Are heroes more heroic and real when they are flawed or perfect? Heroes are supposed to be real and themselves. They should lead by good example. Especially people who have a positive impression on others. True heroes have weaknesses. If they do not have weaknesses, why should they fight if no one would win? In the film Beowulf, he goes through trials and temptations. The hero also makes many regretful decisions but he is still an excellent leader.
Beowulf is a brave warrior. Heroes are supposed to be reliable and always willing to help. They sometimes have to put other before themselves. Beowulf has to make many hard decisions. He came from his homeland to save Hrothgar and his people. The first trial he has is an encounter with is Grendel.
…show more content…
Every hero makes mistakes, it is a part of being human. Beowulf lies about chaining five of the strongest beasts. However, he also lies about racing in the ocean and killing monsters left and right. Every human has exaggerated personal stories to sound more heroic. Hrothgar tells Beowulf where the she- monster lives. Hrothgar describes her lair as being mysterious. He travels for hours sinking to the bottom. When he arrives he encounters a beautiful woman, Grendel’s mother. In Beowulf, she lures him into making an agreement with her. She tells him if I keep the horn, you will be king (Beowulf). Beowulf agrees to the deal, he takes Grendel’s head and leaves. When he arrives back to land, he tells the Danes he has killed the beast that intrudes their peace. He shows them Grendel’s head to prove to them he killed the beast. They all cheered in excitement to their hero’s accomplishment. In the literature, Beowulf is honorable, and trustworthy. Heroes are supposed to keep their word. He promises them he will kill the monster and end their fear. Beowulf goes to the creature’s lair and begins fighting. “She welcomed him into her claws, / Clutched at him savagely but could not harm him” (Beowulf 53). Beowulf went to swing his sword at her but couldn’t. “Then he saw/ The mighty water witch, and swung his sword...” (Beowulf 54), but he could not harm her. Beowulf returned to the Geat’s and took over as ruler. Beowulf is a fearless, strong, wonderful one of a kind hero. Heroes are supposed to have some fears but still do their job. In Beowulf, Beowulf fears the dragon, but Wiglaf motivates him to fight. Beowulf decides to fight so he heads toward the dragon. In Beowulf Wiglaf tells Beowulf he is a hero and his people need him, and he will do just fine,
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.
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 is an epic poem you can relate to life today. He was like any other hero very brave, loyal and a really great leader. His followers looked up to him and obeyed him. Beowulf also had a few enemies, but that wouldn’t stop him from doing anything to keep his people save from the monsters. In this poem you would see several ways that shows Beowulf being a great hero.
Beowulf believes in fate and “knew the sea, would point the prow straight to that distant Danish shore” (3 123-124). When Beowulf arrives at Herot, he boasts about himself and brags by saying, “’the days of my youth have been filled with glory’” (4 142-143). Beowulf describes all of the monsters that he killed and explains that “’death was my errand and the fate they had earned’” (4 158-159). Beowulf requests to fight Grendel alone and promises to do it without any weapons because he wants all the glory to himself and wants to prove that he is the strongest man on earth. He also seems to know that he will win and says, “’Fate will unwind as it must’” (4 189). Beowulf is concerned with how people view and perceive him. This shows that Beowulf is concerned about glory and fame rather than morality and right and wrong. If Beowulf was truly a Christian, he would only be concerned with God’s view of him. Unferth, one of Hrothgar’s courtiers, is extremely “vexed by Beowulf’s adventure, by their visitor’s courage, and angry that anyone in Denmark or anywhere on earth had ever acquired glory and fame greater than his own” (6 235-239). He challenges Beowulf by saying that Beowulf is foolish and has too much pride and that Beowulf owes his victories in battles to luck. Beowulf replies simply by saying that Unferth’s accusations are false and that “’No man swims in the sea as I
Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.
Beowulf ‘s confidence in his abilities and courage to carry out his mission exhibits how he could be considered an epic hero. When he first hears of the Danes’ plight with the monster Grendel, Beowulf wastes no time in “his plan to sail the swan’s road and seek out that king” who desperately needs assistance in his troubles (Heaney 201-202). He eagerly accepts his call to action, wasting no time in ensuring King Hrothgar of his “awesome strength” and exhibiting an unwavering self-assurance as he recalls how he “battled and bound five beasts” (Heaney 418-420). In these first encounters with the hero, it is evident that Beowulf’s defining characteristics include his courage and pride. There is no fear or reluctance in his attempt for glory,
Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow men through his amazing physical strength. He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious
Beowulf is an epic hero from the Anglo-Saxon period, who takes on a great deal of challenges and adventures. The character Beowulf embodies the virtues of the Anglo-Saxon culture and beliefs. He incorporate the traits of Anglo-Saxon society with strength, bravery, honor, and the desire to help the helpless.
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
The story of Beowulf is one of a great hero. Beowulf is a very generous person who is always willing to help out when people are in need. Over the course of the story, Beowulf ends up in three major battles: the battle with Grendel, with Grendel’s mother, and with the dragon. All of these battles were different in their style and the way Beowulf approached them was different. Beowulf also had different reasons to participate in each of the battles.
There have been many criticisms of the character of Beowulf that highlight certain traits which could point away from the notion of him being a hero. One such idea is that he fought the monsters chiefly for personal reasons:
In the book Beowulf, Beowulf, the main character, is a man of great strength and ability. He is depicted as a man of wisdom, and that he is a prince that comes from a kingdom that is well respected. He fights many battles, and is seen as a hero with glory to his name, but this does not mean that he is as flawless as he seems to be. Beowulf is a man who desires to help those in need, however, he is greedy for the glory and treasure that he will receive in thanks of his success. He is truly confident, but because of this he is impulsive, never questioning his ability to take on a task. He is also brave, he has almost no fear, but this tends to make him reckless. He is a hero to many, but he believes in himself in such a way that he acts foolishly, and it will eventually be the death of him.
A true hero does not fear death or, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. Beowulf is an epic and tells the story of a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as if he was immortal. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. However, his humanity is exposed by his death. Heroes all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their effort to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. Throughout the epic, Beowulf in many ways exhibited all the qualities and characteristics needed to be a true hero.
Beowulf is a hero that helped his kingdom and others with enemies that could destroy his life and people. Beowulf heard that the kingdom overseas was having issues with a monster by the name
In an epic poem Beowulf, there are two characters presented, Beowulf who is considered a hero and Grendel who others see as a monster. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf does many heroic actions which put him in a position of a hero. On the other hand, Grendel does everything he can to destroy the happiness of others. Beowulf was portrayed as a courageous person right from the beginning of the poem.