King Arthur Vs Beowulf Research Paper

Beowulf has delighted and intrigued a wide array of people for centuries. The timeless nature is visible in modern-day extensions of this epic, through heroics and battles of good versus malevolent forces. Beowulf continues to appeal to sophisticated audiences because it tells the story of a great hero prevailing over evil, a timeless theme valued by society and portrayed by his counterparts in modern media, although these new heroes display more complex qualities.

The Anglo-Saxons’ cultures and traditions are rooted in their beliefs of the perfect hero. Their ideal hero has many key characteristics influenced by their culture including courage, strength, bravery, thick skin, loyalty, humbleness, and the ability to create strong trustworthy friendships. Beowulf is an epic poem that exhibits the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxon traditions illustrated in Beowulf accurately represent the Anglo-Saxon traditions of the time period. This is accomplished through the distinct correlation of heroic characteristics between Beowulf and the culture’s traditional depiction of an Anglo-Saxon hero.

Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as bravery, loyalty, and generosity, which portray him as a hero. It is interesting how modern day heroes show the much of the same qualities as Beowulf.

The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is a seemingly invincible person with all the extraordinary traits required of an Anglo Saxon hero. He is able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encounters many monsters and horrible beasts, but he never fears the threat of death. His leadership skills are outstanding and he is even able to boast about all his achievements. Beowulf is the ultimate epic hero who risks his life countless times for glory which to him meant eternal life.

Beowulf, the defender of Hrothgar and Heorot, exhibits far more complicated (and less sincere) shades of revenge than the Grendel’s mother. At the end of the day, Beowulf’s goal is to become the preeminent warrior in all the land. In his society, the only way to gain such widespread celebrity is through courageous and self-endangering acts. Beowulf masks these deeds with a façade of seeking revenge; he supposedly comes to Heorot to save the Danes from Grendel’s terror, but his true motives lie in becoming a hero. His reward is not the pride of doing a good deed; Beowulf is rewarded with lavish and expensive gifts.

This essay is the comparison between Beowulf and the modern day hero. All soldiers that are fighting for my country certainly comes to mind first, when I think about a modern day hero. Both hero’s are fighting for a good cause, get rewarded for what they do, and get treated with much respect. Although a soldier might not withhold unworldly strength as one such as Beowulf, they both are putting their life at stake, which gives them both the title as being a hero.

The poem Beowulf presents the transformation of Beowulf from a brave warrior to an honorable King. The evolution of Beowulf shows how he fulfills his obligations to the warrior’s heroic code and then transcends into a King who loyally protects his Kingdom. Beowulf’s transformation is shown through a progression of three increasingly more difficult conflicts he must overcome- first with Grendel, then Grendel’s mother and finally against the mighty dragon. These three events are seen "as the three agons in the hero 's life"(Chickering 64). Through these adverse events Beowulf will change from brave young warrior to noble King. This paper will examine the manifestation of heroism in the poem

Beowulf in Beowulf and King Arthur in The Once and Future King both exhibit their courageousness. Arthur shows his courage when he fights the army of King Lot. “In the morning, almost before they were formed, Arthur was on them. In conformity with his own tactics, he sent only a small troop of forty spears to start the work.” The excerpt shows Arthur decides to still go to battle despite Lot’s army being vaster than his own. Beowulf shows his courageousness when he fights Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. “‘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,” This extract shows Beowulf’s courage before he goes into battle. Beowulf tells

Beowulf’s wrath is swift and justified. He plays no games with his opponents. Beowulf even shows respect to his foe and honorably faces them with no undue advantage. A classic example of the honor usually associated with heroes lies in Beowulf’s decision to use neither sword nor armor when facing the monster Grendel in Heorot. Beowulf instead opted, in the name of fair play, to fight the monster on it’s own terms. Unsurprisingly Beowulf conquered his foe in true idolic form, tearing Grendel’s arm from his torso with only the strength of his grip and the power of his arms. This is what we cheer for in such stories, this is the satisfying victory over evil by the true embodiment of good: the hero.

Overall, Beowulf is a better ruler than Arthur because although Arthur had remarkable morals and intentions, he was not praised nor respected like Beowulf. If there is no respect for a leader, than how can one be a “good” leader? Beowulf’s men cherished him and believed in him. They had his back for every choice he made. After Arthur decided to not accuse his wife of treason, some of his men betrayed and left him. Also, Beowulf had no gluttony and did not desire any gold or riches. He was generous and gave all to his people. For example, Beowulf admirably states, “I sold my life/ For this treasure and I sold it well” (l. 809-810). His relief upon seeing the treasure demonstrates his desire to leave something to his citizens. Beowulf made the Danes a peaceful people once again, making him one of their greatest kings and heroes.

Hero have a common standard, being both brave, muscular and strong, but the story of Beowulf made a new section in the stereotypes of heroes, the witty weakling with pure and good heart and mind over pure strength and vile power, overcoming the struggle between two opposing groups and finding equal evil and good inside of him. In the story of Beowulf, a common theme of two groups fighting, whether it’s darkness and light coming into

Strength is without a doubt one of the most important traits which a hero should possess and the Anglo-Saxon’s felt the same way. Beowulf’s strength can be compared to that of the American comic book heroes, Superman and Batman, for he is deemed the “strongest and greatest of the Geats”. The first time that his strength is witnessed, not just spoken of, is when he kills Grendel by ripping the monstrous villain’s arm off. But his most notable display of strength occurs when he enters into combat with Grendel’s mother. When everything seems to be going all wrong for Beowulf, he spies a “heavy” sword hanging on the wall of her lair. With all his power and might, Beowulf drew the sword, “hammered by giants...and….so massive that no ordinary man could life it”, from its scabbard. He “lifts it high over his head”, the sword clasped

he author of Beowulf utilizes the techniques of fate, supernatural, and symbolism to give the Anglo-Saxon epic its theme of a quest for glory. First, the open acceptance of deaths possibility vindicates Beowulf’s courage and faith and furthers the stories idea of the struggle for glory. Willing to attempt what others won’t, Beowulf battles three monsters and paves a glorious life for himself. Next, the supernatural has tested the heroes of ancient stories, and the evil Beowulf faces transforms into his test and opportunity for glory. The “throne, protected by God,” serves as an example of the importance of what Beowulf strives to protect from the supernatural (169).

Characters Beowulf and Arthur are heros from two different epics which originated many years ago with Beowulf being known for being the first story in the English language. In the epics of Beowulf and Arthur, both characters exemplify heroic personas through their actions by putting their lives at risk to protect their nations and to seek glory, honor, and status. Beowulf demonstrates his bravery by standing up against Grendel, a demonic person who terrorizes the Danes, by killing him unarmed at a hall filled with warriors, ripping his arm off in a supernatural manor. He later slays Grendel’s revenge-seeking mother with a magic sword and returns to his homeland to lead them against the Swedes. There, Beowulf faces his last honorable act, slaying

The way the character Beowulf perseveres through challenges in his life, shows his immense strength and knowledge, which is characteristic valued both in medieval and modern times. During Beowulf’s youth, he is