Beowulf was an immense poem about a courageous warrior - by the name of Beowulf. This warrior was brave and had a lot of confidence, which led him to act foolishly. Beowulf was respected by the people of Denmark and Sweden. Throughout the poem, Beowulf proved he was a hero by protecting the Geats and Danes, but also foolish with the beasts he defeated. Beowulf acted like a proud fool when he was on his way to kill Grendel’s mom. Beowulf had to lower himself into a monster infested lake, with only the protection of a mail shirt, to get to her in the first place. “Only Beowulf would risk his life in this lake… But Beowulf and fear were strangers; he stood ready to dive into battle" (Page 64). The mail shirt that he wore was unrealistically strong and protected …show more content…
Today, a hero is a brave and selfless individual who helped during the September 11th attacks. Out of all the people that died during September 11th, over 400 were first responders. “Over 2,600 people died in the World Trade Center and its vicinity, including a staggering 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped on higher floors” (“A History of the 9/11 Attacks”). These people are considered heroes because they risked their lives to save others. Facing death was something that probably scared them, but they cared more about the trapped, helpless people inside. Beowulf and the 9/11 responders are similar because they protected people. Beowulf was both a hero and a proud fool. This was demonstrated by his actions throughout the poem. Beowulf was not a hero when compared to the responders of the 9/11 attacks, because they risked their lives for the safety of others whereas Beowulf only risked his life for rewards that followed, this made him
A hero can be defined in several ways. Someone can be considered a hero by the qualities he or she displays. The epic poem Beowulf, written by an unknown author, describes the most heroic man and role model of the Anglo-Saxon times. This hero Beowulf has all the qualities and traits that a true hero expresses. Beowulf, as depicted in the epic Beowulf, is the prototype of the epic hero, a larger-than-life figure who embodies the virtues and ideals of his culture.
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.
One of the strongest men on the face of Earth was Beowulf—savior of souls, and annihilator of evil. Beowulf is an epic poem that originated in the Anglo-Saxon period, told in Anglo-Saxon English. The poem depicts the odyssey of a man, Beowulf, who comes from the land of Geats to defeat a hellish creature, Grendel, which has been spawning terror upon King Hrothgar and his men, who live in the land of the Danes. On the way to King Hrothgar’s land, Beowulf encounters many monsters, and upon his arrival to the land of Danes, Beowulf vows to destroy Grendel in order to return peace and safety to King Hrothgar and his men. The poem often characterizes Beowulf with two distinct traits: pride and selflessness. Beowulf shows several moments of motivation
If weapons were useless, he’d use his hands” (487-490) , he fought both the Grendel and its mother with his bare hands. His final battle was the greatest sign of bravery any man could have given, and this was Beowulf gave up his life in order to save his kingdom and his people. While doing this he also glorified his kingdom and all the people within it by drowning them in gold and jewels, “This tower, and remember my name, and call it Beowulf’s tower, and boats in the darkness And mist, crossing the sea, will know it.” Even though it may seem like he was trying to make himself look better, in the end as he was the king and once the greatest warrior, as his name is known throughout the world, so is his
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.
One of the most important poems from the Old English literature is, The Beowulf poem. This poem was written by the author named, Burton Raffel. The poem was set in Scandinavia. Beowulf was recently viewed as a historical piece that should be preserved. He was known as the “Hero of the Geats” throughout the poem. This poem is a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil, which Beowulf conveys throughout the whole poem. Beowulf shows many characteristics that would classify him as a hero such as courage, willingness to put other lives before his, and bravery.
Beowulf is the hero of all. He has courage, strength, and is considered the prince of the Geats. He always stand by his word no matter what happened, no matter if he must risk his physical integrity for it. He likes to be there for the people that need his help to be saved from the evil. He is willing to risk his own life in order to save the life of his ideals, and that selfless help identifies his heroic identity and character. He defeats three monsters, two of them were the descendants of Cain, demonstrating his capabilities of performing great feats of strength and courage. This heroic icon demonstrates how brave he is, not only with himself but with other people that need his useful help and he is always there to help others, using his ability of strength and courage.
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 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.
Is Beowulf an epic hero or a proud fool? In most cases, people would look at him and say that he is both a proud fool and an epic hero. A epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics, Beowulf shows that he truly possesses these characteristics by his actions of bravery, power, and his honor. Beowulf show’s that he is brave when he goes across the sea to help those in need even though he would be risking his life in the process. He shows that he has strength when he takes on the mighty dragon and kills it along with so many other fearsome beasts before it. Also, Beowulf shows that he is honorably to his people when he stands beside them and risks his life for them and for the Danes. While Beowulf may have been an epic hero in the poem Beowulf, there are many great and fantastic heroes right here in America. Beowulf may have fought sea monsters and a dragon, but people here in America have fought against others who are out to destroy us like the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York. The day of 9/11 when the planes hit the buildings was a day that will forever be remember as one of the worst day in American history, but brave men came together to help those in need. Police officers, Firefighters, EMT’s, Doctor’s, and many more where there to take care of those who needed it. Heroes
Beowulf is an epic poem written by a mystery author. The main character, beowulf, shows evidence of having heroic traits using personification. Beowulf is a heroic character because he volunteers for things that nobody else in the kingdom would ever think of doing. He rises up to the occasion when he is faced with a predicament.
As Beowulf lies at rest, the question must be asked. Was he a true hero? Wanting only to help the towns people and keep them safe? Or just a mighty man wanting to be king, loathed in fame and riches? That is something that may always stay
Though the jaunt was difficult, Beowulf was relentless in his pursuit. When he reached Grendel’s mother, the battle was long and hard, but the hero refused to surrender. He fought until the disconcerted mother gave up and died. As a token of his feat, Beowulf took a jewel-studded sword from the cave. To further celebrate his heroic feat, he decapitated Grendel and kept his head as a souvenir of his triumph.
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.
A man by the name of Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his/her life to something bigger than himself”. No matter who you are and what you do there are opportunities to be a hero all around you. You just have to know how to think and act like a hero. Beowulf is a story of a seasoned warrior who faces many trials during his life and becomes a leader among his people. By exhibiting certain traits he is able to find success and make a name for himself. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the author employs foil characters such as Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon to establish Beowulf as a true hero.