An epic hero is defined as a “brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events” (Random House).An adequate example of this is the protagonist of Beowulf, Beowulf Son of Ecgtheow. He hears that the Danes are under the terrorizing grasp of the monster Grendel. After he defeats Grendel he faces two other battles. The story follows Beowulf on his path from a young hero to wise king. The literary great, Beowulf, is a poem that reflects its time period and society, started out as an oral tradition, written by an anonymous author, deals with a struggle between good and evil, and has a “larger than life” protagonist; these main points tell readers that Beowulf is a literary epic. Beowulf very strongly …show more content…
In Genesis, the author writes about the two sons of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel. Both brothers brought sacrifices to God, Abel, the best from his flocks, and Cain, some fruit. When God looked more favorably on Abel’s sacrifice, Cain killed him out of jealousy (Genesis 4). By alluding to the Bible, the author shows his knowledge and deep understanding of it. The Anglo- Saxon culture can also be seen through the use of mead halls, like Herot, being prevalent. “In the great mead halls of kings and nobles, Anglo-Saxons would gather on special occasions to celebrate in style…and listened to scops” (Allen 22). In Beowulf whenever there was a victory, the Danes would gather in their mead hall, Herot, to celebrate. Beowulf also shows what it meant to Anglo-Saxons to be a hero through Beowulf. Beowulf exemplifies the traits of a true hero. Hrothgar observes, “You are strong in body and mature in mind, impressive in speech.” (Heaney 127). Beowulf’s strength and bravery are not overlooked and are shown time and time again through each battle. Beowulf shows loyalty when he stays to defeat Grendel’s mother when she terrorizes the Danes and promises to defend the Danes in future battles (Heaney 103). Beowulf is a narrative poem that mirrors the values of the Anglo-Saxon time …show more content…
Beowulf is constantly engaged in the struggle of good versus evil. Three times Beowulf is faced with a different form of evil of increasing difficulties. First, Beowulf faces Grendel, a descendent of Cain. In this battle, he easily wins with no outside help, including armor. Next, he faces Grendel’s mother. This battle causes more difficulties for Beowulf. Grendel’s mother has more to fight for and does not give up as easily. In this battle, Beowulf feels the need to wear armor and his own sword fails him. In the end he is successful. In Beowulf’s third and final battle he faces the most difficulties. Beowulf wears full armor and is wounded. Wiglaf, a warrior of Beowulf’s, comes to help Beowulf. Together they slay the dragon, but Beowulf’s fight is over. Beowulf also touches on the overall fight good versus evil, God versus sin. When speaking about Grendel the author says, “A brood forever opposing the Lord’s Will, and again and again defeated” (Allen 40). This not only relates to Grendel, but what Grendel represents. Grendel is a descendant of Cain, the son of Adam, the original sinner. Through the defeat of these antagonists, Beowulf presents characteristics of a classic hero. Beowulf shows traits of bravery, strength physically, emotionally and, spiritually, and loyalty through his
There is an epic hero in almost every legend ever told. The hero could be a mortal human who came from nothing, a creature that used to be evil, an immortal god, or even a group of people. In Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf, the mortal man-of-the-hour is Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow. After he settled the feud for his father, he then carried out more amazing deeds and accomplishments. Beowulf portrays great strength, bravery, and is also very faithful to his kingdom. The totality of these qualities is not just a large mass of adjectives; each characteristic plays a special part.
Since the beginning of Beowulf, the character Beowulf shows courage in everything he does. This is proven when he battles Grendel, a descendant of Cain that haunts the halls of Herot. Beowulf being a mighty protector of men, holds the monster down until his life leaps out (Beowulf lines 472-475). As Beowulf battles Grendel, he is determined to
When modern readers think of the term “epic hero”, names such as Superman, Batman, and even real life figures such as LeBron James, AJ McCarron, and countless others instantly come into play. All of them have many similarities; they are all “larger-than-life” heroes who display many epic characteristics such as bravery, might, and supreme confidence. However, each is unique in his/her own way. Diving into the world of ancient literature, and one can find many more great heroes that define the term and provide countless entertaining stories of their journeys and battles throughout the primordial word. Beowulf from the
Beowulf, an epic poem, written by unknown and translated by Seamus Heaney, is an artifact of the Anglo-Saxon era because it is a piece of literature that was documented once. During the time it was written, writing was not common. The poem reveals a lot of the Anglo-Saxon practices and beliefs, but it also is compared to Christianity because was written down by a christian monk.
Beowulf begins with Grendel attacking the Danes out of vengeance and hatred. Grendel is the relative of Cain which means that he is outcast to eternal darkness as punishment for the crime of Cain killing his brother Abel. Therefore, when Grendel hears laughter in the hall named Heorot, he is angry and a little envious, so he goes on a killing spree in order to put an end to the warriors’ happiness. Because of Grendel’s attack upon the Danes, Beowulf arrives in order to put an end to the killing spree: “And now alone I shall settle affairs with Grendel the monster, the demon” (Donaldson, p.8). The author offers no other solution to solving this issue with Grendel but battle, and after the battle is fought and Beowulf wins, Grendel’s hand is preserved as a trophy. Beowulf is rewarded with gifts for his courage, and now the Danes are at peace.
In every epic story, the center of attention will be on the epic hero. Usually all the epic heroes have some kind of special power, which keep them different from other characters. Later on, their epic journey these powers, help them to win the glory, which make them epic heroes. In Beowulf, Beowulf is truly an epic hero, because of his wisdom, strength and bravery.
