Jasmine Kent
Ms. Bell
English IV/ P.1
21 January 2016
A Toast to Beowulf
Greetings, Welcome to the Mead Hall of Hrothgar for our dinner party in honor of the Great Beowulf. Beowulf is the greatest warrior to ever live and has saved us all from the horrifying Grendel. I will now say a toast in honor of the great Beowulf. We were all in the reign of terror from Grendel’s raging hatred for man for twelve whole years. His killings didn’t ever cease or get easier. We have received a great hero who has traveled from his own country where he has heard of the great terror that Grendel has caused us and has decided to help us by volunteering to fight against the mythical creature that is undefeatable. “So Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find
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Although Beowulf had the strength of thirty men put together but he still took the men to battle with him. No armor or weapons could hurt him so he defeated Grendel with his two bare hands by ripping off his shoulder. Grendel hurt and dying then retreated to his lair to die. He then later takes on Grendel’s mother by chopping off her head with a great big sword hanging on the wall. It was made by giants and no man’s strength can carry it except the Great Beowulf. He willingly went against a creature that no man could ever defeat so the Danish people could live fearless from the undefeatable Grendel. He was praised for the great deeds he had accomplished. Beowulf later on became a great King after his uncle Hygelac died. Hygelac had a son but he was too young to rule the kingdom. Beowulf didn’t take the throne at first and said he would monitor the young boy and protect him. …show more content…
Beowulf was recognized as a hero in his own country for the countless battles he had. Now, Beowulf has been a great King to us and once he had heard of the attacks to his kingdom by a fire breathing dragon he knows that he must go to battle with this creature to save his people. Instead of sending warriors to battle for him because he’s older he decides he must go and fight the dragon himself. He knows it’s the only way to save his people from this dragon. He also realizes that it is his time to go and that the only noble way to die is in an epic battle. The only way he can have true honor is in combat. When they gather on the mountain with his men he tells them that he must go and defeat this dragon on his own for his people and that the gold that the dragon protects will be left for his people. He went to battle knowing that he will probably die going against this fire breathing dragon. He went anyways because he knew that it would save his people. He would leave everything he owns for his warriors and his people. Beowulf took on that dragon for a chance that we would save his kingdom from this horrifying creature. Beowulf is a true hero because he
Beowulf’s wrath is swift and justified. He plays no games with his opponents. Beowulf even shows respect to his foe and honorably faces them with no undue advantage. A classic example of the honor usually associated with heroes lies in Beowulf’s decision to use neither sword nor armor when facing the monster Grendel in Heorot. Beowulf instead opted, in the name of fair play, to fight the monster on it’s own terms. Unsurprisingly Beowulf conquered his foe in true idolic form, tearing Grendel’s arm from his torso with only the strength of his grip and the power of his arms. This is what we cheer for in such stories, this is the satisfying victory over evil by the true embodiment of good: the hero.
The storyline of Beowulf illustrates the epic battle between good and evil, and demonstrates to the readers that external war is not the only conflict hero’s face. Beowulf struggles a lot with his pride. Beowulf’s biggest internal battle was experienced when he was preparing to fight the dragon. He decided to go into battle, ignoring the fact that he had aged, but his pride, and warrior code wouldn’t let him run. What makes matters worse, he decided to go into the battle alone. His hero pride overcame the actions a normal king would’ve taken. The hero ideology at the time was strictly against a warrior running from a battle, and if Beowulf had done so, he would’ve been persecuted by society, as well as his own conscience.
