Beowulf as a Hero

750 Words2 Pages

The poem, Beowulf, by Seamus Heaney, depicts Beowulf as a perfect hero. Beowulf is the mythical son of Edgetho and later becomes the king of the Geats. In the poem, Beowulf's shows heroism in two different phases of his life, youth and old age. Throughout the poem, Beowulf faces three difficult conflicts with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. Throughout the novel Beowulf is a noted and respected warrior from Geatland.

During Beowulf's youth, he is considered to be a great warrior, portrayed by his strength, courage, and bravery. Beowulf begins his legacy in Denmark with an evil monster, Grendel. Grendel is ruining King Hrothgar's kingdom and is ritually tormenting him. The monster breaks into the castle and eats as many of Hrothgar's men as he can hold each night. King Hrothgar calls Beowulf for help because the king has tried everything else. Beowulf arrives with a ship of his warriors to help King Hrothgar in stopping Grendel. King Hrothgar accepts Beowulf's pledge to kill Grendel. Beowulf pledges to face Grendel with, "no weapons, therefore, for either this night; unarmed he shall face me if face me he dares" (47). When Beowulf meets Grendel he fights barehanded and rips his arm off. Beowulf comes back with Grendel's arm. It is hung in the battle hall as a trophy of Beowulf's bravery, courage, and victory over the monster. Beowulf's defeat of Grendel certifies his reputation for bravery and establishes him as a full hero.

Even though Grendel is dead, the danger has not passed. Grendel's mother comes to King Hrothgar's battle hall. She retrieves, "their trophy, Grendel's bloodied hand" (91). Hrothgar is very disappointed and calls on the hero, Beowulf, once again. Beowulf travels with his men to the fiery lake whe...

... middle of paper ...

...he only one left of the Waegmundings…Now I must follow them" (189). Wiglaf is the only warrior who stayed to help Beowulf, the rest fled. Therefore, Beowulf leaves Wiglaf to rule his kingdom. Beowulf should be considered a hero because he gives his life to keep his kingdom safe.

Beowulf is a great warrior, portrayed by his strength, courage, and bravery. Beowulf also exemplifies the manner and values dictated by the Germanic heroic code. He is considered to be both a warrior and a king. When Beowulf encounters the dragon, the responsibilities of being king are thrown. He must act for the good of his people, not just for his own glory. Throughout the poem, Beowulf holds a good reputation and is respected by the people.

Works Cited

Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed M H Abrams, et al. Vol. 1. Sixth ed. NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1993.

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Epic Of Gilgamesh And Beowulf

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf was a true hero, in the eyes of many, through said traits. He fought a number of battles and was triumphant in all, except his last battle. Beowulf possessed the skills and power necessary to kill Grendel, the monster who had been terrorizing the Danes for over a decade, with his bare hands. While fighting, Beowulf detached Grendel’s arm from his shoulder, which was later hung up as a trophy. Beowulf eventually put an end to Grendel’s life, and naturally, Grendel’s mother had pursued Beowulf. Although Grendel’s mother was an even deadlier monster than her son, Beowulf once again proved his abilities by slaying her, as well. He slashed her neck with a sword that carried unbearable weight. Afterwards, he carried her head with only his own arms, while it took the a...

    Read More

  • Code of Honor in the Epic of Beowulf

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in the late tenth-century, at the kingdom of the West Saxons. The two main characters are Beowulf, a young man; and Grendel, a furious dragon. Beowulf's world is a very violent society with wars as a dominant part of daily life. Dragons and monsters are a constant threat to the Danes and the Geats. Warriors are a necessity to this war-like society. Beowulf is a hero as well as a great, and honorable, warrior.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Attacks Grendel's Mother

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    Meanwhile, the blade of Beowulf's new sword melts because the blood is too hot and poisonous for it. Beowulf does not take anything from the cave besides Grendel's head and the handle of the miraculous sword even though there are many great treasures around. He swims back to the shore and is heartily greeted by his fellow warriors. Grendel's head is car...

    Read More

  • Honor, Fame, and Courage in Beowulf

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Story Beowulf is an Epic poem written in the Anglo-Saxon period. The author of the poem is unknown. Beowulf is the hero of the story and the Thane to Hygelac the king of the Geats in Sweden. When Beowulf finds out the Grendel (the big guy) is causing problems in Denmark he decides to go over there and help them out. He fights Grendel and everyone is happy. Then Grendels mother comes to avenge her son so Beowulf has to go fight her also. After winning that battle Beowulf goes back to the Geats and becomes king and rules for fifty winters. Everything is good until he has to go fight this dragon. The dragon ends up killing Beowulf. In the story you can see how things like Honor, fame, and Courage are associated with Beowulf. The reason that he take the dangerous journey is to gain all there of those characteristics in his journey. Out lines below is how he gets each one of those traits in the story.

