Beowulf vs. Unferth. When we read the Beowulf poem we have the figure of a strong, protective hero who has no fear of adversity. These qualities are the ones that a hero should have in Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian society in medieval times. These qualities can be seen in Beowulf, main character of the literary work that bears his name. Beowulf arrives in the presence of King Hrothgar, who needs help with a monster named Grendel whom devouring men overnight in the Hall Heorot. This terrifying fact needs a hero who has the courage, the strength to fight the monster and Beowulf thinks he has all those attributes to be able to finish with Grendel. When Beowulf comes before King Hrothgar, he explains who he is. He tells about his lineage …show more content…
They were swimming for days and nights in the sea, armed with their swords. Beowulf mentions that a storm separated them. Then he confronts monstrous sea creatures, killed them and finally reaches to the coast. Since there were no witnesses of the feat of Beowulf, his story cannot be corroborated. Only Beowulf could defend himself by telling how it really the story happened and that in the end he was a true hero by killing the sea monsters. Throughout Beowulf, boasting is presented as a key component of 3 the reputation, a good way to assert its position in a society determined by acts of value. The boasting of Beowulf actually increases his honor and raises the level of expectations as how he will do in the impending battle with Grendel. But it is necessary to analyze what type of boasting is the one that Beowulf is presuming in his version. We could assume that we see a difference between adequate and petulant boasting. Feeling overshadowed by Beowulf, Unferth exposes the feat of Beowulf with Breca and accuses him of vanity. But it is the own Unferth that is guilty of vanity, since it is he who is jealous of Beowulf. The label of morals of that society dictates that it is not appropriate to Unferth trying to dishonor a guest; once it does, the retaliation of Beowulf is convenient and even necessary to maintain its
Beowulf responds to Unferth by sharing the actual story about how he and Breca are child hood friends who often competed in challenges amongst each other, even if it risked lives at sea. The race at sea required them to wear their gear and carry swords for protection. Breca can’t keep up and the both struggle for five nights until waves tear them apart, while Beowulf’s armor and God helps keep him alive in the nine battles he endures with sea monsters. Beowulf is later lifted to shore by the ocean on the coast of Finland (530-581). Beowulf finishes up with his side of the story then challenges Unferth by trying to recall any fights or battles Unferth battled besides the killings of his kin, for who he will endure the depths of hell
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.
Nobody likes a liar and the Hollywood version of Beowulf makes him dishonest. In the poem, Beowulf is challenged by Unferth because the thinks Beowulf is over exaggerating himself about his accomplishment. Beowulf does tell them about how he defeated the monsters going detail to detail. But while he was bragging about it, he remembers a
Throughout the book of Beowulf by an unknown author, the main character Beowulf was an amazing leader and hero. To the naked eye, he would appear to be the ideal person to become, and he would have done nothing wrong. Looker closer at the text, some shady details are discovered. The primary example being the last words of the book “They said he was, of kings in this world, the kindest to his men, the most courteous man, the best to his people, and the most eager for fame” (Chickering, Line. 3180-3182, pg 243). The last line saying most eager for fame almost negates all of the other fantastic things about him. The writer does this purposefully, but it is hard for the audience to tell what this means. The remaining question asked is whether this is Beowulf’s fatal flaw or not. I believe that it truly is, and that it the end, it leads to his downfall. Throughout the book, Beowulf had been very prideful in what he does, which is actually a good thing for a king to do, but only to some extent. The first time we see a hint of his pride going too far is near the beginning of the book. When Ecglaf’s son, Unferth, which means “un-peace” talks about how Beowulf was foolish and boastful to swim in the freezing cold waters with his friend, and it was out of pride that made him decide to do it. By the end of this tail, Beowulf replies telling what truly happened. He explains that they were just kids, and they ended up going through so much, and that he was a stronger swimmer, but he did
As the story progresses, the deeds Beowulf is capable of are developed. He is respected in battle, as his people “have seen [his] great strength for themselves and watched [him] rise from the darkness of war” (ll. 151-152). They believe in his strength, which pushes him to sail across the sea in hopes of honoring a favor. Beowulf
Unferth is more noble than Grendel and Beowulf because he has more of The Nine Noble Virtues. Throughout his part in the story he is courageous and witty. He stands up to Grendel and challenges him. He does what not many other heroes could do. He shows Courage, Truth, and Self Reliance.