It has been many long years since our lord Beowulf returned. Not long after our return home, Lord Beowulf became our king of Geatland and our soil became prosperous like never before. The soil and forest bore more food than all of us could carry by the barrow-full and the people of our land could eat abundantly without fear of hunger. As for Beowulf, he could not come across any adventures as great as that of the slaying of Grendel and his mother. Many warriors came to challenge him but
For some reason society has always been fixed on the idea of a superhero, and Beowulf is a classic example of one of the first known superheroes. He comes back to use his strength for good, and when he is requested back he knows it is for his powers. Beowulf agrees to go kill the hag because he knows he will be honored and praised, he would be considered a hero. According to Dr. J. Michael Stitt of the University of Nevada, Beowulf follows not only the Anglo-Saxon code of heroism but is the prime example of the Germanic code of heroism, “In Germanic societies, there were heroic codes which defined how a noble person should act. In addition to strength, courage and honor, these codes also included loyalty, generosity, and hospitality. The heroic code was of great importance in warrior societies.” (Beowulf and the Heroic Code) Then it would also be something to remember him by, he wants to be a hero that way when his time comes, and this is told to him by the old king that one day he will fail, that way he would be remembered as a great hero for the Danes and his own kind. Also, another ideal state that comes with the idea of being a hero is once again glory. If Beowulf achieves glory once again, there would be no way to deny him of his heroism, “My famous sword stay in your hands: I shall shape glory with Hrunting, or death will hurry me from this earth!” (lines
Strength is without a doubt one of the most important traits which a hero should possess and the Anglo-Saxon’s felt the same way. Beowulf’s strength can be compared to that of the American comic book heroes, Superman and Batman, for he is deemed the “strongest and greatest of the Geats”. The first time that his strength is witnessed, not just spoken of, is when he kills Grendel by ripping the monstrous villain’s arm off. But his most notable display of strength occurs when he enters into combat with Grendel’s mother. When everything seems to be going all wrong for Beowulf, he spies a “heavy” sword hanging on the wall of her lair. With all his power and might, Beowulf drew the sword, “hammered by giants...and….so massive that no ordinary man could life it”, from its scabbard. He “lifts it high over his head”, the sword clasped
Beowulf was a good king. He wasn’t greedy or mean or selfish, he put his people first. And it’s evident in the fact that he went to fight the dragon himself, when he could’ve got some other “hero” to do it. “...he saw nothing to fear, thought nothing of the beast’s claws,
Fortunately Beowulf was ready and willing to sacrifice himself to repay the debt of Ecgtheow, Beowulf’s father, to Hrothgar. This Geat warrior possesses almost miraculous qualities: “He was the strongest of men alive in that day, mighty and noble.” Upon spotting Beowulf approaching, the sea-guard of the Danes says, “Never have I seen a greater man on earth…” King Hrothgar of the Danes says of Beowulf, “Seafarers who took gifts to the Geats say that he has the strength of 30 men in his hand grip.” Beowulf chooses to fight Grendel by himself and without shield or weapons; previously the hero slew nine sea monsters with his sword. And he is fully willing to sacrifice his very life for this: “… I alone will fulfill the wish of your people … or die in the foe’s grasp.” Beowulf consciously chooses to act in a superhuman manner: “I shall perform the deeds of a hero or I have passed my last day
Beowulf is always seeking to help his enrich his image. This flaw in his character, as well as his feeling of invincibility leads to his downfall later in life. “Again and again the angry monsters made fierce attacks, I served them well with my noble blade, as was only fitting. Small pleasure they had in such a sword-feast, dark things in the sea that meant to eat me, …I had chanced to kill some nine sea-beasts. I never have heard of a harder night-fight under heaven’s vault, or a man more oppressed on the ocean streams.”(Beowulf p83) It is very apparent here that Beowulf is extremely proud of what he had accomplished, and was not going to let some other person who had done no major heroic deed try to put him down. In fact, he goes on to say that no one in the world has fought such a hard fight as he did that night.
To begin, one of the many ways that Beowulf was different than Grendel is that Beowulf was brave. Every night Grendel snuck into Herot Hall to destroy King Hrothgar’s men. He did this while hiding in the shadows, sneaking around in the dead of night, and attacking while the men we asleep and at there most vulnerable. These are not the characteristics the brave, these are the characteristics of a foul, loathsome, cowardly beast. Mean while, Beowulf liked to meet a problem head on, in this case the problem was Grendel himself. Determined Beowulf sailed to Denmark to defeat Grendel, telling Hrothgar that he will take Grendel’s life with his bare hands. As told in the story, “ That mighty protector of men/ Meant to hold the monster till it’s life/ leaped out” (Raffel, 1963, l. 366-368). And when Beowulf got the chance to do just that, Grendel took the cowards road, “Grendel’s one thought
Not only is Beowulf honorable and well respected, he is brave as well. His courage is shown by not hesitating to risk his own life to pursue the Dane’s enemies. By being self-assured, Beowulf is able to successfully defeat the fiends, Grendel and his infamous mother. At the time Beowulf is planning to pursue the vindictive dragon, the epic poem states, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, If the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.”(ll. 2511-2515). He feels no fear, is confident in fighting the dragon alone, and has no qualms in risking his life to save others. He declares his bravery by saying, “When he comes to me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins... No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster.”(ll. 2525-2534). In his actions, Beowulf’s bravery is clearly shown throughout the poem.
