The Characteristics Of Beowulf As Symbolized By His Swords

Beowulf illustrates the both powerful bravery and strength that define the heroic code. The poet describes the Geat warrior as a “man whose name was known for courage” (Beowulf 330). Beowulf knows he is strong and declares himself capable to King Hrothgar stating, “I battled and bound five beasts, / raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea / slaughtered sea-brutes” (Beowulf 420-2). His testimonies of strength and battle achievements are not to boast for personal glory but to credit himself worthy and capable of defeating Grendel. Beowulf succeeds in mortally wounding Grendel, but the demon’s mother threatens Hrothgar’s hall again with another attack. Beowulf does not turn away from this set back but rises to the challenge and encourages Hrothgar to avenge the death of his friend, Aeschere . Beowulf explains to Hrothgar, “It is always better / to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. / For every one of us, living in this world / means waiting for our end. Let whoever can / win glory before death” (Beowulf 1384-8). Beowulf’s concerns are largely of loyalty to his lord and obtaining glory no matter the risks. Critic Joseph Weidenboerner writes, “the clan hero is always conscious of the ‘other,’ focusing on his service to persons or powers greater

An Epic Hero is a brave, noble character in an epic poem, and they are admired for great achievements or affected by a grand event. In another point of view, A Epic Hero has to have strength, faith and Braveness in order to perform heroic deeds. In the story Beowulf , Beowulf is an epic hero because he kills Grendel the monster, Grendel’s Mother and a dragon that no one else could have defeated. All the things Beowulf did throughout this story showed evidence of an epic hero, also with his personality and dedication. Beowulf is an epic hero because of how he sacrificed his life to perform heroic deeds. Also for his extraordinary strength, Braveness, and Faith.

Being a hero can mean many different things. A modern day hero might be someone who has a strong moral code or someone that has extraordinary powers and abilities but, looking back in time the meaning of a hero has changed slightly. During Anglo-Saxon times, being a hero meant being loyal to their lord and god, having a sense of duty, being selfless, having honor, being intelligent, and boasting. It also meant being brave and having courage, having a sense of justice, and having larger than life strength. A great example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf from “Beowulf,” written by an unknown author. In this poem, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he was brave and courageous, he had superhuman strength, and he had a unique sense of justice.

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.

Throughout the story, Beowulf displays many attributes of a hero. In the story Beowulf shows many characteristics of hero such as strength, courage, and intelligence. In the story, Beowulf displays these qualities of a hero in battles that he is involved in during the story. The battles Beowulf is involved in is how Beowulf earns his fame and gains these characteristics. In the story, Beowulf fights and defeats monsters around the different kingdoms in the story protecting the other humans in the story which leads to him being king.

As the Martian Manhunter once said, “The future is worth it. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight”. This modern day superhero mentality, that fighting the good fight is worth it because it is the right thing to do is seen everywhere today. Movies, comic books, and videos games come out yearly featuring superheroes who fight for justice using their superhuman abilities. They possess characteristics such as bravery, strength, a stong moral compass, and loyalty. Interestingly, these modern day superhero traits can be traced all the way back to the Anglo-Saxons were the first hero ever, Beowulf lived. It is Beowulf who not only exemplifies modern day hero traits, but he more importantly shows the ideals of an Anglo-Saxon hero. Without a doubt, Beowulf demonstrates the traits of an Anglo-Saxon hero.

In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf holds many traits of being an epic hero. A epic hero is a brave and noble character, admired for great achievements. Beowulf takes charge and kills Grendel and his Mother, rules Geatland for the best, and finally gets defeated by the dragons. Beowulf holds a strong standing as an epic hero in this poem. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf shows the real meaning of being strong, on a quest, and ethical.

Most heroes receive accolades, rewards, or some type of fame for the heroic things they have done. But for the people who don´t get any kind of recognition, usually they feel as if what they did was not appreciated. That´s why people should receive the positive attention they deserved for the great deed they have done.

Beowulf exemplifies heroic qualities that convey his nobility and courage. The poem named Beowulf has no known author. The author of the poem is known to be a Anglo-Saxon poet. The poem, "Beowulf", is an Old English epic poem. The character, Beowulf, is a noble hero who offered to help King Hrothgar by fighting a demon named Grendal. He fought many enemies before and while becoming a king. Beowulf is a loyal and noble hero to the people of Geats and Danes. Epic heroes are defined with specific qualities that this particular literary epic hero fits into. Many literary heroes are described with particular characteristics, and Beowulf fits those standards in order to be considered a hero. Beowulf expresses many heroic qualities that depict him as a noble and loyal leader.

It is hard to be a hero, just have to be selfless and put the needs or well being of others ahead of yourself own. Heroes also usually present themselves in times of need when nobody else does, which makes them stand out, because they are selfless and put other people ahead of themselves. Beowulf showed many signs of being a hero and also showed that he was selfless. A modern day hero that could be related to Beowulf who showed the same heroic traits is Martin Luther King JR.

Ms. D’Eon World Literature 10 October 09 2015 Five Paragraph Essay How does one use a book to portray a message? There are many authors in this world who wrote a book that ends with a moral or a message. This idea of making sure the reader learns something goes way back in history, even back to the Anglo-Saxon Period. Beowulf, is the story of a hero who uses his inhumane powers for the good of others and is the key image of a Germanic Warrior.

The traits of an epic hero are superhuman abilities, embarking on a journey that changes him forever, and displays/embodies values of society. The epic, Beowulf, begins centuries ago where a young Geat comes to the land of the Danes to kill the monster who terrorizes the Danish, Grendel. In the process of completing his task, Beowulf reveals that he is an epic hero with the traits to show for it.

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

The excerpt from the story of Beowulf, tells of the hero’s triumph over the cannibalistic monster named Grendel. Although, the story if read literally is quite common for a hero’s tale, it truly is more about a hero’s duty, acceptance and loyalty.

An Analysis of Beowulf and the Hrunting Sword Student’s Name University Affiliation Introduction Beowulf is a poem made up of 3182 lines that is considered to be the oldest surviving literature that is based on Old English. Although written in England, the story is set in Scandinavia. The literature talks of Beowulf, who the poem describes as a hero and a man of great strength. The poem talks of Beowulf defeating a dragon, a monster called Grendel as well as Grendel’s mother.