While Batman is a hero who fights to save his land, also known as Gotham City, there is a value in what he does that is much different than the chivalry of the Anglo Saxons. That value is that everybody does their part. Batman is doing his part in the city by helping clear crime. Modern culture strongly values that and I argue that Batman portrays it.

One quality that makes Beowulf a hero is his unnatural strength. Beowulf could take down giants and other monsters with his bare hands. The text points out Beowulf’s strength when it says he is “...greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world.”. He killed many of his enemies, and hunted