Beowulf is from a time where heros never die. They would live on through stories. There would be amazing tales, poems recited, and songs sung about what the hero had done. To be a hero you had to follow the Anglo-Saxon codes. Which meant showing respect to those who had raised you and in turn helping them when they are in need. It means proving yourself and doing what was expected of you, even when it is something like dieing for your people. To live on through stories, Beowulf fought because of his duty, for glory, and as a sacrifice.
Beowulf was a hero. He had the courage to not only fight against Grendel, but also Grendel’s mother who is described as ‘dragon fierce’. With courage and integrity, he knew that he must fight them both because no one else would. However, Beowulf decided to fight Grendel without arms. Stating that “it is dishonorable to kill an unarmed man, no matter how dangerous or evil he might be” (Alles, Mellis. Beowulf Commentary). Death did not even frighten him in the least. Beowulf wanted to be crowned glorious for his courage and so he does. Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm off, leaving him to die, and proceeding to hang Grendel’s arm from the rafters in Herot. After Beowulf’s glorious defeat, Grendel’s mother seeks out for revenge. Instead of awaiting her arrival, he finds her in the cave. During this battle, Beowulf has a sword, Hrunting. He attempts the use of his sword, but it ultimately fails him. Being that of courage, he begins to fight with his bare hands. Grendel’s mother then proceeds to retaliate quick and tries to wound him with a dagger, but his armor shields him long enough for him to notice a large sword. He first notices that this is no average sword due to the handle and blade. Beowulf then uses the mighty sword to slay Grendel’s mother by slicing her in two. A fire then starts as he notices Grendel and lacerates his head to show Hrothgar. He also notices a lake being stained
“Greetings, everyone. We all know what incredible, monumental event has brought us here today; Beowulf, our savior, has defeated the horrific Grendel. Before giving my sincerest gratitude to the wonderful Beowulf, I must thank his mother and father; his father being the largely acclaimed Ecgtheow. I long to shake the hands of the heavenly people that brought this great warrior into our world, allowing for him to be the liberator of our torture under Grendel. Blessed be, those wonderful beings.
The last battle that Beowulf partook in was perhaps the most heroic of all. Although the battle ended his life, it proved that of all the men in the story, Beowulf was the only true Anglo-Saxon hero. All of his troops proved to be fickle. They abandoned him in a time when they were needed the most. Though his men lived, they lived as cowards, yielding to the dragon apprehended by all the Geats. Never the less, Beowulf’s strength of heart and mind gave him the will to fight the dragon, although none of his men were there to help him. In this part of the tale, Beowulf was older and his physical strength had dwindled. But despite this, his tremendous heroism remained. He fought the dragon to his death and died with a pride, gallantry and chivalry that no man at the time had
The gripping poem of Beowulf tells the tale of a young Scandinavian hero who is swept into a dark world of vengeance through his ancestry. This poem is set during the Anglo-Saxon time period. This period in history is enmeshed in social hierarchy and the rigid constraints of lineage. Ancestry determined the amount of respect due an individual from warriors, as well as alliances and retaliations against their tribe. The subject of this epic poem, the warrior Beowulf, resides in Geatland waiting for the perfect opportunity to show his significance to the kingdom. Once Beowulf gains knowledge that the Danes are being attacked by a wretched monster named Grendel, he rises to the opportunity in hopes of gaining honor and the crown. Traveling across the rough sea for his personal renown, he fixes a fierce mentality for the events to come. Throughout the saga, Beowulf’s character develops from a young inexperienced man seeking glory, to a courageous leader willing to die for his kingdom.