Examples Of Honor And Glory In The Epic Of Beowulf

ethics, is great warrior, and is very loyal to his master. Beowulf is also rewarded for his deeds

The characters in Beowulf, as Streissguth says, are enveloped in a completely pagan atmosphere. Their belief system follows mythology much more closely than Christianity. By making the characters praise the Christian one true God and making multiple references to Him and to the Biblical view of Heaven, the Roman Catholic’s of the time period hoped to, as with relating Grendel to the Biblical Cain, convert the pagans to Christianity.

Beowulf's warriors praise him after his death as being a hero and a gracious and kind king who always defended his people with honor and minimal pride. This is an especially difficult thing to accomplish. "The hero follows a code that exalts indomitable will and valor in the individual, but society requires a king who acts for the common good, not for his own glory" (Leyerle 56). These two characters, the epic hero and the mighty king, often conflict with each other. Each one has different characteristics. The hero acts solely out of pride for his accomplishments, while the king does everything for the betterment of his

The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf touches on the vice of pride, and is instilled in the main character, Beowulf, the great and mighty warrior. His boasting and arrogance when first dropping anchor at Heorot transitions throughout the poem, and, in contrast with his ideal kingsmanship, motivates him to accomplish and overcome the many challenges he faces as an epic hero. The contrast of his absent humility in the rise and fall of the story help promote the progression of the story, through its different purposes. Beowulf, when first landing upon Hrothgar’s kingdom, boasts, which does not go unchallenged, so that he might gain the trust of the Danes, but when knowingly facing his last battle, uses bragging to comfort and brace himself for his ultimate demise.

In the beginning of the book Beowulf is described as the greatest hero of the world. Beowulf comes to hear about the destruction Grendel has caused and travels to the land of the Danes to try and help Hrothgar defeat Grendel. He brought to sea with him 14 brave warriors and voyaged to Hrothgar’s kingdom. As they exit the boat the mounted guard asks what Beowulf and his warriors are doing, Beowulf responds in a long message about what they are doing there and who they are going to save. The mounted guard responds “I believe your words, I trust in your friendship. Go forward, weapons and armor and all, on into Denmark. I’ll guide you myself and my men will guard your ship, keep it safe here on our shores” (Raffel 15). Beowulf gives off the feeling to people that do not even know him that he is a great hero and that he can be trusted.

Religious undertones are prevalent in the literary texts of times past. The writers of that time often penned those stories specifically to teach a moral lesson based on his or her religious beliefs. Beowulf is no exception to that. Though not all scholars believe Beowulf’s author to have been a Christian himself, it is undeniable that Christianity influenced the text. At one point in the epic, Cain, Eve’s son, is directly referenced. With deeper analysis, one can see parallels between the monsters in the story and Satan. It’s also possible to draw similarities between Beowulf and Christ, Himself. There are numerous other examples of Christian undertones scattered throughout the text, and all of them have a cumulative effect that influences the entire epic. Such influences include prompting the reader to approach Beowulf as if it were an allegory (that is, to treat all elements of the story as a potential symbol representing a Biblical idea), indirectly alluding to Biblical stories, and encouraging introspection on the reader’s part by illuminating potential negative traits they may have.

Although Beowulf was blessed with his extraordinary physical strength and hard-task-achievement, a wise hero, unlike him, should know that all humans are imperfect. Without the assistance of others, people would have been doomed. Therefore, Beowulf is arrogant, and such over-pride leads to his death. This is obvious through Beowulf’s battle with Grendel. Even though the hero himself made “five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from Earth,” as in line 154-155, his arrogance precludes him from foreseeing the danger of Grendel’s mother. Grendel is certainly a strong monster, and his mother is probably the stronger one. During his battle with Grendel’s mother,

Beowulf was given this great favor of protection from God so he could be heroic and fight against the evil but first he had to earn it. A warrior must first be true to his values, pride, courage, humility, and more. Just like God has given Jesus and many other biblical characters several divine favors, they had to apply biblical principles to receive them. Beowulf’s heroic acts are spiritual acts favored by God w and which is a part of development in his spiritual

During the conception of Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxons were experiencing a period of religious transition from Paganism to Christianity (Wallon). Their transition manifests itself in the work by embedding traditional Christian morals into the main character and hero, Beowulf. With every mention of Beowulf’s triumphs, he and other characters constantly make it a point to thank God. When Beowulf was introduced, he was described as a holy blessing to the Geats, meant to become a Christian and renowned leader for them (Beowulf 12-17). From the moment of his conception within the story’s universe and his introduction in the story, Beowulf is established as a character with many gifts and blessings from God not unlike Jesus Christ.

Beowulf in particular is supposed to be a character that makes the reader want to become a Christian. He seems to be in those times the ideal Christian. It is said that God “sent him as a sign of His grace, a mark of His favor” (ll.383-383). Because the poem was actually created in a pagan society, Beowulf actually has some flaws in his character. In today’s understanding of Christianity, one sees several qualities of Beowulf that do not coincide with the teachings of the Bible, such as arrogance and materialism. However, those were qualities that were not considered immoral in the time that the poem was written. The

Beowulf travels around the land, battling the huge, malicious creatures that debilitate his kingdom. He does so for the benefit of his kingdom and at the same time, he improves the situation his own reputation. In Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon hero is all around characterized by the actions of Beowulf. The qualities mostly seen throughout the Anglo-Saxon period are strength, bravery, loyalty and belief in God. Beowulf states “So I praise God in his heavenly glory...” this shows Beowulf’s faith in God and how religion was an important characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon period (Heaney, 1778-9). Clearly, Beowulf is a perfect representation of an Anglo-Saxon hero. His strength and courage are unparalleled, and he is much more honorable than any of the corrupted knights around him.

The discovery of the burial ship at Sutton Hoo shaped the was y in which we look at the Beowulf poem today. Today we look at the poem as a work of art.

Beowulf describes a world not of Christian harmony and logos but rather of barely restrained chaos, in which life is at best somewhat futile and at worst totally meaningless. Religion and courtly manners have not become as elaborate, and are generally more fluid. Beowulf is judged a hero, then, against different criteria. His deeds are valiant because they bring him reputation and glory: among his very first words to Hrothgar upon his arrival Beowulf proclaims, "the days/ Of my youth have been filled with glory" (Beowulf chapter

In Beowulf, our hero, Beowulf, is described as being courageous, blessed with inhuman strength, and being exceptionally intelligent. Beowulf did not only display these characteristics but many more that made him a hero. King Hrothgar knew “that [Beowulf had] thirty men’s grapple in his hand” and that he was “the hero-in-battle” (Hall Pt.7, Line 9-10). Although he exemplified the traits that we perceive as super-hero traits, the qualities that truly defined him were gratitude, honor, and faith. Beowulf expressed his gratitude through many different actions. He was not only willing to defend a village in which the people were not his own, but he was willing to put his life on the line for their protection. Even though Beowulf’s gratitude was shown through the defeat of Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, his gratitude was not entirely shown through his battles. The most prominent action in which Beowulf’s gratitude was

The epic poem Beowulf was written in the time of the Anglo-Saxon’s. During this time, the English were receiving information on the Christianity beliefs. At first, Beowulf was told as an oral story, revealing the beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon people. In this poem, a hero by the name of Beowulf reveals important messages that are often tied to the things we believe today. Through many battles and events that take place, conclusions can be drawn from the actions and speeches from Beowulf. The Great hero Beowulf had many motivations, but the most influential are his sense of duty, a desire to be a hero, and the idea of being an inspiration to others.