Throughout time, heroes have stereotypically been described as men who possess qualities such as courage, strength, leadership, and determination. Certainly, many of these characteristics have changed as time has passed. In modern society, heroes can simply be average people who sacrifice their own happiness for the welfare of others and do their best to create a change in the world. Beowulf, an extraordinary warrior in the Anglo Saxon period, is an epic hero because of his pride, strength and courage. He fought many battles in order to protect the Danes from chaos. Angelina Jolie, like Beowulf, is a hero because she defeats every impediment to help and fight against inequality. Heroes do not wait still in one place. …show more content…
He did not give up while fighting with the brawny monster Grendel, even though Grendel "clutched at [him] with his claws" (Beowulf 428). According to Milena Veselinovico, the author of "leading women," Angelina Jolie has risked her life to protect refugees in many countries in Africa. She went to Sudan during a tremendous conflict and Chad during the civil war. She could have been assassinated, but her thirst of justice could not be sate easily; she kept helping no matter the circumstances. In able to be a hero, one must be internally strong to triumph obstacles life brings and never back down when conflicts arrive.
Heroes often combat injustice to win equality and peace. Beowulf saves the Danes by fighting the monster Grendel, but Angelina Jolie saves refugees by fighting the figurative monster of inequality. In the mead hall, the place the Anglo Saxon warriors celebrated their battles, everyone was terrified to fight Grendel because he was powerful and seemingly undefeatable. Beowulf fought the abominable beast and obtained the glory of tranquility for the Danes because he wanted to "live in greatness and courage" (368-369). Angelina Jolie keeps fighting with the invincible monster of inequality that is happening in some parts of Africa and gives part of her fortune to refugees who suffer from hunger and persecution. A hero does not need to fight a monster, sometimes the injustice is the monster itself.
As time has passed,
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.
The hero is an age-old concept that describes someone that will defend their honor to the end. In Beowulf, the author portrays the warrior Beowulf and his three battles in such a way as to clearly define what it means to be a hero. Fred Robinson and J. R. R. Tolkien addressed heroism in Beowulf regarding the warrior’s traits, as well as his battles and burial. The author of Beowulf defines the hero through Beowulf’s three battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. In this poem, each monster possesses a specific quality undesired by heroes. Beowulf battles anger/jealousy, vengeance, and greed/selfishness for the good of his Geat nation. As Beowulf fends off these anti-hero traits, he becomes capable of being a great leader of
Today in society there are many individuals who can be described as heroic because of their courageous actions towards helping others. People who do not believe in heroes today do not see the change happening around the world for the benefits of future generations. However, in reality many individuals are risking their own lives to fight for what they believe in and for the change they wish to see in this world. Alfred de Vigny asserts that there are no heroes in this world, but even ancient stories like Beowulf provide examples of heroes who risk their lives to save others while we do still have heroes during modern-day times.
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.
Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as bravery, loyalty, and generosity, which portray him as a hero. It is interesting how modern day heroes show the much of the same qualities as Beowulf.
Growing up, everyone has a idea on what a hero looks like. Heros represent a lot of different aspects of bravery. Every culture in history has had a heroic figure. In most cultures heroes portray different aspects of being a hero. In Anglo-Saxon times heroes were considered strong, and fearless. Beowulf is a true epic hero in Anglo- Saxon times because he is very fearless, strong, and honored.
Being a hero can mean many different things. A modern day hero might be someone who has a strong moral code or someone that has extraordinary powers and abilities but, looking back in time the meaning of a hero has changed slightly. During Anglo-Saxon times, being a hero meant being loyal to their lord and god, having a sense of duty, being selfless, having honor, being intelligent, and boasting. It also meant being brave and having courage, having a sense of justice, and having larger than life strength. A great example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf from “Beowulf,” written by an unknown author. In this poem, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he was brave and courageous, he had superhuman strength, and he had a unique sense of justice.
