The Hero Of Heroes, Beowulf, And The King 's Land

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.

Beowulf is an Old English poem written somewhere between the eighth century and the tenth century; the culture of Germanic times is depicted through varying concepts of masculinity that not only describes their capability as a warrior, but also their aptitude as a leader. Beowulf shows of a demon named Grendel attacking Heorot, and the king, Hrothgar, calls Beowulf, a warrior, for help with the slaying of Grendel. Characteristics and qualities of leadership are directly linked to the masculinity of the characters within Beowulf. The leaders in the prologue are demonstrated with the aspects of masculinity through their strength and brutality. In Beowulf, a man demonstrates his essential worth through evidence of masculinity as seen in Unferth’s cowardice, Beowulf’s heroism, and Wiglaf’s bravery.

A hero, “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”(“Hero”). A hero shows much more than honor and glory, they sacrifice their own life to selflessly help out the lives of others. By having heroes it gives us hope, wisdom, and justice throughout the nation. The three main types of heroes include an epic hero, superhero, and your own personal hero. These heroes show that it 's more than the cape or armour they wear, they show the true meaning of a hero by defining sacrifice, loyalty, and determination.

“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.

The rigid and confined society of the Danes also shaped the way its people think and act, but also influenced greatly on the writings. Given the fact that metaphors and kennings are common in Old English literature; the representation of “evil” is also something not to be taken on a literal level. “Edgetho had begun a bitter feud / Killing Hathlaf, a Wulfing warrior” (459-460), inter-tribal feuds, therefore, are also a destroyer of peace. Grendel takes on a form that is left uncertain; its real meaning hidden behind the metaphorical mask of a monster, is the never-ending battles between tribal armies (namely, the Danes, Geats, Frisians, and the Swedes) that had disturbed the tranquility people had longed for. It is almost a barrier of peacekeeping, hider of hope. Hence, it is represented by Grendel, a great evil hated by many, whom

One day when there is dinner back at Hart, Hrothgar watches Hrothulf sit between his sons. Hrothgar astonished at the fact that there will come a time when Hrothulf, will rise against him. Hrothgar almost becomes a little crazy because he looks through the hall and sees a series of traps. In addition to the threat that Hrothulf presents, there is the problem of Wealtheow’s brother, Hygmod. Also, Ingeld, the powerful king of the Heathobards, poses a threat to Hrothgar’s kingdom because he can easily just take a walk to Hart and raid

Nevertheless, his personality deviates and he was no longer the confident man the Geats had once thought of him. Before Beowulf’s third battle, his qualities diminished, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again” (607). The man

Hrothgar reminds Beowulf that Heremod’s “rise in the world brought little joy to the Danish people, only death and destruction.” (1711/1712) Because Heremod “vented his rage on men he caroused with” and “killed his own comrades” in his “bloodthirsty” pursuit, he “suffered in the end for having plagued his people for so long” and his life consequently “lost happiness.” (1713-1722) Through Hrothgar’s discourse, Heremod fully emerges as a vilified character. Now, Beowulf has been provided with the opportunity to hear Heremod’s story twice. Beowulf’s lack of response either to the mention of Heremod seems indeed to mark him as the “undaunted hero.” (1816) While Beowulf might not respond to this rising forewarning, his impending honorable actions toward Geatland begin to speak for themselves.

For Beowulf to retain its relevance after a journey from single surviving manuscript to famous epic poem, one can assume its star role is filled by a character extraordinary. The poem’s hero, Beowulf, strikingly resembles many renown principal characters. It would be an uphill battle arguing against him joining the likes of Hercules, Jesus Christ, and many more in their Übermensch status. Based on his words and actions, it is painstakingly clear that Beowulf is an archetypal hero; someone who shares the common characteristics of a hero, and follows what Joseph Campbell calls “the hero’s journey” (Campbell 45-221).

Another characteristic of Beowulf that is consistently shown through the story is that Beowulf is human. He performs many great deeds and faces deadly challenges, but he is not flawless. He faces his challenges knowing that he may not be able to defeat his enemy. During Beowulf's great battle with the dragon, the dragon bites Beowulf and causes the deadly blow:

Life is not lived in isolation. Actions cause reactions and influence the events of the future. These repercussions manifest themselves in many degrees, from injury to glory to the downfall of a kingdom. This idea of causality is explored within lines 1440 to 1490 of “Beowulf”as its eponymous character prepares for battle against Grendel’s Mother. Through reinforcing the significance of weaponry and armor, the importance of protecting both self and legacy, and the impact characters have on others’ choices of the future, this passage develops the motivation behind the choices of the characters throughout the poem centering on their continual focus on leaving a legacy through their future actions.

John Gardner’s story of Grendel and the original poem of Beowulf have many literary similarities, as well as many differences. Each story is composed of archetypal characters, Anglo-Saxon values, and different aspects of viking life. Grendel is told from the perspective of a “beast from hell” as he is referred to as in the story of Beowulf, a brave hero. Beowulf is told from a human point of view, through the eyes of the glorious knight himself. In each story, the tone that the author uses is astoundingly different from the other, and gives the story its own personality. Hrothgar and his men are interesting to compare to each other in each book, as they are spoken of in different ways, depending on whose point of view the story is being told from.

Prideful steps came to a halt as soon as Beowulf stopped and slowly turned to face us, a crowd of young warriors willing to give our all to fight alongside such a hero. I could feel my heart quench as he told his story, of his brothers and father, of his glory and fame, and watched in awe with every movement he made. Alas, Beowulf made his final boast and ended with what only the best heroes could, “If the dragon in this tower dares to face me!” he screamed. We cheered and felt our adrenaline go up as we became more prepared for the battle just around the corner, our swords in hand, shields already up; however, nothing could have prepared us for what lie ahead.

In the land of the Geats many warriors have been raised to be boastful and confident. Through the culture of the Anglo-Saxons, the Geats became barbaric figures unlike the Celtic people who resemble the five knightly virtues. Beowulf helps resemble the Anglo-Saxon culture through his passion, ambition, and courage as well as through the stories of his successes that he shares. Gawain differs from this confidence and boastful attitude of the Geats due to the humble and courteous attitude that he carries. This difference in Celtic and Anglo-Saxon cultures can be seen in Beowulf 's heroic journey due to the physical trials that Beowulf goes through versus the virtuous and trials to character that Gawain faces. This difference from the emphasis on physical trials in Beowulf and the emphasis on the test of character in Gawain therefore demonstrate the difference in the two cultures that each hero belongs to.

We all grow up wanting to be like our hero. Some want to be like their mom or dad, others want to be like their favorite fictional superhero. Whomever it may be that you envy, for whatever reason you admire them, all of these heroes have a few things in common.The traits all leaders share: bravery, strength, mental and physical, and they are glorified by others. The hero in this essay is Beowulf. A great warrior, leader, and role model for all.