Characteristics Of Beowulf A Modern Day Hero

How does beowulf's heroic acts compare to today's heroes.Becoming a hero you do not necessarily need brute strength, but can have mental strength as well. Having pride and honor is

Throughout history the world has had many heroes. Some heroes have done incredible measures to save the world. Other heroes fly on tv screens. While other heroes simply smile to make someones day. In the epic poem Beowulf the hero shows braveness, selflessness, and his strength to be a hero for the Anglo Saxon Society.

There are two basic types of heroesheros. Some heroes Heros take the direct approach and overcome obstacles with raw power and strength, both physical and moral. Others use their intelligence along with trickery and ruthlessness. It is hard for a hero to take a more direct approach than Beowulf. For example, he rips Grendel’s arm right out of its socket! He also shows moral strength by being champion of the values of his society. There are also some other things that can differentiate two types heros. The first the type that sees killing as the only solution to a problem, and the second is one that sees killing as the last possible option and tries to resolve the situation diplomatically. This is what mainly contrasts Beowulf from modern

Back in World War ll, the greatest American Hero came around, the super soldier, Captain America. He was fearless, ready to die at any point and is there when everyone needed him. The anglo-saxon hero, Beowulf was born way before Captain America so he was the first one to set an example to all. All beowulf used during his battles were his bare hands and all Captain America used was a shield. That proves how powerful they could be, not to use any real weapon and fight farrelly. They both stand for justice and would die for their people and actually both end up dying for what they stood for. They both never turned their backs even though they knew they would lose the fight. What makes Beowulf fearless like a great Anglo-saxon and modern day hero

Heroes, from Beowulf to Superman our cultures have always created heroes. We may always have political, social, economic and religious differences, but at the end of the day we all have one thing in common, heroes. They help define who we are and what we want to be. They give us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction. They show us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Heroes give us the inspiration we need to overcome problems in our own lives and that is why we create them. Beowulf perfectly embodies the idea of a hero. He defeats the evil Grendel and his mother, slays the dragon and saves his people. He is

In the poem Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, and Seamus Heaney, the concept of a hero is very evident. Throughout the story, the main character, Beowulf, is called upon by the people of Herot to come and rid them of the evil that is Grendel. Grendel is a monster who reigned over the nights of Herot for twelve years. No man was ever able to defeat him, that is, until Beowulf arrives to do just that. As the story is developing, and more details arise about who Beowulf is and what his past ventures are, it becomes clear that he exemplifies all of the characteristics of an ideal hero. Not only is Beowulf considered a hero, he was crowned the King of Herot after overcoming all of the challenges he faced. That being said, Beowulf does possess some character flaws that lead to his eventual demise.

First of all, Beowulf is the pure embodiment of bravery. A man who “drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth”, and also “swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean and killing them one by one”, is clearly the bravest man alive, bar none. Furthermore, even before he slayed Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon, Beowulf already had a reputation as one of the bravest men in the word. Then, while battling the three beasts we witness in Beowulf, he further shows his bravery by killing Grendel with nothing but “the strength in his fingers.”

Beowulf could, more than easily, be described as a typical Anglo-Saxon hero. More likely he would be the model of one. The story of his life was a staple in the Anglo-Saxon society. There are three distinct traits that make up the Anglo-Saxon hero. Those three traits would be Larger Than Life Strength, Loyalty to lord/Lord and Bravery. There has only been one hero in Anglo-Saxon history, only one man can meet every requirement one needs to be classified as a hero. Only one man’s strength, selflessness and bravery, fits the true definition of a hero. That man is Beowulf. With these leading traits, Beowulf's rise to heroism was not just by chance. He filled each of the three characteristics I’ve given perfectly as if it was his destiny to be

