Joyner December 12, 2015 Beowulf, The Epic Hero In Anglo Saxon times, Beowulf is considered a well known epic hero. “Epic heroes are literary characters from ancient mythology and other stories, which were written down in the form of long, narrative epic poems. The hero is the main character, or protagonist of the poem”("Epic Hero: Definition, Characteristics & Examples."). The epic hero usually battles for accomplishments to a set of tasks to complete important goals. Beowulf is described as an epic
Beowulf is a tale of the mighty acts done by warriors and kings, and throughout the poem, the traits that make up a good king and a good warrior are explored. Perhaps more importantly though, those traits are contrasted. Similarly, this contrast finds itself at its peak when the titular character, Beowulf, assumes the role of King of the Geats. "His transition demonstrates that a differing set of values accompanies each of his two roles."(Sparknotes) further showing how deeply dissimilar the two
kings all around the world do their best to please their people and are “taught” to be a good leader. Over the course of time between the writings of Beowulf, and Henry IV the way a king was viewed in their society, how he was to use his power, and how their morals reformed into the different principles that still, to this day, plays part in leadership. This paper will navigate the dialogue and descriptions the
Beowulf The original poem, Beowulf, goes back to the Anglo-Saxon period in c. 650 and c.1100. Authors translated Beowulf many times in the Anglo-Saxon period to present day. It displays how a hero should be in the real world. He helps the people in the village and slays monsters. Everyone in the village looks up to him as he acts as if he were a role model. Beowulf, the protagonist in the translated Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, is a hero of his village, stands for bravery, strong will, and nobleness
Here we see Arthur as a kind of Beowulf: a fearless leader of men, capable of legendary feats of strength and battle. This Arthur is practically a god; in fact, there is reason to believe that the figures of the Arthurian romances were originally Welsh gods (Americana). Arthur as symbol