When asked to list virtues of a hero, traits such as patience and wisdom usually come to mind. However, in Beowulf, the protagonist possesses a characteristic that is not typically found in a traditional adventurer: conceitedness. The epic poem Beowulf reveals that, in order to achieve glory, a hero must possess a degree of immodesty. Examples of this can be seen when Beowulf first meets Hrothgar and in Beowulf’s response to Unferth’s challenge.
One example of Beowulf’s cockiness is found in his first meeting with the Danish king. Facing Hrothgar, Beowulf gloats about his past accomplishments, stating, “My people have... seen my strength for themselves,/ Have watched me rise from the darkness of war,/ Dripping with my enemies’ blood”(149-153).
Throughout the story, Beowulf’s boasts resemble nothing less than a symbol of his arrogance. “…sailors have brought us stories of Herot, the best of all mead-halls, deserted and useless when the moon hangs in skies the sun had lit, light and life fleeing together. My people have said, the wisest, most knowing and best of them, that my duty was to go to the Danes’ Great king. They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth. I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was my errand and the fate they had earned. Now Grendel and I are called together, and I’ve come…I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall. I have heard, too, that the monster’s scorn of men is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I. My lord
Beowulf carries himself as very prideful. But, it is not a bad kind of pride. He has a strong positive self-esteem that drives his quest towards fame. Beowulf very
Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem, and the author of Beowulf is unknown. Beowulf is the The setting of Beowulf is in Sweden and Denmark(the book 1231). Beowulf is divided into three parts in which Beowulf fights a dragon, a monster named Grendel, and Grendel’s mother. The Anglo-Saxon people have many values. There are many Anglo-Saxon values throughout Beowulf such as loyalty, strength, bravery, generosity, honor, and glory.
This shows Beowulf’s strength, courage and fearlessness. Through this it is evident that he possess courageous traits.
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.
Beowulf’s childhood, and much of the culture displayed in Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf, has many examples of familial betrayal. The house where Beowulf was raised was stricken with the killing of brothers, and his adopted father is sick with grief and mourning. Furthermore, the text holds many references to the Cain and Abel story, a story in which a brother is murdered with the motive of jealousy. While these things might lead us to believe that Beowulf would rather not have a family, because the only families that he knows bring grief, he shows a basic human need for family and companionship throughout Seamus Heaney’s translation. Seamus Heaney’s translation also highlights that Beowulf’s need for companionship and family is a basic human need, meaning that it is a natural human response to the world. Even at the beginning of the story, when Beowulf seems
Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They show great bravery, intelligence, strength and resourcefulness. They have a strong admiration for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in
The tale of Beowulf has been taught and studied for hundreds of years. As such, it only makes sense logically that scholars should discern certain lessons from the text, relevant to the original tellers’ lives and to our own. Throughout the poem, we see examples of leaders in Hrothgar and Beowulf, both epitomizing great leadership and displaying characteristics that people could learn from today. Beowulf shows us that a great leader inspires courage in his followers, remains true to his word, can swallow his pride, and rewards loyalty and acts of valor.
The Anglo Saxons were an interesting people that were loyal to their lord. Each group had a leader that commanded and directed the warriors. Loyalty was an important part of the Anglo Saxons culture. In Beowulf, the Anglo Saxons were expected to remain loyal to their leader as he was responsible for protecting them in battle. The leaders of the Anglo Saxons were admired for their courage and determination as they guided the group of warriors in their endeavors. In “The Wife’s Lament”, the wife remains loyal to her lord even though she is treated harshly by him. She chased after him when he left, and continued to love him after he ostracized her. As evident in Beowulf and “The Wife’s Lament”, the Anglo Saxons greatly relied on a noble leader to protect them from danger and direct them towards success; as a result, the followers were loyal to their lord by showing reverence and admiration as well as honouring their legacy, even if the lord neglected to fulfill his duties.
On Saturday, August 22, 2015, three American men woke up as normal vacationers; hours later, the world knew them as heroes. Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone, and Alek Skarlatos were on a train traveling from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Paris, France when a gunman opened fire. They knew they had to act fast to prevent any bloodshed. Along with a Frenchman and a Briton, they overpowered the gunman, therefore preventing the massacre of hundreds of people. They were later awarded various medals by several world leaders. These men showed great examples of the heroic qualities of selflessness, courage, and perseverance.
The traits of epic heroes are glorified in society and are the standard to which a society bases their morals from, a prime example of one such trait is selflessness. Not only is selflessness portrayed in Beowulf with a positive
Beowulf exemplifies arguably the greatest characteristic one could bestow throughout the medieval tale, loyalty. Loyalty is a vital characteristic among those listed in the Germanic Heroic Code. From the beginning of Beowulf to the end, loyalty seems to influence nearly all of his actions. In the early lines of the poem we learn Beowulf has arrived at the Danish Kingdom to aid Hrothgar as a repayment for the service Hrothgar provided for Beowulf’s father.
As the first piece of literature translated to the English language, Beowulf is very revealing about the culture of the Anglo-Saxons. However, many of the Christian themes introduced by the Catholic priest who originally translated the work obscures their true culture. The references to God and Christian faith, often contradict the pagan religion of the Anglo-Saxons.
Beowulf Essay Beowulf lived at the time of the Anglo-Saxons in England. They treasured their warriors as heroes who followed a heroic code. This code exemplifies what the qualities of a hero should be. He also believes in fate and how God will let him succeed These qualities include strength, courage, loyalty, wisdom, and humility. These are all traits that Beowulf possesses.
Beowulf is an old English poem written by an anonymous poet from the Anglo-Saxon era. The poem is about a strong warrior that conquers monsters and eventually goes on to become King. His kingdom is being destroyed by a monsters and Beowulf uses his power and bravery to annihilate all of them. Beowulf’s first warfare was against Grendel, which is a monster that has been destroying the Sclydings. Beowulf battles Grendel in the Mead Hall at Herot and tear’s off Grendel’s arm, almost instantly killing it. Grendel’s mother striked at the Danes to get back at them for killing Grendel but, Beowulf followed her back to her home and killed her. One important idea in this story is that loyalty is everything. For example, Beowulf is loyal to Hrothgar when he agrees to help get rid of Grendel, who has been destroying the mead hall for the past twelve years. This is important because loyalty will always be important and it will take you far in life. Beowulf was rewarded with becoming king because he was brave and loyal. When you’re loyal, you receive things in life that can change your life and will keep you in good standing with people and you never know when you will need them to do something for you.