The story of Beowulf represents the on going cycle of good vs. evil. This theme is shown through heroic deeds, kinship, and dragon archetypes. Protecting innocent civilians, helping others in need and defeating evil are all clear examples of heroic deeds. Beowulf shows his heroic nature through his actions. Hearing that men were killed by Grendel, he jumps at the chance to save the others so that it won’t happen again. He does not fight with weapons which shows his fearlessness and strength. Beowulf conquers evil by not hesitating to put his life on the line for others in need. These actions are what portray him to be a hero and not just a plain, ordinary man. The two monsters in Beowulf are seemingly out to kill men. They both like in murky, chaotic and unpleasant places representing their dark and gloomy appearances. Grendel represents evil in the story because he hurts and kills men. The innocent victims pled with Grendel to stop killing and eating them. Grendel doesn’t listen to what they say and he keeps on killing because it is what he enjoys doing it. In the story of Beowulf Grendel is one of the major examples of evil. The other clear example of evil is the Dragon. The Dragon and Grendel both represent death, chaos and darkness (Encyclopedia of Archetypal Symbolism “Ananda”). Although he is mortally injured, after fighting both of the vicious monsters Beowulf comes out victorious, showing his destruction of evil. In the journey of a hero there are three distinct stages. These stages consist of departure, heroic deed and return. Before the departure one has to have a desire to help others, which displays a strong form of kinship.
An epic hero according to Anglo-Saxon literature is a hero who is larger-than-life; someone with self-confidence, great strength, and the qualities of loyalty, bravery, and honor. Beowulf can be considered an epic hero for multiple reasons throughout “Beowulf.” Beowulf is a character constructed on all of the Anglo-Saxon epic hero qualifications. For starters, Beowulf is seen as a noble character, that is willing to provide security for the people by risking his own life. As a character, Beowulf conducts superhuman strength, and can complete impossible tasks. These are only some among many other reasons and characteristics Beowulf can be classified as an epic hero.
Beowulf was written anonymously like most poems during the Anglo-Saxon period. During this time period, “there was a rigid code of behavior that stressed bravery, loyalty and [the] willingness to avenge” (Rougeau-Vanderford “Themes in Beowulf”.) His character represents the true values of the Anglo-Saxon values, from his sacrifices, to the loyalty he shows his people. The Anglo-Saxons culture believed that “life was regarded as valuable,” (Rougeau-Vanderford “Themes in Beowulf”) making Beowulf’s sacrifice the ultimate display of
"That night, Beowulf and his men stay inside Herot. While his men sleep, Beowulf lies awake, eager to meet with Grendel" (Raffel Burton- 48). In the epic, Beowulf establishes himself as a highly profitable warrior, on a mission to serve and protect. Immediately, Beowulf is presumed to be a good force, taking on Grendel who is perceived to be a descendant of Cain, who personifies evil. A valiant warrior, Beowulf protests that he shall take on the monster, stripped of weapons and armor. When the evil monster Grendel attacked the people of Herot, Beowulf chose to fight Grendel and diminish the evil that he represents. While he and his men sleep, Grendel arrives to wreak havoc on the mead-hall.
In this epic poem, Beowulf, the epic is portrayed to show many events throughout the novel itself. Such as when Beowulf encounters three separate and increasingly difficult conflicts with powerful monsters filled with terror and fear, which depicts the transformation of his heroism. He is manifested as a hero with extraordinary strength and much confidence in himself as a fearless warrior.
Anglo Saxon’s history is well known for their loyalty, courage and bravery. Beowulf our protagonist is symbolized as a hero, who represents the Anglo Saxons at the time. Beowulf earns his fame and respect through battling creatures nobody else would want to face. These creatures symbolize the evil that lurks beyond the dark. Beowulf’s intense battle with these creatures’ symbolizes the epic battle of good versus evil. In the end good triumphs over evil but one cannot avoid death. Beowulf’s death can be symbolized as the death of the Anglo Saxons. Beowulf’s battle through the poem reflects the kind of culture that the Anglo Saxons had. The youth of a warrior to his maturity then the last fight which results in death. Beowulf wanted to be remembered and be told in stories that are passed on from generation to generation after his death. These story tellers relate to the Anglo Saxons time when they told stories about their great heroes.
“In my youth I engaged in many wars”, Beowulf boasts to his warriors, which is certainly true. Throughout his life, he faces many deadly foes, all of which he handily defeats, save one. His story focuses on the most challenging, as well as morally significant of foes, Grendel and the dragon. These creatures reveal much about society as well as Christian virtue at the time. Even after Grendel and the dragon are defeated physically, the two monsters pose a new threat to the hero on a higher plane. Beowulf is not only at risk of losing his life, but his humanity, virtue, and even spirituality.
An epic hero is a main character who embodies the ideals of a certain culture. The character is named Beowulf and he represents the ideals of the Anglo-Saxon culture which were bravery, skillfulness, and generosity. Beowulf showed his braveness multiple times throughout the story. After he heard of a monster named Grendel who, for twelve years had been attacking King Hrothgar's mead hall Heorot, Beowulf traveled to the Danish islands to defeat him. Even though Beowulf didn't know anything about Grendel he went on a long voyage to reach the islands so that the Hrothgar's people need not live in fear. Then, after Beowulf Grendel, Grendel's mother came after the people of Heorot to avenge her son's death. To reach her, Beowulf had to dive into dark dangerous waters, facing unknown peril. He swam down through the shadowy lake by himself fighting off monsters the whole way. Once he did arrive at her lair a vicious fight ensued, but the courageous Beowulf came out victorious once again. Later in Beowulf's life, a dragon destroys his village and the large mead hall he had built for his men. Even though he knew he was no longer as agile and strong, Beowulf went straight to the dragon and gave a defiant shout of challenge.
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.