Modern-day heroes, typically, no longer have super strength or a love of glory. While they do enjoy helping others it's generally not for a sense personal pride as it was in years past. Present day epic heroes tend to have mental qualities or abilities such as a sense of justice, bravery, loyalty etc. rather than physical qualities. Moreover, original or past epic heroes usually had help from a higher spiritual figure and some were a spiritual or mythical figure themselves. Although Beowulf did have super strength and he was a mythological creature he still possesses traits of modern day heroes. For example, when Beowulf volunteered to slay Grendel, who had been terrorizing Herot, he demonstrated acts of loyalty and honor to Hrothgar and the Danes. Beowulf risked his life to help an old friend and his people, whom he had no

Beowulf is the embodiment of the typical hero. Strong, well-spoken, confident and successful. Beowulf enjoys success in all of his life, and should be seen as a willing hero. When examining Beowulf against Vogler’s types of heroes it’s obvious that he would be classified as a willing hero. Beowulf shows commitment, braveness and motivation throughout his encounters with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon.

There are different heroic characteristics, in which Beowulf demonstrates. The first of these characteristics is honor. Honor is when Beowulf is willing to put his own life in danger for the benefit of helping his people. Beowulf went to the land of the Danes to kill Grendel, because Grendel is a monster who tries to eat humans. Beowulf fought Grendel because he wanted to help out the Geats. Beowulf felt as if it was the right thing to do since he had been successful in past life. Also, Beowulf kills Grendel because he was attacking Heorot. Hrothgar is another character that has encourage beowulf throughout his life, “Go on, dear Beowulf, do everything you said you would when you were still young and vowed you would never let your name and fame be dimmed while you lived. Your deeds are famous, so stay resolute, my lord, defend your life now with the whole of your strength” (Beowulf 2662-2667). Beowulf is doing everything that any other hero would want to accomplish. Beowulf has been able and also willing to protect his people and also willing to go into danger no matter of possible outcomes. Beowulf explains “The fact it, Unferth if you were truly as keen or courageous as you claim to be Grendel would never have got away with such unchecked atrocity, attacks on your king, Havoc in Heorot and horrors everywhere” (Beowulf 590- 594). When Beowulf speaks these words, he shows his courage, and displays himself as the Anglo-Saxon warrior that he is. Death for a warrior is honorable, and courage must be shown through deeds,

In the story of Beowulf, the hero is none other than the title character Beowulf. Beowulf is a strong and very independent character who destroys monsters and becomes a “great king”. He is not only able to stand up for himself but also stand up for other people. This reflects the time periods society. “Kaluza's law provides a reliable basis for dating Beowulf to approximately the year 725 or earlier”. Men are meant to be tough and strong. Men are not supposed to be afraid of anything but instead be prideful and go around flipping mead hall benches to show power. These are characteristics that were valued to the people of this time period and these are characteristics that they would model their men after and how they expected their king to act. Isaac Disraeli described the story of

Bravery, courage, and strength are what usually people describe a hero as, but being a hero is much more than that. Throughout history there have been many heros, even going all the way back in the Dark Ages. Stated in the Cambridge Dictionary, a hero means “a person admired for bravery, great achievements, or good qualities.” Many heroes in today’s world share the same qualities as the heros in the poem Beowulf, such as having good judgement, self-confidence, and staying humble.

Beowulf fits the archetypal role of a hero. Beowulf was not born into wealth by any means; Beowulf was not a superhuman or a demigod. Beowulf was a man born with a little extra strength than the average man. Before this hero met or heard about his quest, he did many things throughout his life to prove his importance. Beowulf was challenged by another man to swim in dangerous seas. Beowulf was called to the Land of the Dane’s by their King, Hrothgar. Beowulf killed all of the monsters that Hrothgar and his men encountered and was cherished by the land. As each quest goes, Beowulf had a role in solving the problem. Beowulf killed the monster and saved the Dane’s. Beowulf was a hero to many. He saved many men from dying as soon as he got there. People in his homeland viewed him as a hero when they heard of what they accomplished. People from the Land of the Dane’s viewed him as a hero when they could live in

In conclusion, Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities in the Anglo Saxon era that mere mortals lack - bravery beyond compare, superhuman intelligence, strength or skills and a driving desire to find success. However, he would not be considered a hero in today's world. Drucker and Cathcart (1994) claim: