Vogler´s Monomyth: Typical Hero

All fictional heroes share the fact that their mindset changes through adversities in order to reach fulfillment. For example, Odysseus is considered an unconventional hero because he killed and or scarred many creatures that prevented him from going home. On the other hand, Rainsford is also considered an unconventional hero, but he didn’t have powers like Odysseus to kill his hunter (General Zaroff) instead he used his intellect. In addition, the archetype heroes of war are portrayed in Odysseus and Rainsford because yet endure hardships through creatures and or people. Although Odysseus and Rainsford share their differences in the development and growth of their mindset, they eventually find their destiny as becoming altruistic. In summary, methods and approaches taken by the heroes based on their obstacles can help us identify comparing key points as well as contrasting in fictional heroes. At the end of the day, all heroes fictional or not will be portrayed as being selfless through their change of

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

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

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.

The most heroic of traits within Beowulf is that he is not afraid to die. He always explains his death wishes before going into battle and requests to have any assets delivered to his people. “…and if death takes me…send to Hyglac the best of war clothes that protects my breasts, finest of male shirts. It is a legacy of Hrethel, the works of Weland. Fate always goes as it must.” He is aware of the heroic paradox; he will be glorified in life or death for his actions. He knows that when he fights an enemy like Grendel or Grendel’s mother he will achieve immortality as the victor or the loser. “I resolved when I sat down in the sea-boat with my men, that I should fulfill the will of your people or else fall in slaughter. I shall achieve a dead of manly

When most people do something heroic it’s usually for a certain reason. Everyone has motivations by just about every single thing they do. Some people choose to do heroic things like become a firefighter for example these men and women choose to do this is by volunteering they could get killed it’s very dangerous and they still choose to be in the line of fire literally for some reason or another. When they choose to do something heroic like this they usually have some sort of one or even various different reasons for it. Beowulf is an epic hero himself he goes to the land of the Danes and basically kills a monster named Grendel for them without any reason behind why he actually went. Some people may say well Beowulf is just a hero and that’s what he’s supposed to do without and real reasoning behind it. Although if you read the epic for each monster Beowulf fights there is a motivation behind it. For each different monster there is a different motivation behind Beowulf fighting first is Grendel, next is Grendel’s mother and finally the dragon.

Beowulf displays another trait which considers him a hero and that trait is loyalty. In ancient poems loyalty was one of the most important traits a hero could have. Beowulf was the key model of a hero so he

Beowulf’s virtues of courage and strength appear throughout the poem during his life as a warrior and as a king. He begins the story with courage and “the strength of thirty / in the grip of each hand” (380-381), which are vital to his accomplishments as a warrior. His courage and strength are apparent when he fights Grendel without the use of weapons. Both virtues are crucial to his success in that battle and lead him to become a leader of wisdom and stature. As king of Heorot he uses his courage and strength in the battle against the dragon. Before the fight he has a feeling of uncertainty and it is stated “He was sad at heart / unsettled yet ready, sensing his death. / His fate hovered near, unknowing but certain: / It would soon claim his coffered soul.” (2419-2424). His sense of forthcoming death may illustrates a lack of confidence in his ability to slay the dragon; however, it also shows tremendous courage by involving himself in an unevenly matched fight. Although his physical strength may have abandoned him in his last fight against the dragon, his courage and wisdom intensified his glory beyond his death.

Countless cultures and religions gather around campfires and even hold ceremonies to hear a good hero story. But little do they know that these traditional stories that they are oh so eager to listen to, are all alike someway, somehow. All heroes in all cultures, dating from the earliest hero-story written, miraculously follow a sequence of events called a mononmyth/heroes Journey. The ineffable spectacle of the mononmyth is that despite the thousands of miles between ancient civilizations it was subconsciously present in the psychology of all the hero-writers. Joseph Campbell, an established psychologist stated his identification of the monomyth in his book, A Hero with a Thousand Faces. But, Campbell not only explained the monomyth in great detail, but he also elaborated into the psychology of humans. He did this by elucidating the exact steps in every hero’s journey, and providing factual proof. The initial belief is that no matter what the circumstance is, No matter past or present, man or woman, the heroes all have the same initiation. Here Campbell states that, “Whether hero ridiculous or sublime, Greek

A town called Herots is being attacked by a devilish monster named Grendel. Though they have defenses they need a hero to save them. This hero’s name is Beowulf. Son of Edgetho. A mighty man, greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world. Would come to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of Herots.

A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to uphold others. A hero is humble, philanthropic, magnanimous and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unprecedented epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake exemplifies every characteristic befitting an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the affray with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably ended his life.

Fame and glory have been the most admirable characteristics in the middle Ages and even before Christ in the ancient civilizations. The epics of Gilgamesh and Beowulf are stories of heroism and immortality gained through fame. The aim of the main characters, Beowulf and Gilgamesh, is to be a good warrior by being courageous, respectful and prudent, a protector and servant to their king (only in the beginning of Beowulf, as he later becomes king and Gilgamesh already is) and their country. In both poems the fights of the main characters

Unlike King Arthur and Beowulf, who don’t use any moral thought into their actions, the two brothers, Xbalanque and Hunaphu use their intelligence and trickery to defeat the lords of Xibalba. They intertwined the trickster archetype, which, is a character that is defenseless in physical strength but uses quick thinking to outwit his opponent (Vogler 78) and the hero archetype. The combination goes against the meaning conveyed by the monomyth because it focus is not emphasized on the hero and how he glorifies through power and combat. The focus is now on triumphing through trickery and genius, which lead Xbalanque and Hunaphu to success in every way. They figure out the appropriate way in handling their enemies, One and Seven Death by convincing them in order to get what they wanted. The two brothers had confidence in their ability to entertain the Lords of Xibalba by gaining their trust through disguising themselves as vagabonds, while performing several

Beowulf is held in high regards by everyone that he meets through all his god like abilities and show of intelligence in extreme scenarios. Beowulf hears stories of what is happening in Herot and he accepts responsibly in going to protect everyone from this terrible beast named