Philip Zimbardo, a psychology professor at Stanford University, once said, “I’m saying to be a hero means you step across the line and are willing to make a sacrifice, so heroes are always making a sacrifice. Heroes always take risks. Heroes are always deviant. Heroes always doing something that most people don’t and we want to change…” This hero concept is prominently displayed in the epic poem, Beowulf. This narrative, which was translated by Burton Raffel, is an old Viking tale of a warrior by the name of Beowulf. Originally recorded by a Christian monk, the epic poem recounts many of Beowulf’s accomplishments to prove that he truly is a hero. His character, defeating Grendel and Grendel’s mother, and defeating a dragon are some of those …show more content…
The first monster, whose name is Grendel, is described by the Christian scribe as, “Conceived by a pair of those monsters born/Of Cain, murderous creatures banished/By God...” (104-106). Grendel had been murdering the Danes during the night in their mead hall, called Herot. Beowulf goes to vanquish Grendel, and while fighting, Beowulf chooses to exemplify his bravery by choosing to fight without assistance; “But Hicglac’s follower remembered his final/Boast and, standing erect, stopped/The monster’s flight, fastened those claws/In his fists till they cracked…”(758-761). Edgetho’s son had fought the villain with bravery and integrity, since he’d used only his bare hands in combat with the weaponless creature; those are qualities a true hero possesses. However, the battle does not end with Grendel. Instead, Grendel’s mother goes to seek vengeance by killing another Viking warrior. Beowulf, in turn, goes to home of the monsters to battle the Mother. The great warrior delivered a speech before he dove, as written in the narrative,“He leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone’s/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.
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.
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
Beowulf Fights 3 Diverse Monsters by Burton Raffel In Beowulf By: Burton Raffel, Beowulf has the strength to tear off a person's arm and provides numerous ways to prove his good and heroic nature. The Good vs. Evil theme is quite astonishing and captures your attention from the very first page. Beowulf displays the conflict between a fearless warrior and a strange creature known as Grendel. Burton Raffel depicts the dispute between good and evil all for satisfactory and reputation.
Going in to the swamp himself showcases Beowulf’s leadership style. He wants to make sure all of his men return home safely, and the only way to do this is to only endanger one life, his own. This also lends itself to the idea that Beowulf is in his line of duty for glory. Here in this scene he takes the approach of “If I want it done right I will do it myself.” As the leader of this band of Geats he wants them to live to recant his legacy in the off chance of his death; to be immortalized in history as a brave warrior who died in the line of battle. The swim down to Grendel’s mother’s lair exemplifies Beowulf’s super-human qualities. It was said that he swam for the better part of a day, a deed which by human standards is impossible. Once at the bottom he faces the swamp hag in a battle which once again ends with his victory. When has a story ever had the hero die in the middle of the book? The fact that Beowulf just happened to see the giant sword on the wall shows that he is a hero because things go his way. As one of the oldest written stories of a warrior hero, Beowulf was the basis for all male warriors from this point on. Everything goes their way, the adversaries are defeated, and a celebration is had.
The hero is an age-old concept that describes someone that will defend their honor to the end. In Beowulf, the author portrays the warrior Beowulf and his three battles in such a way as to clearly define what it means to be a hero. Fred Robinson and J. R. R. Tolkien addressed heroism in Beowulf regarding the warrior’s traits, as well as his battles and burial. The author of Beowulf defines the hero through Beowulf’s three battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. In this poem, each monster possesses a specific quality undesired by heroes. Beowulf battles anger/jealousy, vengeance, and greed/selfishness for the good of his Geat nation. As Beowulf fends off these anti-hero traits, he becomes capable of being a great leader of
Beowulf’s last test of courage comes in his old age when his people are threatened by a “mighty” dragon. Beowulf felt as if something he had done had caused the irascible beast to wreck havoc on his people, “killing and destroying” them and their homes with its “molten” breath. Knowing what had to be done, Beowulf bravely faced the dragon, while all of his people, except for one, fled in fear. His last battle, which ended in death, displayed Beowulf’s unwavering courage, the type that every hero should possess.
A hero is not born; he is self-made with heroic qualities. What qualifies for making someone a hero? According to Merriam Webster, a hero is defined as: “ a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability”. Beowulf perfectly fits that definition of a hero. In Seamus Heaney Beowulf, Beowulf has everything it takes to be known as a hero. Some of Beowulf’s vital traits as warrior includes bravery, courage, honor, incredible physical strength, and the will to serve the people for the greater good. This poem is centered around him and that is all he needs to be portrayed as the hero he is.