The scene with Unferth in Beowulf is to show Beowulf’s ability to overcome troubling challenges. As Beowulf explains however, “Other monsters crowded around me, continually attacking. I treated them politely offering the edge of my razor sharp sword.” (Beowulf 292-294) This shows that Beowulf can survive great odds, proving that he is the hero of this story.
Beowulf, an epic hero, is significant and glorified because of the heroic endeavors that he performs in. The poem stated, "They extolled his heroic nature and exploits and gave thanks for his greatness, which was the proper thing for a man should praise a price whom he holds dear and cherish his memory..." (II. 442-445). After defeating both Grendel and Gendel 's mother Beowulf was praised for it and defined as a true hero. The character, Beowulf, terminated a dragon who was woken by a goblet and was later wounded, threatening his life. For his everlasting bravery, the people of Geats and Danes admired him for his superhuman actions. Beowulf was noble to his people, so everyone set him out to be a
Module One Lesson Three Mastery Assignment Part II: Beowulf Writing PromptIs Beowulf a hero? Why or why not?Is Beowulf a hero? Beowulf is admired throughout the poem as an epic hero. Although many see him as a true a role model, as well as a hero figure, he shows his true character to his people. He showed characteristics of having a conceited nature by only finding and seeking glory for himself, not giving credit to those who had helped and aid him in his battles and wars, and the arrogance in his speeches. His people see him as a hero, although he is, he shows some selfish qualities. To begin with, Beowulf shows a conceited nature by elevating himself above people to bring glory to his name. He watched one of his own men die to gain a better understanding of Grendal. Eventually, he used that as an option and a tactic to fight Grendal
Early on in the epic, Beowulf makes sure everyone he encounters knows his true intentions. Noticing that having power and being revered is important to the community around him, Beowulf finds the motivation to take on his difficult quest. Although he may owe the Danes a blood debt for his father, he wants to ensure his everlasting glory in defeating the monster who bested even the greatest of Danes. Regardless of how much he desires the fame that comes with accomplishing his tasks, Beowulf also realizes that there are certain ways to go about attaining his goals. He is a fair warrior in combat, always fighting at the level of the enemy he is facing. “No weapons, therefore, / for either this night: unarmed he shall face me / if face me he dares,” declares Beowulf strongly, for he knows the monster has not learned of fighting with sword (Beowulf 683-685). Moreover, he is never one to take advantage of situations, responding to battle only when provoked. However, Unferth seeks to achieve glory in different ways. Possessing a desire only for self-glory, Unferth attempts to achieve this at the cost of all others around him. He is even willing to go so far as to undermine all those around him, calling on all of their faults without taking into account his own wrongdoings. Additionally,
Answer; the heaving water covered him/Over. For Hours he sank through the waves;/At last he saw the mud of the bottom”(1493-1496). The follower of Hicglac had ventured into the unknown to vanquish the terrorizer of the Danes, and succeeded in doing so. Battling the two monsters proves that Beowulf is a hero because of the bravery he displays, when fighting unarmed and by venturing into the unknown.
As a child most thought that Beowulf would never amount to anything due to his weak and timid nature. Eventually this manifests into Beowulf’s prideful nature, willing to prove himself to anyone by taking on insuperable tasks. After Beowulf had proven those who doubted him wrong, he continued being prideful and feeling as though he could overcome any
Beowulf is a prideful warrior, and rightly so. Unferth addresses Beowulf’s pride by mentioning a challenge that Beowulf supposedly lost. This challenge was a swimming match against Breca and Unferth tauntingly says that just as Beowulf lost that match, he will surely lose against Grendel. “No matter”, Unferth says, “how you may
However, all Beowulf’s gloating was acceptable for the time, because although “"“He was formidable in battle [, he still] behaved with honor” (2178). This indicates to the reader that his gloating was seen by others as honorable and necessary. The final counterargument against Beowulf’s heroism is that he is performing his great deeds not for the good of the people, but to bolster his own reputation. However, not only would Beowulf still be a hero were this true, but even when his reputation was threatened, Beowulf still “kept his temper” (2180). This indicates that although his reputation may be a factor in his doing of these deeds.
In this epic Beowulf is a hero who travels from across the sea to conquer beast. He is well-known for this, and is very boastful about his battles. Prior to his battles told in the story he also talks about previous battles, “swimming in the blackness of the night, haunting monsters of the sea, killing them one by one.” He also speaks of driving 5 giants into chains with his bare hands.