“A powerful monster, living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient…”(Lines 1-2). In the poetic epic Beowulf, the monster of the story is growing unsettled by the presence of the unwanted kingdom and success of Hrothgar, the king himself, of Herot. As Grendel grows in his darkness, he becomes enthralled by the killing of any and all warriors that dare come to the mead hall. As the killing spree continues, Beowulf, the hero, comes and rips Grendel’s arm off causing a mortal wound. Because of mutiny, there was great suffering in the kingdom of Herot, and nobody could stop him except for a single hero. Because of the harm being caused by our society, there is suffering in America, and nobody can stop it except for the one thing that can also terrorize a nation; the media. …show more content…
Grendel was living in a kingdom that was flourishing; “as day after day the music rang loud in that hall, the harp’s rejoicing call and the poet’s clear songs…” . There was no need for Grendel to feel left out of Herot’s society. Much like this scenario it seems that our own society flourishes just like Herot’s, in fact this culture is accepting of just about anybody no matter who you were so long as it were in a political standpoint. If this were not in a political correctness situation then you’d deal with the endless opinions of “only one right answer”(Math Teacher Somewhere). Today’s world is bound with the ties of how to balance between being hard headed and become open to everything, which is why it is time for the media to step up and explain to the world that everybody matters, but that doesn’t give you the right to
Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endures in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In other words, a hero is a normal person who is able to be strong and persevere despite difficult obstacles preventing them. In the book, Beowulf, the the nephew of the king of the land of the geats, helps Hrothgar, another king, kill a series of monsters that threaten his kingdom. He helps Hrothgar kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Firedrake. Beowulf is a hero because he is just an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite the overwhelming obstacles preventing him from doing so. Beowulf embodies Christopher Reeve’s definition of a hero because he defeated the flesh-eating Grendel, who could not be stopped even by groups of elite soldiers. Beowulf also killed Grendel’s mother, a much eviler being who lived in a cave in an endless pool of blood that led to hell. Finally, he defeated The Firedrake, who swelled up and breathed fire when angry.
The poem Beowulf, believed to be written between 650 and 800 by a group of monks, contains several complex characters that have sparked discussions throughout the years. Scholars still continue to ponder over the unanswered questions about characters, such as whether Grendel is monster or human, whether Grendel is evil or not, and what the monsters in Beowulf signify. Other important, though less accepted questions include whether Beowulf is really a hero, or is in actuality a monster, and what allows the characters to be classified as either evil, or not evil. Because both sides of these arguments can be sufficiently supported with textual evidence, it is the reader’s responsibility to defend an appropriate answer. There are no
While the initial judgments of the main character Beowulf were that he was seen as the hero of the fictional epic poem “Beowulf” by an anonymous writer, this assertion may be skewed with the information of the reasonings alluded by the narrator as to why this character vanquished the monsters. The evidence of Beowulf showing that his actions of slaying the monsters were for the prominence of the title shows that Beowulf cannot be portrayed as a true hero for he did not have the selfless characteristics a warrior at this timeline would usually be seen possessing.
A hero, “a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character”(“Hero”). A hero shows much more than honor and glory, they sacrifice their own life to selflessly help out the lives of others. By having heroes it gives us hope, wisdom, and justice throughout the nation. The three main types of heroes include an epic hero, superhero, and your own personal hero. These heroes show that it 's more than the cape or armour they wear, they show the true meaning of a hero by defining sacrifice, loyalty, and determination.
I already watched the movie countless times so I`m practically bored during the movie viewing, it is because I already know what will happen next, it is also the reason why I don`t watch/read a movie/book twice because it spoils the fun of anticipating what will happen next.
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
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 man quivers in fear as a large monstrous mass stands before him. He shouts for help, but there is no left to come to his aid. For years the Grendel attacked this mead-hall killing hundreds of men. A hero was needed in order to purge the village of this beast. Beowulf used his mental and physical strength for the betterment of the village because he came on his own accord without any prior knowledge; he puts his faith in god and not within his own strength; and he dies with honor and not in vain.
Courage displayed by people of today’s times which amounts to monumental change, like that of Martin Luther King Jr, shows heroism. M.L.K Jr. embodies the characteristics of a hero through his bravery which resulted in the betterment of society. His revolutionary behavior to strive for advancements in the culture of many, and his risk in doing so, labels him a hero. Alike to Martin Luther King Jr. with his willingness to be criminally charged, Beowulf has the audacity to fight the evil that is Grendel. With his bare hands, Beowulf would “settle the outcome in a single combat” (line 426) that would rid the town of evil. The similar bravery between Martin Luther King Jr. and Beowulf depicts how people of today can be heroes. The bravery that exists in the most revolutionary people which leads to good change displays qualities of a person that can label them a hero.
An epic hero is someone who is of great importance, they have supernatural abilities, have some form of connection with the Gods, and accomplish great deeds. In Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is the epic hero in his tale and he is considered great by those who know of his life. There are two versions of his story which portrays him in a certain way. The video version does not do its best to portray him as an epic hero but instead show that he is a liar, a womanizer, and a coward. The written version does not portray him as such, it portrays him as someone who is strong, brave, and fearless. The written version best portrays Beowulf as an epic hero by showing his actions involving superhuman deeds in battle.
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
Monsters play a big role in the poem of Beowulf. Without them, there would not be much of a story, and there is a purpose for each of them. They are there to represent the forces that go against the grain, trying to stop others from prevailing. Describing Grendel, “bearing God’s hatred, Grendel came hoping to kill” (Beowulf 33). They take pride in doing so and do not want to be associated with anyone. Later on, the author describes the dragon as “anxious to find the man who had robbed it of silver”(Beowulf 95). The monsters have many ways of heroic code by taking pride with what they do and going against what seems evil to them. It is what they believe in and are unique to themselves. They decide to be and act differently than everyone
Archetypal heroes are found in many literary works, and in varied forms. In literary terms, a hero (male) or heroine (female) is defined as a character that goes against adversity, has great strength, courage, bravery, and who makes unselfish sacrifices, usually for the greater good. The Collins English Dictionary defines “archetypal” as a perfect example of something. Archetypes in literature was first applied by Carl Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss psychiatrist. Jung recognized patterns in mythologies and stories regardless of the time period that was covered by the literary work. Archetypal heroes present in various forms including warriors,
When Beowulf, the protagonist in the epic poem Beowulf, declares that he will vanquish the hellish monster, Grendel, without help, it is a statement of humility and faith in God, for Beowulf hopes that if he fights alone, all the glory of the war will go to God and the promotion of His name. Grendel terrorizes the Danes as punishment for their idolatry and Paganism, and Beowulf comes not only to destroy Grendel, but to remove their polytheistic ideals and instill in them the truth and power of God. Beowulf’s noble quest to reform the Danes and introduce them to God, by battling Grendel alone, characterizes him as a hero according to Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth. When Beowulf insists that he go into battle without the help and protection
Having the main focus of the poem, Beowulf, being about monsters, the three major monsters depicted in the poem playing crucial roles were Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the dragon. Each monster had a big portion of the poem dedicated to them, in my opinion, Grendel's mother had the smallest portion but it was still pretty big.