The Anglo-Saxon Archetype Of Beowulf As An Epic Hero

There have been many grand stories about great warriors, and champions; those about epic heroes however, are the truly exceptional tales. One such tale, over a thousand years old, stands out from all the rest: Beowulf, the tale of a great warrior, on his quest to achieve eternal glory, defeating great opponents. Throughout the whole story, Beowulf demonstrates most –if not all- of the qualities that an archetypal hero possesses. He embodies the highest ideals of his culture, travels to find adventure, and is not emotionally connected to his followers. Beowulf undertakes his journey to achieve something of great value to himself and society, defeats monsters, yet maintains humanity. Although Beowulf experiences

The Anglo-Saxons’ cultures and traditions are rooted in their beliefs of the perfect hero. Their ideal hero has many key characteristics influenced by their culture including courage, strength, bravery, thick skin, loyalty, humbleness, and the ability to create strong trustworthy friendships. Beowulf is an epic poem that exhibits the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxon traditions illustrated in Beowulf accurately represent the Anglo-Saxon traditions of the time period. This is accomplished through the distinct correlation of heroic characteristics between Beowulf and the culture’s traditional depiction of an Anglo-Saxon hero.

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.

Epic heroes are brave and noble characters who people admire for their great achievements. In John Gardner’s Grendel, Gardner portrays Beowulf as a stranger who defeats Grendel by ripping off his arm, whereas in Seamus Heaney’s translation of the epic poem Beowulf, he is characterized as hero because of his overall strength and courage. The first person point of view in Grendel emphasizes how Beowulf is superior, yet he shares some characteristics with Grendel. The third person point of view in Beowulf commends Beowulf for being a hero, but neglects to emphasize how his actions falsely represent his true selfishness. After considering the tone and point of view in Grendel by John Gardner and the Anglo-Saxon values showed in the translation of Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is not an epic hero because he sacrifices other Danes lives in order to kill Grendel and results to use of revenge.

Heroes are everywhere in human history. From modern examples such as Superman, The Avengers, to early history such as Hercules, or Ulysses. Beowulf is a great example of one of the early heroes written about. But what is a hero? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a hero as: "an object of extreme admiration and devotion; a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability." Beowulf has many of these characteristics including great strength, and is portrayed as a legendary figure by those who look up to him. Through the entire poem, he is the epitome of a hero and displays many heroic qualities. In the poem, it states: "He worked

“Epic heroes possess qualities that mere mortals lack. Bravery beyond compare, superhuman intelligence, strength or skills and a driving desire to find success.” This is a description of what an epic hero is and it perfectly describes Beowulf and his actions throughout the story. Anglo-Saxon heroes are willing to risk their lives in order to do what’s right. Beowulf went to battle

The most classical epic hero journey is one that was passed down by oral tradition. This is the epic poem of Beowulf. Unlike most epic poems, the author is unknown. It is believed that it was written between the 8th and 11th century. Joseph Campbell, a scholar, created a cycle to track the journey, and only a true hero follows it. During the time period of Beowulf, the concept of the epic hero journey was born. Beowulf, the strongest man of his time, follows the hero cycle many times during his life. From being prideful and selfish, to overcoming his fatal flaw and doing heroic deeds for the sake of his people, to finally receiving his reward, which is being honored after he defeats the descendants of Cain. These are the characteristics of an epic hero, that Beowulf embodies.

The poem, Beowulf acknowledged the Old Testament during the Anglo-Saxon period in the late 900s. No one actually knows the correct dates when the poem was written down. Throughout the poem, Beowulf gives many different examples of an epic heroic character. An epic is a long narrative poem that portrays the heroic acts of legendary figures and mythical gods. In the poem, there is three different battles that Beowulf, a warrior from Geats acts the legend of Hrothgar. The ruler of the Danes, Hrothgar whose new hall, Herot is being ambushed he needs Beowulf’s assistance. Beowulf is the quintessential epic hero because of his high social status, superhuman strength, and his desire for fame that ultimately leads to his downfall.

An epic poem is a narrative poem telling the heroic accomplishment of a legendary hero. Epic hero is a hero who fights many battles and leaves a legacy. Beowulf is a true example of an epic hero. Beowulf was an epic hero because he showed courage, boastfulness, and loyalty.

The author, Raffel, casts Beowulf as an epic hero, as he embodies all the characteristics of a hero. He was willing to risk his life for the love of his people because it was imperative for him to protect them from any danger. Beowulf’s agility and strength worked towards his advantage to defeat mythical creatures.He proved his worthiness and capability to defeat creatures, in order to protect the Danes, by displaying a warrior conduct of loyalty.Although he undergoes a downfall, he is a true hero who persevered until the

“And so Beowulf’s followers/ Rode…/ Crying that no better king had ever/ Lived, …/ So open to his people, so deserving of praise” (l. 838-42). Beowulf was originally recited in Old English by scops in mead halls. The epic of Beowulf was first written down by an anonymous Christian monk around 700 A.D. Since then, Beowulf has achieved levels of fame unrivaled by any other work of literature. Beowulf has survived as a literary masterpiece for over 1,300 years as a result of its vivid imagery, varied tone, and unique diction and style.

The model epic hero describes an immortal that can be a super human and that is better than regular human. Also, is an history myth, or a legend. The Epic hero Beowulf symbolize a man from the Anglo-Saxon time. Beowulf is a hero who represent a super-man that have power, love for his people, and courage.

The Anglo-Saxon Hero A true hero is defined to be a person of great bravery and courage who has incredible qualities and is admired for having these character traits. An Anglo-Saxon hero is someone who has great leadership capabilities, is willing to provide for his people, and will be willing to run head first into danger despite the possible harm that may come of them. Anglo-Saxon heroes were usually kings or thanes, mainly because they distinguished themselves above their peers through proving their loyalty to the community and gaining the respect of those surrounding them. These leaders have to be willing to put their own lives in danger or on hold to benefit others.

Beowulf is the classic hero archetype, his personality and heroics lauded and replicated in literature to this day. However, the same cannot be said about the Northern Anglo-Saxon society that fashioned him. A thorough dissertation of Beowulf exposes a society principally centred on opulence, strife, vengeance, brutality, superstitions, and chauvinism although underlying positive aspects subsist. Often disguised as “honor, glory, might and wealth” battle glory, affluence and retribution were rudimentary aspects of life for the Ring Danes, Geats and other pagan Anglo-Saxon warriors.

What defines a hero? Is it their physical or mental strength, is it their ability to influence, or is it their willingness to help others? In the epic poem "Beowulf" the definition of what a hero in Anglo Saxon culture is found throughout the poem in many places. The hero in "Beowulf", Beowulf demonstrates exactly what it takes to be a great hero in Anglo Saxon culture through his 3 battles in the poem. The battles that Beowulf goes through shows all the traits that are important to be a hero in Anglo Saxon culture.