The Heroic Values Of Beowulf

Although cultural heroes ultimately serve the purpose of solidifying the values of a particular culture , the ever-changing, dynamic nature of heroism identifies itself as religious or a natural trait. Heroism is considered putting yourself at risk when in danger, helping those in need, and being the first one to step up and help, In the read Beowulf, he does just that. “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” This quote is perfect in relation to Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon beliefs. Heroism is displayed in many ways, It is showed all throughout the articles as well. Beowulf displays and greatly achieves one of the Anglo-Saxon values heroism through strength and greatness. As the story continues he resembles the traits of a protagonist more and more, for example, they place their careers in a high positions as if they are more important than their lives. Beowulf is seen in my eyes as almost fearless, how he goes about his quest and actions, slays Grendel and Grendel 's mother. Beowulf seems to put his life of adventure and intensity in front of his personal life. He focuses more on the Military part then he does his family or close friends. For him to put that in front of his morals and beliefs makes him an even greater hero.

A hero is not born; he is self-made with heroic qualities. What qualifies for making someone a hero? According to Merriam Webster, a hero is defined as: “ a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability”. Beowulf perfectly fits that definition of a hero. In Seamus Heaney Beowulf, Beowulf has everything it takes to be known as a hero. Some of Beowulf’s vital traits as warrior includes bravery, courage, honor, incredible physical strength, and the will to serve the people for the greater good. This poem is centered around him and that is all he needs to be portrayed as the hero he is.

A hero must do many things to be allowed the title of hero. However, there are some aspects a hero should not show. If these characteristics are shown, they should not be considered a hero. One attribute a hero should not display is selfishness. In the Knight’s Tale, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, Arcite and Palamon acted selfishly. They perceived a beautiful lady. They fought for the beautiful lady. They died for the beautiful lady. Nevertheless, they acted selfishly during this gripping story. For example, they fought for Emily, the beautiful lady, because neither could live without her. Nonetheless, neither ambitious young man could bother themselves to question her on whether she wished to marry either of these headstrong knights. She may not have desired to marry either of them. Therefore, they acted selfish and do not live up to one requirement of a hero. On the contrary, Beowulf, the main protagonist in the epic poem Beowulf written by an unknown source, did not act selfishly. Throughout the poem, he risked his life to fight horrendous monsters to save the good people living in the area. These actions define Beowulf as a hero. Contrarily, Sir Gawain, who starred in the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, embarked on a dangerous journey. The Green Knight had tasked him to find the Green Chapel. Before finding the chapel, the tired knight came across a castle tucked away in the peaceful forest. When he asked to stay for a night, his host proposed a trade. The host would

Beowulf is a character that exudes the qualities of an epic hero. Throughout this epic, Beowulf is seen as a hero to many and a major threat to the evils he encounters. The values of the Anglo-Saxons, who would have read and admired this poem, included loyalty, bravery, and honor. Beowulf’s character exemplifies all of these qualities to the highest degree. The values and traditions of the original composers of this story cause Beowulf’s character to be the perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon epic hero.

Have you ever dreamt about slaying dragons and a variety of monsters? What about being known as a hero for all your actions? Beowulf has achieved all of these things. From slaying slaying large monsters in oceans to Dragons in caves, to becoming a hero of Herot. Beowulf has accomplished a vast amount quests; along the way he shows us the true characteristics of a hero. The heroic ideals as described in Beowulf are similar to today in Incredible strength, courageous acts, and selfless deeds.

The epic poem Beowulf describes a famous hero of the Anglo-Saxon period. The hero Beowulf, is a seemingly unstoppable person with the inhuman traits required of a hero. He uses his courage and physical strength to put his people before himself. He encounters many monsters and rigorous

Beowulf is an epic poem of a man’s adventures, wherein he defeats monsters. Beowulf is introduced when he is called to defeat the evil monster Grendel. Soon Beowulf defeats the monster, the monster’s mother, and later in the story he defeats a dragon. Upon defeating the dragon, Beowulf dies, thus ending his story. Just because his life ended, the memories of his incredible strength, boastful stories, and his courage were all recorded into his epic poem. I believe Beowulf is an epic hero according to definition and here’s why.

The heroic quality that a hero must demonstrate is being brave. Beowulf shows a vast amount of bravery throughout the epic poem. Beowulf has been a mighty warrior during his life. He wanted to continue his action-packed life by

In his brave and fantastic tale, Beowulf has shown many characteristics of a hero. He’s battled those that kill for their own pleasure, and rid the Dane’s of an intelligent and ruthless killer set on revenge. He has returned to his homeland to become the strong, undefeated King of Geats, where he proves that, when the dragon kills him, the undefeated can be defeated. Several of Beowulf’s traits, characteristics, and abilities, throughout his great story, are considered heroic.

Even though Beowulf seems to be the perfect hero, he does have his flaws. Beowulf’s impulsive and rash decision making is something that puts him in danger, and eventually brings him to his end. Beowulf is a courageous person who has the best qualities to be a top notch hero. He has no fear in anything, which is shown when he learns about Grendel

Achilles, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Samson and Heracles can all be characterized as heroes. However, each of these characters embodies different attributes that earn them the heroic distinction. This paper will seek to show that Beowulf is the "most" heroic figure based on his adherence to the heroic ethos. Also, the character of Gilgamesh will be used as a means of comparison to further showcase the heroic nature of Beowulf.

Beowulf’s bravery is strongly supported by his actions. The great warrior goes into every battle with the knowledge that death could be a possible outcome, but rather than seeing it as an obstacle, he is always accepting of his wyrd. His motivation is the well-being of his people, as well as a sense of achievement. Beowulf is truly a hero because of his admirable courage and selflessness. Beowulf’s bravery allowed him to face the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon.

The word “hero” has had many different definitions throughout history, but all of them seem to include something about being courageous and having a desire to help other people. In the epic poem Beowulf, the main character (Beowulf) has many heroic qualities. Beowulf was a hero born in Geatland who sailed out to Denmark to protect the people. This piece of literature displays to the reader what Beowulf is like in his youth and in his old age. Over the course of his life, he shows many heroic qualities, making him a hero.

In Beowulf the classic epic, Beowulf, the hero of the epic, and other major characters reflect heroic ideals and beliefs of courage, generosity, unquestioning loyalty and devotion. Courage is most evident throughout Beowulf Beowulf does not back down from any challenge that stands in his way whether it be Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the dragon. His bravery is most evident in his preparation for his fight with Grendel, Beowulf, “took off his shirt of armour, the helmet from his head, handed his embellished sword, best of irons to an attendant,…” He chose to bravely fight his foe, man to beast without weaponery for he knew it would be “cowardly” to defeat Grendel with a sword and armor when Grendel himself had none. Even in his

Looking back at early forms of literature we notice the classic idea of heroism in Beowulf. As time passes by the notion of a hero changes. Consciousness in early literature such as, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, does not enter the innermost thoughts. The notion of a hero and the notion of consciousness changes within literature through time. In the novel, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen the hero is portrayed differently compared to earlier texts as well as the characters being aware of one’s environment. The author Jane Austen, carefully shapes her characters’ actions, feelings and affiliations in a specific way. In Sense and Sensibility we have a clearer picture of the consciousness of characters than what we see in Beowulf or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.