Beowulf; a man whose greatness begun when he saved an entire kingdom from the clutches of the vile monster Grendel. Beowulf was known for countlessly putting his body and his life on the line to save his people. His courage and determination is what kept his legacy alive for all of these years. Not only that, but the respect he had for the people around him made him a remembered warrior as well. That’s what I think makes a hero. Being determined to get a job done, having the courage to step in and complete that job, and having enough respect for your people to still obey their wishes despite your apparent fame. The hero I will be writing about is the fictional Marvel Comics character known as the Black Panther (real name T’Challa). He and Beowulf
Beowulf’s next test of courage came when he fought Grendel’s mother in her lair, she like Grendel, has incredible size and strength. Grendel’s mother wants to get revenge for the murder of her son, Grendel. Beowulf jumped in the lake, leading to the lair, going after Grendel’s mother without any thought that would suggest the slightest hint of fear. After swimming in these murky waters Beowulf finds his enemy. “Swift she grappled and grasped the warrior with horrid grip, but could work no harm, no hurt to his body; the ring-locked
Heroes care not only for themselves, but for others. In the White House Funeral Sermon for Abraham Lincoln, “...not for himself only, not for us only, but for all people in all their coming generations till time shall be no more…” This means that President Lincoln took risks not to ensure his safety but to make sure that he would be known as a doer. Lincoln knew that what he was doing would revolutionize the way not only the way his generation would live but all future ones. This showed that he cared not only for himself but for people he would never get the pleasure of meeting. Back in World War II a true hero was born. One of the bloodiest battles of WWII, Hacksaw Ridge, was lucky to have Desmond Doss as a part of their medical team. He saved 75 people. Most in which others had left behind, for they thought that they weren’t saving. He cared about every single one making it back to base to be helped despite who was after him. Or even in the 9/11 boatlift many heroes stepped up to the plate. Vincent Ardolino, Captain of the Amberjack V,
A hero is a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character. A hero is someone that someone looks up to, because of many reasons like their acts of kindness or how they react when problems occur. Many people look up to Beowulf because of how passionate he was towards killing the monsters who attacked Heorot. Shania Shaffer is my hero because she protects this country from the “monsters” who try to harm our country and take over. Beowulf and Shania are two heroic figures that epitomize humility, patience, selflessness, caring, and show courage and bravery.
Tom Hanks, an american actor, once said “ A hero is someone who voluntarily walks into the unknown.” but what’s the true definition of a hero? Are they stronger than everyone else, or are they just your average human beings?(Hanks). Beowulf, the epic hero who defeated Grendel, the hideous beast, that was slain because of this, Beowulf was worshipped for his strength and bravery for facing the monster. Michael P. Murphy, a U.S Navy officer who fought for his country in Afghanistan and is remembered because of his valor, are two different people from different eras. Although Beowulf and Michael P. Murphy are different people, they actually share a few traits such as courage, bravery, and leadership abilities.
Heroes, from Beowulf to Superman our cultures have always created heroes. We may always have political, social, economic and religious differences, but at the end of the day we all have one thing in common, heroes. They help define who we are and what we want to be. They give us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction. They show us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Heroes give us the inspiration we need to overcome problems in our own lives and that is why we create them. Beowulf perfectly embodies the idea of a hero. He defeats the evil Grendel and his mother, slays the dragon and saves his people. He is
Grendel, which is the monster's name, is known for killing men and eating them. For Beowulf to fight Grendel that shows a great deal of bravery. Katniss shows example of bravery when she goes in an arena with 24 other people and has to survive and kill. She
“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people” (Angelou) In the eyes of Maya Angelou, a hero does not have to be someone with superpowers that saves the world but someone who simply makes a difference and helps the world in even the smallest way. All heros, despite the time period and the extent of their impact, take a comparable passage of heroism. The Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf, from the epic of the same name, and the modern hero, Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice display many compatible characteristics of an archetypal hero.