    Read More

  • Beowulf and the Dragon

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is a poem about strength and courage. This is illustrated in the eighth section of the story called “Beowulf and the Dragon.” A slave, a hero and a dragon play a big role in this section. The characters are well developed, as is the setup for the conclusion of the poem.

    Read More

  • Comparing Beowulf In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    Then the Danes decide to go back to Herot and while they are sleeping, Grendel’s mother comes to attack them in order to even the score for the killing of her son. Then she leaves, taking the body parts of her son and Esher (which is one of Hrothgar's close friends) with her. Beowulf attempts to save him by entering the monster-filled lake, although the sword that he uses is useless against the skin of Grendel’s mother. As he continues to fight, he grows tired, but then notices that there is a huge sword on the wall of the battle hall where he was dragged to. The sword just so happened to be a magical one that was blessed by the giants that made it.

    Read More

  • Beowulf is an Epic Hero

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is shown as a hero with extrodinary strength. This is not what makes him a hero. By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. However this term does not do Beowulf justice. His self-imposed purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in doing so. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon serves as a critique of the notion that Beowulf is a hero. The Dragon section displays many of Beowulf’s heoric characteristics. Beowulf establishes himself as a hero by fighting the dragon, exemplifing strength and courage when fighting the dragon, and sacrificing himself so that others can live.

    Read More

  • Beowulf The Hero

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    While fighting the Dragon Beowulf shows feats of strength and courage that define him as a hero. The classical hero displays a special quality that separates him from the rest of

    Read More

  • The Epic Poem, Beowulf - Vengeance and Revenge in Beowulf

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abrams, M.H., ed.  Beowulf: The Norton Anthology of English Literature.  New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2001.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Heroism Essay

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf displayed great courage and honor throughout his journeys and battles; he was an epic hero. An epic hero is a person who is viewed as larger than life and possesses values of a certain society. From the time of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel to his brawl against the dragon, he has showed everyone what being an honorable hero looks like. His heroism is revealed through both youth as a young warrior and wisdom as a reliable king. He never backed down and didn’t give up when situations were tough. Beowulf had obligations to fulfill and went about every aspect of his life with courage and strength. He cared for his people and was willing to take on anyone that threatened them or his kingdom. He sincerely was the hero of his time.

    Read More

  • Beowulf: The Epic Hero

    1145 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...mately, Beowulf’s traits of loyalty, strength, and bravery were what an Anglo-Saxon warrior strived for to win glory for himself and his lord. Beowulf is the heroic prototype for future warriors, and his character has set the stage as one of the most influential classical heroes in literature.

    Read More

  • Why is Beowulf considered a hero?

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is called upon again to defeat this monster. Beowulf puts on his armour and takes the sword Hrunting and descends into the monster’s lair. Grendel’s mother quickly grabs Beowulf and takes him to the battle arena. Once there, Beowulf fights and finds his sword cannot pierce the monster’s hide. So once again, Beowulf throws his sword aside and fights hand-to-hand. Yet, he could not defeat her with his hands alone. Then Beowulf sees, “hanging on the wall, a heavy, Sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons.” Taking the sword and holding it high above his head he strikes the monster in the neck cutting deep into the skin, breaking bones and all. Thus ending his second heroic battle with a mythical beast and proving that he is indeed worthy of praise. Yet, this is not the greatest of his deeds.

    Read More

  • Beowulf as the Archetypal Germanic Hero

    2093 Words  | 5 Pages

    Beowulf, physically and emotionally, is representative of the Germanic ideal hero. Beowulf is ?brave? (688), honest, and strong. One of the first scenes in the poem describes Beowulf?s arrival on the beach of a foreign land. Instead of fearing the large warrior that has arrived and summoning for help, the ?watchman? (229) is in awe of Beowulf. Before even getting to know Beowulf, the watchman thinks that this warrior is one of the strongest and noblest men he has ever seen: ?Nor have I seen/a mightier man-at-arms on this earth/than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken,/he is truly noble? (247-250). Therefore, Beowulf?s towering height and stature convince others that he is a hero. Like the typical hero, Beowulf gives boasts. While in Hrothgar?s kingdom, Beowulf defends himself against the kin-killer Unferth; Beowulf brags that he will kill Gren...

    Read More

  • Beowulf as an epic

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.

    Read More

  • Epic of Beowulf

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...and Wiglaf shows this handing down of heroism. The youthful hero, Wiglaf realized the importance of culture, tradition, and gaining knowledge from a dying hero, but unfortunately had difficulty in applying his knowledge for his people when he tried to become the true Germanic hero after Beowulf.

    Read More

More about Beowulf as a Hero

Open Document