Examples Of Heroism In Beowulf

Throughout time, heroes have stereotypically been described as men who possess qualities such as courage, strength, leadership, and determination. Certainly, many of these characteristics have changed as time has passed. In modern society, heroes can simply be average people who sacrifice their own happiness for the welfare of others and do their best to create a change in the world. Beowulf, an extraordinary warrior in the Anglo Saxon period, is an epic hero because of his pride, strength and courage. He fought many battles in order to protect the Danes from chaos. Angelina Jolie, like Beowulf, is a hero because she defeats every impediment to help and fight against inequality.

Today in society there are many individuals who can be described as heroic because of their courageous actions towards helping others. People who do not believe in heroes today do not see the change happening around the world for the benefits of future generations. However, in reality many individuals are risking their own lives to fight for what they believe in and for the change they wish to see in this world. Alfred de Vigny asserts that there are no heroes in this world, but even ancient stories like Beowulf provide examples of heroes who risk their lives to save others while we do still have heroes during modern-day times.

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.

Beowulf; a man whose greatness begun when he saved an entire kingdom from the clutches of the vile monster Grendel. Beowulf was known for countlessly putting his body and his life on the line to save his people. His courage and determination is what kept his legacy alive for all of these years. Not only that, but the respect he had for the people around him made him a remembered warrior as well. That’s what I think makes a hero. Being determined to get a job done, having the courage to step in and complete that job, and having enough respect for your people to still obey their wishes despite your apparent fame. The hero I will be writing about is the fictional Marvel Comics character known as the Black Panther (real name T’Challa). He and Beowulf

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.

Tom Hanks, an american actor, once said “ A hero is someone who voluntarily walks into the unknown.” but what’s the true definition of a hero? Are they stronger than everyone else, or are they just your average human beings?(Hanks). Beowulf, the epic hero who defeated Grendel, the hideous beast, that was slain because of this, Beowulf was worshipped for his strength and bravery for facing the monster. Michael P. Murphy, a U.S Navy officer who fought for his country in Afghanistan and is remembered because of his valor, are two different people from different eras. Although Beowulf and Michael P. Murphy are different people, they actually share a few traits such as courage, bravery, and leadership abilities.

Loyalty, bravery, empathy, strength, and determination are all words I would use to describe an ultimate hero. According to Anglo-Saxon culture, people value loyalty in the form of: fighting for the king, avenging a friend, and keeping one’s word. Additionally, brotherly love and generosity are a symbol of friendship and sticking together. But, more importantly, Anglo-Saxon’s value heroism; as in one’s courage in battle, skill in fighting, and strength in weapons. As you can see, common words to describe a hero and the Anglo-Saxon values have quite a few similarities. In the epic Beowulf, a poem with an Anglo-Saxon background, Beowulf becomes king because of the loyalty and courage he has shown while defeating Grendel and his mother. However, is the Geatish warrior truly a hero? Based off the fact that he defeated an evil as powerful as the Devil, gained the trust of many followers, and risked his life protecting the king of the Danes, I would say that Beowulf has definitely proved his worth of that title.

According to his definition of a hero and the characteristics of Beowulf, he would consider Beowulf a hero. In Heroism, Emerson claims, “Towards external evil, man within his breast assumes a warlike attitude.” Beowulf assumes a warlike attitude pre battle when he outsmarts the monster, catching him off guard and striking him:

Have you ever met a hero? Someone who inspires you with their actions. Heroes are people who impact others positively. Beowulf in the adventure short Beowulf by Robert Nye is described as a warrior. That makes him a hero because a warrior is a brave fighter which he proves he is by defeating Grendel and his mother. Similarly, Evita Peron in the online biography Eva Peron by Biogrphy.com editors is written as a person who used the power she had to fight for women's suffrage as well as changing the lives of the poor. Beowulf and Evita are heroes in their own special way furthermore, heroes won’t always have the same traits which doesn’t make them any less of a hero.

Most heros 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.

In this section of Beowulf, Beowulf meets his a foil even though he is yet to confront Grendel. As the men prepare for battle in Herot, Unferth questions Beowulf's nobility and his heroism. Unferth believes that Beowulf is a fluke and tonight he will die at the hands of Grendel when he says,”You've been lucky in your battles,Beowulf, but i think Your luck may change if you challenge Grendel...waiting where the fiercest demons can find you”,(313-316). He has seen what the power of Grendel is capable of doing, and a hero who has been in question will most likely lose undoubtedly. Beowulf then shares his side of the story, claiming that along the way he had to fight and kill 9 monsters in order to reach land safely. He claims that,” Fate saves

In old English poem Beowulf, story and protagonists are put in a world where deeds and main values in life revolve around heroic code. Best example of a hero is protagonist Beowulf. Throughout the work main hero undergoes a change. In the same way his virtues and deeds change by the end of a story. All that molds protagonist of this poem in true hero, plucky, selfless and in the end sagacious ruler of his country.

According to the Oxford dictionaries a hero is “A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” (Oxford Dictionaries). Despite the time period, the qualities of a hero appear the same; the circumstance that a hero encounters is what differs. In the poems “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” both protagonists display noble qualities that exhibit heroism such as their selflessness, bravery, and honor. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are perceived as ancient heroes because of their courage to stand against figures that threatened their society; comparably in modern day, heroes are faced with different obstacles, but fight them holding the same values. In 2017, a hero holds the same qualities as these past heroes. Currently, in America people are suffering from natural disasters, which let us identify our modern day heroes as they rise to help the people affected.

The heroes of today are quite different than those seen as heroes in the past. The heroes of ancient England, Beowulf for example, were war heroes. They achieved glory in battle, through strength. Queen Wealhtheow told Beowulf, “Be acclaimed for strength, for kindly guidance” (1219). While Beowulf was known for his battle prowess, wisdom was important as well. Strength, loyalty, wisdom, and skill in battle were some of the most important values of the time, and these values were represented in their heroes. Our values have changed since ancient times, and because we no longer consider the strongest man a hero, it can seem as if heroes

Heroism has been defined in diverse ways and seen in several aspects in British literature. In the text Beowulf heroism is honor, bravery and courage. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain is seen as a hero for standing up for the king in the hall when no one else would. In the Wife of Bath’s Tale, the hero is the one that punishes the knight for raping the innocent maid. In the three texts the story does a shift of being completely honest in the first text and drifting to lies in the second text, but in the third text it comes back to complete honesty with the queen setting him free with no consequence. In these three texts the word heroism is seen similar in some aspects and different in other aspects depending on the story and on the people, that make up the story.