What makes you who you are? Is it the clothes you wear or simply what you say. People can be identified in many ways but what makes anyone a hero? A hero is someone who does something out of selfness of themselves rather than for themselves. Simply by saving an old womens cat in the tree can signify you as a hero to her. But, how do you become a hero to the world? How about saving people from burning buildings or saving someone from a bad guy. Anyone can be classified as a hero but it is hard to be seen by the world as a hero. Look at the story of Beowulf. He was well known by everyone and very strong. He was shortly defeated by a dragon but, that doesn't mean he's doings die with him. He will be forever known for what he accomplished. All Beowulf wanted was to be seen by the world as a hero.
I think society need heroes to strive to be like them. Heroes are very inspirational and make you want to better yourself. They show you that the impossible is possible and that if they could do it you could also do it. Beowulf is an example of a hero that is courageous, strong, and beat monsters such as Grendel,Sea Monsters, and many other creatures. Beowulf is remembered to this day just because of how heroic he was. Everyone need a hero no matter who they are till fictional character like Adlet on Rokka no Yuusha till real life people like my grandfather.
The first is Grendel, he is seen as evil itself, so when Beowulf kills him it is like he is defeating evil. The second allegory is Grendel’s Mother, she is portrayed as a pretty and women like monster. It is seen as sin to kill a women, so when Beowulf has to kill her he is overcoming the sin of killing a woman. The last monster Beowulf is faced with is the worst of the worst. The dragon commits
The age of heroes is long behind; or at the very least is slowly fading. Where good triumphed over evil in days past, evil now spreads almost freely throughout the world. Heroes today are far less impactful and are often overpowered by the many evils of the world.. And while heroes and monsters do exist, but they have changed drastically since the time of Beowulf. The thought that heroes and monster don't exist is incorrect.
Not only is Beowulf honorable and well respected, he is brave as well. His courage is shown by not hesitating to risk his own life to pursue the Dane’s enemies. By being self-assured, Beowulf is able to successfully defeat the fiends, Grendel and his infamous mother. At the time Beowulf is planning to pursue the vindictive dragon, the epic poem states, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, If the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.”(ll. 2511-2515). He feels no fear, is confident in fighting the dragon alone, and has no qualms in risking his life to save others. He declares his bravery by saying, “When he comes to me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins... No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster.”(ll. 2525-2534). In his actions, Beowulf’s bravery is clearly shown throughout the poem.
Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endures in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In other words, a hero is a normal person who is able to be strong and persevere despite difficult obstacles preventing them. In the book, Beowulf, the the nephew of the king of the land of the geats, helps Hrothgar, another king, kill a series of monsters that threaten his kingdom. He helps Hrothgar kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Firedrake. Beowulf is a hero because he is just an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite the overwhelming obstacles preventing him from doing so. Beowulf embodies Christopher Reeve’s definition of a hero because he defeated the flesh-eating Grendel, who could not be stopped even by groups of elite soldiers. Beowulf also killed Grendel’s mother, a much eviler being who lived in a cave in an endless pool of blood that led to hell. Finally, he defeated The Firedrake, who swelled up and breathed fire when angry.
The last battle that Beowulf partook in was perhaps the most heroic of all. Although the battle ended his life, it proved that of all the men in the story, Beowulf was the only true Anglo-Saxon hero. All of his troops proved to be fickle. They abandoned him in a time when they were needed the most. Though his men lived, they lived as cowards, yielding to the dragon apprehended by all the Geats. Never the less, Beowulf’s strength of heart and mind gave him the will to fight the dragon, although none of his men were there to help him. In this part of the tale, Beowulf was older and his physical strength had dwindled. But despite this, his tremendous heroism remained. He fought the dragon to his death and died with a pride, gallantry and chivalry that no man at the time had
Beowulf is a hero, and we all know a hero when we see one. There are many traits and characteristics that make someone a hero. These traits and characteristics are more expressed in ancient epics and poems. Beowulf is one of the most famous ancient Anglo-Saxon poems still taught to this day in schools and colleges all over the world. The story starts off of how a man by the name of Beowulf receives news that a neighboring land is being terrorized by a monster named Grendel. Beowulf shows several characteristics of here such as, bravery, loyalty, generosity, friendship, and showing a high level of intellect. Beowulf first shows his heroic character through his bravery while journeying on his epic quest. There are several cases where he is not afraid, and instead of being frightened, he shows great bravery. An example of from the poem is, “Instead, they inspected omens and spurred his ambitions to go, whilst he moved about like the leader he was, enlisting men, the best he could find; with fourteen others the warrior boarded the boast as captain” (Beowulf 205-210). This quote gives proof of his bravery because he was the head of the group leading his men. Beowulf proves that even he himself must be brave in order to lead the bravest of men into battle.