Elven Heroism

Superman, Spiderman, and Batman are heroes! They possess the two traits that are needed in western civilization to be considered a hero: wisdom and fortitude. These modern heroes have wisdom and fortitude. Did Beowulf possess these traits? Beowulf shows he is a hero through both his wisdom and fortitude throughout his adventures. Beowulf is a great hero because he possesses both wisdom and fortitude.

Louis was bullied, it caused him to do many terrible acts. Louis stole beer, was chased by police, and known for getting into fights. His brother encouraged him to join the track team to keep Louis out of trouble. Louis became such a successful track athlete that he made the 1936 U.S. Olympic Team. From being a track star it brought upon strength to Louis. He became so powerful and calm while lost at sea and at the Japanese POW camp. This expierence taught him how life is so meaningful and what made him who he was.

A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to uphold others. A hero is humble, philanthropic, magnanimous and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unprecedented epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake exemplifies every characteristic befitting an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the affray with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably ended his life.

A hero is defined as “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character,” says dictionary.com. During the whole book Beowulf is saving the Geats, aiding Hrothgar, killing creatures and saving his people. He shows his heroism through his bravery and acts of courage; but he is also being assisted through fate and God. From killing Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon he knows that he is doing great things for all of the people in his kingdoms.

Heroes have achieved many feats that support the belief of a greater good and expressing valor and selflessness through the ages. There are fictional or real life accounts that have recognized these men and women for their vigor and marked them as heroes due to their events of success and motives of committing the heroic deeds. Yet there are copious amounts of people who have sacrifice themselves for a greater good but they have been lost through time even if their actions were prosperous or doomed in the end with a valiant purpose. They are unsung heroes who committed the actions based on their inner fire of what is right or honorable or rather than the fame they hope to achieve from those acts. The world or a populous may not know of their actions, but the actions and beliefs of an individual or group can entitle them of being hero-like without the necessity of recognition and success. They have lost their lives or a part of themselves to a cause based on righteousness rather than self-gain. They presented selfless heroism rather than the the intention to receive praise from the victories. Sacrifice contributes more to Heroism because the individual invested his or her own determination, valor and accepting the opportunity to risk their self-health (physical or psychological) based on great intentions rather than reaping the accolades of committing good deeds.

The world as it is depicted in Beowulf is home to many aspects of society that are at odds with behaviors acceptable in modern culture, but perhaps shares a startling number of similarities as well. As part of the Anglo-Saxon society, the concept of loyalty is imbued into the seams of the civilization, and allegiance can be found split between lords and kin. Tales concerning themselves with eternal human problems are not few and far between in Beowulf—given that it is an epic poem—and antithesis governs the flow of the narrative. In the midst of the battles raging between evil and good, heroes and villains, mourning and glory, and victory and defeat, death is omnipresent, constantly looming and prompting men to drift towards their swords. This is a society in which chances for a clean slate—a tabula rasa—are minimal, and every action is chiseled in stone, forever etched into eternity. During a time period when very little is certain, the only guarantee of being remembered, of having your name go down stamped with your identity, is through heroism and action. Boasting is a means through which one can build a reputation for himself, planting his name into his opponents’ heads and setting a foundation for success. It remains a skill to be used prudently, though, as overstating and misrepresenting one’s abilities has the great potential to yield adverse repercussions.

What does it really mean to be a hero? Being a hero does not just mean you save the day, or defeat the giant monster. To be a hero, you must be a leader. People should look up to you for guidance and help. A hero would help whenever he is needed. Odysseus is not shown as a hero in The Odyssey because he is selfish, cruel, and arrogant.

Most heroes receive accolades, rewards, or some type of fame for the heroic things they have done. But for the people who don´t get any kind of recognition, usually they feel as if what they did was not appreciated. That´s why people should receive the positive attention they deserved for the great deed they have done.

A hero is a person who others admire for their courage, strength and  heroic acts. Hero’s enter a battlefield facing the inferior villain without any concern of their own life, the only thought on the hero’s mind is executioning the villain in order to save other people's lives. Chris Kyle was a modern day hero, because he strived to help a cause greater than himself and make the world a safer place. Beowulf was a olden day hero, he wanted glory for the acts he performed. Even though, he wanted the glory, he also wanted to save people's lives.

American television producer David Nevins once said, “When it comes to storytelling, not taking risks is riskier than swinging for the fences. I have very simple ambitions when it comes to taking risks in storytelling and programming. I try very hard to avoid the expected.” By saying this, Nevins expresses the significance of sharing stories that are unexpected and striking, key components in epic storytelling. He implies that a good epic needs to have both risk and originality, which is clearly demonstrated in Homer’s epic, the Odyssey, and attempted George Lucas’ film, Star Wars: A New Hope. However, these two epics greatly differ from one another when analyzing their heroic and supernatural elements. When set side by side, it is evident

Heroism has changed since beowulf yet in some ways stayed the same. There are many characteristics of a hero some are the same and some are different. Some of the strongest characteristics that have stayed the same are selflessness and courage. There are also some that have changed since Beowulf like super strength.

“Heroes are everyday, common people. Most of what they do goes unheralded, unappreciated. And that, ironically, is heroism: not to be recognized” (Oliver Stone pg. 73). Heroism doesn’t offer recognition or rewards, in fact, most heroes go unnoticed by the public. People are heroes because they care about problems that might not affect them, but may affect other people in a harmful way. Heroes can be afraid, but over time they have to overcome their fears and achieve what they are shooting for. They are never selfish, and are always looking out for others, even if that means they have to go out of their way to help someone. Heroism always means determination, and always continuing to push through the hard obstacles in life that they might

The poem Inferno and that of Beowulf shows various acts by the character and other participating parties in the two poems. Among the characters, there is a show of modern heroism as depicted by the characters Dante and Beowulf. A hero is one who is endowed with strength and courage with boldly acts and great favor in their acts. Further characteristics of a hero are deeds of nobility and stand-off acts in the sacrifice of oneself with particular achievements in the long run.

Looking back at early forms of literature we notice the classic idea of heroism in Beowulf. As time passes by the notion of a hero changes. Consciousness in early literature such as, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, does not enter the innermost thoughts. The notion of a hero and the notion of consciousness changes within literature through time. In the novel, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen the hero is portrayed differently compared to earlier texts as well as the characters being aware of one’s environment. The author Jane Austen, carefully shapes her characters’ actions, feelings and affiliations in a specific way. In Sense and Sensibility we have a clearer picture of the consciousness of characters than what we see in Beowulf or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

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