The Hero’S Quest. The Hero’S Quest Is Commonly Divided

There are also many archetypal journeys within the story such as the warrior’s journey to save people and seek vengeance on an enemy. Beowulf’s quest to rid the Danes’ land of Grendel and his heroic success in doing so demonstrates these

Joseph Campbell’s term monomyth can be described as a hero’s journey. Many heroic characters follow the monomyth, no matter the time period or culture the literature was created in. The poem Beowulf is known to follow the adventure of the hero described in Campbell’s monomyth . The hero’s journey consists of three rites of passages: separation, initiation, and return. Beowulf endures each of these stages throughout the epic poem, so his journey does follow Campbell’s monomyth.

Beowulf has shown many characteristics of a hero. Where as Grendel has shown characteristics of being an outcast. The role of the hero in Beowulf was portrayed by Beowulf himself. Beowulf was the leader and took on three quests for the people. Most heros would need some form of preparation before they complete quests, but Beowulf on the other hand did not need any. Beowulf had a calling when he was leader. These callings were the three quests that Beowulf needed to complete for the greater good of Hrothgar’s people, defeating Grendel, defeating Grendel’s mother, and attempting to slay the dragon that had burned the houses and land of the Geats’.

Throughout a hero's lifetime, a quest is typically accomplished. A quest is a long and occasionally strenuous search for something of great value. In Beowulf the hero, Beowulf, completes a quest like any other hero would. What makes the story of Beowulf a quest is the following: Beowulf travels to an unknown land, in this unknown land he faces a great danger, after he accomplishes his goal he is rewarded, and finally the hero returns home.

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,

As him and his men see the shining reflection of the Danes’ spears, Beowulf feels and interprets the uncertainty they feel, for he is this mysterious man showing up to this island filled with turmoil. As the Geats are reluctantly let in, Beowulf introduces himself and gives detailed backgrounds of his many battles, flaunting his accomplishments and emphasizing his triumphs. In the midst of his storytelling he says, “‘I had a fixed purpose when I put to sea. / As I sat in the boat with my band of men, / I meant to perform to the uttermost / what your people wanted or perish in the attempt / in the fiend’s clutches. And I shall fulfil that purpose, / prove myself with a proud deed / or meet my death here in the mead-hall’” (43).

Beowulf is a very brave and noble prince. He proves this statement in the way he humbly boasts about his ability to complete quests, fighting monstrous creates continuously, and going into each battle or challenge by his lonesome. “Hail! King Hrothgar! I am Hygelac’s thane, Hygelac’s kinsman. Many a deed Of honor and daring I’ve done in my youth… The best of my people, prudent and brave, Urged

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

To begin with, quests are a multi-step process; and in order for Beowulf to become an epic hero, he must follow the main structure of a quester. In Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines he states, “The quest consists of five things: a quester, a place to go, a stated reason to go, challenges and trials en route, and a real reason to go there” (Foster 3). Quests are no simple matter, and in order for a hero to be considered epic, they must pass the series of different characteristics. First of all, an epic hero must be someone who does something outside of his daily routine. Foster states, “A quester is just a person who goes on a quest, whether or not he knows it’s a quest” (3). The epic hero must be exceptional, there must be something remarkable about him. In the same way, an epic hero should be leaving somewhere to do something. Foster also says, “A place to go and a stated reason to go there should be considered together: someone tells our protagonist, our hero, to go somewhere and do something” (Foster 3). The hero must venture out of the comfort of his home for him to be considered epic, that way he is not selfish in what he is accomplishing. The hero must also have some reason to go on this journey, some threat or mission he must fulfill. Adding to that, challenges must be overcame for your hero to be considered epic. Foster quotes, “A knight, a dangerous road, a Holy Grail, at least one dragon, one evil knight, one princess” (2). Whatever challenges he may face, he must face them for the betterment of humanity. And finally, an epic hero must be on this journey not just because it is necessary, but because he is trying to find something along the way. Foster notes, “The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason” (3). The quester is not going on this journey simply because he is asked to, there must be some reason pushing them to make these decisions. Foster’s description of a quester proves that epic heroes must be on a quest for glory and self-knowledge.

As the story progresses, the deeds Beowulf is capable of are developed. He is respected in battle, as his people “have seen [his] great strength for themselves and watched [him] rise from the darkness of war” (ll. 151-152). They believe in his strength, which pushes him to sail across the sea in hopes of honoring a favor. Beowulf

The hero journey beings with the Departure. The departure I the heros journey has five component. The call to adventure. The refusal of the call. The supernatural aid.

In most modern movies, fantasy novels, and stories, the main character goes through a journey. In fact, we even see this journey so often, that we may not even recognize it. What may be familiar to you is the way the main character progresses through the story, and by looking at the Lightning Thief we can see that it embodies the archetypal pattern of “The Hero’s journey”. The Hero’s journey makes up the basic structure for most mythological or fantasy stories and it retains certain elements essential to the makings of a good story. This pattern has been recognized by many, notably by Stuart Voytilla who in the Excepts from Myth and Movies says “All stories consist of common structural elements of Stages found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams and movies” effectively making up the Hero’s journey.

Going in to the swamp himself showcases Beowulf’s leadership style. He wants to make sure all of his men return home safely, and the only way to do this is to only endanger one life, his own. This also lends itself to the idea that Beowulf is in his line of duty for glory. Here in this scene he takes the approach of “If I want it done right I will do it myself.” As the leader of this band of Geats he wants them to live to recant his legacy in the off chance of his death; to be immortalized in history as a brave warrior who died in the line of battle. The swim down to Grendel’s mother’s lair exemplifies Beowulf’s super-human qualities. It was said that he swam for the better part of a day, a deed which by human standards is impossible. Once at the bottom he faces the swamp hag in a battle which once again ends with his victory. When has a story ever had the hero die in the middle of the book? The fact that Beowulf just happened to see the giant sword on the wall shows that he is a hero because things go his way. As one of the oldest written stories of a warrior hero, Beowulf was the basis for all male warriors from this point on. Everything goes their way, the adversaries are defeated, and a celebration is had.

Beowulf’s last test of courage comes in his old age when his people are threatened by a “mighty” dragon. Beowulf felt as if something he had done had caused the irascible beast to wreck havoc on his people, “killing and destroying” them and their homes with its “molten” breath. Knowing what had to be done, Beowulf bravely faced the dragon, while all of his people, except for one, fled in fear. His last battle, which ended in death, displayed Beowulf’s unwavering courage, the type that every hero should possess.

Literary epics tend to follow the basic path in their plotlines of a hero who undergoes a quest, and Beowulf is no different. Beowulf is unique in that his tale is split into two stories taking place decades apart, one when he is a young warrior and the other when he is an old and wise king. Both stories follow the basic structure for a literary epic, a talented hero is charged with a quest, proves himself with a smaller feat, is aided by supplementary characters, enters a foreign and often supernatural environment, faces near-defeat, recovers and triumphs, and then reaps the rewards of his endeavor. Another example of an epic with this structure is Homer’s Odyssey, which blatantly follows the established sequence of events in a hero 's journey.