What Is Beowulf A Hero's Journey

What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.

What do Achilles, King Arthur, Harry Potter, and Beowulf all have in common? They all demonstrate the qualities of epic heroes. Beowulf represents several characteristics of an epic hero and demonstrates the values of the Anglo-Saxons. He is the main character of his story, he has a main goal, he travels and fights with a group of people, and he accomplishes many valorous deeds; the values of the Anglo-Saxons are also shown through the actions of Beowulf, such as courage, loyalty, and fame. For example, when Beowulf heard a cry for help in a far off land, he answered. He fought larger than life monsters, and won. His exceptional strength proves his epic courage and heroism.

The character of Beowulf demonstrates several characteristics that make a great epic hero. Throughout his lifetime he displayed several characteristics such as honor, bravery, physical superiority, leadership, and glory. These characteristics all formed how the Anglo-Saxons believed one should live their life. Along with the valorous deeds that Beowulf accomplished he is considered to be a prime example of an epic hero. Beowulf would have even been considered a model human to the Anglo-Saxons due to how he consistently demonstrated these qualities.

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.

Set in an era long before the customs of contemporary western civilization, Heaney’s translation of Beowulf follows the courageous hero through an epic journey that solidifies his figurative immortality. Much like the Greek’s great Odysseus or the Roman’s devout Aeneus, Beowulf serves as an impressive and almost godlike warrior for the Anglo-Saxons, providing insight into the constituents of greatness for that society. Confident in his abilities and committed to his task, Beowulf voluntarily embarks on a mission to defeat Grendel, the treacherous enemy of the Danish kingdom. Beowulf solidifies his classification as an epic hero as he satisfies his quest for glory, saves a kingdom from destruction, and reveals the values of an era.

What action made your favorite hero become the hero he now is? Joseph Campbell, the author of The Hero With A Thousand Faces believes every hero is called to adventure by some act that opens his eyes to become a hero. In the story “Beowulf” translated by Barton Raffel, Beowulf is “woken up” by the news of Grendel’s destruction. The story of Beowulf follows along with campbell’s “call to adventure” claim. The epic poem “Beowulf” exemplifies the claims made by campbell regarding the hero’s call to adventure.

Stories, movies, comic books, and legends alike generally follow a similar storyline: The Hero’s Journey. The patterns of The Hero’s Journey, an underlying structure revealed by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, have been used for centuries to depict extraordinary characters through stories and myths. Throughout his or her journey, the hero goes through three main stages: The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return. Both the epic Beowulf and the comic book-based movie Spider-Man follow this archetypal journey.

Beowulf’s heroic journey began with his going to help the Scyldings, and it ended with his returning to Geatland. In his journey, he kills a giant named Grendel, he kills Grendel’s mother, and he kills a fiery dragon and in the process dies.

To be a hero in the Anglo-Saxon period the person must be a warrior, One that must be able to face any situation, and be very intelligent. The hero must also be courageous and willing to fight and die for their people. To become a real hero the person must go through the cycle that all heros experience during life, referred to as the “Hero’s Journey”. It is steps and stages on the hero’s life which includes, the calling to adventure , supernatural or aid by mentor, the facing of the issue or calling, and return home. To be honored for their success by their people when returned back to their home.

The Initiation is the second stage in The Hero’s Journey. The Belly of the Whale, which usually occurs during the hero’s departure, happens much later in both Beowulf and Spider-Man. In Beowulf, that part is represented in the scene when he is in the lake fighting Grendel’s mother. “Squatting with her weight on his stomach, [Grendel’s Mother] drew / a dagger, brown with dried blood, and prepared / to avenge her only son. But [Beowulf] was stretched / on his back, and her stabbing blade was blunted / by the woven mail shirt he wore on his chest. / The hammered links held; the point / could not touch him” (lines 502-507). For Spider-Man, this is when he is fighting his final battle with the Green Goblin. Peter is getting beat to a pulp by

Throughout his journeys, Beowulf is portrayed in different ways based on which monster he is battling. What starts off as the conquest of a young, prideful hero when fighting Grendel, switches to more of a reliable hero with the battle with Grendel’s mother, and finally concludes with the epic battle between Beowulf and the dragon. The latter shows Beowulf as an old and wise king. Beowulf is motivated to succeed and prove to his king he is a courageous protector of people.

He is now a great hero among the Geats and the Danes. The trials throughout the story are used to build pressure and also establish the character of the hero. The following step is Atonement with the father. In a lectured arranged to mentor Beowulf through a life of leadership, King Hrothgar warns young Beowulf of the dangers of pride and the uncertainties of old age. When Beowulf returns from the fight with Grendel's mother, he enters the hall with now Grendel's head. Not only has he defeated the beast but his mother too. The Danes celebrate and cheer when they discover Beowulf has succesfully completed another task and is alive and untouched. He gives all of the credit to God, saying "I barely survied the battle underwater. It was hard-fought, a desperate affair that could've gone badly; if God had not helped me." (1655-58) After hearing the news about Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother King Hrothgar is extremely pleased with Beowulf's accomplishmnt. He no longer has to live in fear for his kingdom. Hrothgar congratulates Beowulf and tells him with words of advice. He cautions Beowulf to beware of his pride by not getting the big head, due to his

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”( Christopher Reeve) In 1000 A.D. a group of people were formed, these people were called the Anglo-saxons. They were also known as what people now refer to as Vikings. The Vikings were explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe. While these Anglo-saxons were raiding and trading they also had some down time, where they would sit down around a fire and tell tales of Heroic adventures. These sorts of tales were things that the Anglo-saxons would look up to, it was almost like a handbook of how they should live their lives. During these stories was created one of the earliest examples of heroism and adventure. The epic poem of Beowulf was born. While the author is to be unknown, the

As I sit at home waiting for my son to arrive home, I think about how much he has grown up these past ten years. When Grendel was a young boy he would never go out of our lare. Anything and everything would scare him even a small snake slithering on top of the green muckey water. Seeing him overcome his fear of things makes me an extremely proud mother. Being a single mother has been difficult. I have stayed up a million nights making sure he is sleeping and is save. Also, I know my son needs guidance as he starts his journey in the world. It is my job to give him that guidance and help him when he needs some.

When I think of a hero I picture the impossible. For most people a hero may be someone they admirer, but it is much more than that. A hero is someone who is willing to take a step outside of the box and do the unexpected, someone who is willing to take the extra steps. Beowulf is a hero because he did everything voluntarily and kept good morals and ethics while doing it.