Throughout human life, everyone makes many decisions, can be learn and help shapes personalities. The values of a human hold to be important in his life govern the choices he makes. Beowulf is a great example of this true that he is considered to be a great warrior, portrayed by his strength, courage and bravery. Beowulf faces three difficult conflicts with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon that can contribute to a great warrior to an honorable hero, that conflicts change the perception of Beowulf as a person. This personality is a true personality of an ideal leader, because he is willing to make his followers what they need, with the great risk of sacrificing his own spirit.
Beowulf is godlike human who has a strength and warrior
…show more content…
One illustration of his great warrior spirit is killing Grendel’s mother. His opponent was a strong as steel, but a human like him can defeat him on this challenge. Beowulf can encounter mostly anyone who is much bigger or scarier than him but he has the strength that can absolutely put out anyone. Beowulf lived with honor and glory and sought them in everything he managed. Seizing a nearby sword from Grendel’s mother stash of treasure, he slays her, even though her poisonous demon blood melt his blade and immediately survived second challenge. The challenge gave the readers more knowledge of Beowulf can be more capable of he is to have himself in fights that he can well …show more content…
The readers basically think that his kinsmen are not patriotic to the king that leaving him alone in the fight can satisfy their lives. He was ready to surrender his life just to protect his people and he did, his life ended in just a split when the dragon cut him off guard. Sooner than a conscious choice, the battle can also be construed as a matter in which Beowulf has very little choice or free will at all. The fight was his very last fight with unknown living creatures he has encounter and now the dragon can possibly get him off guard that surrender will be the only choice, but not there is no way he can still be alive after defeating the flying dragon. Up until the moment of his death, Beowulf has been a great hero, and that Beowulf’s death was not surrender, but as a great shining victory. He wanted to be the protector and assist his people though his physical appearance vanished the world but his soul still
Beowulf is very faithful to the kingdom in which he works with and serves. He says to Hrothgar, “If there is any favour I can perform / beyond deeds of arms I have done already, / anything that would merit your affections more, / I shall act, my lord, with alacrity” (1822-1825). Even if he is home, all the way across the seas, he would drop whatever he was doing and come to help Denmark defeat its evil that comes to that land. He shows his undying dedication to helping the king and the kingdom that he lives in. Beowulf then tries to defeat this dragon, that is, his final battle. He has been in “retirement” and has not fought in quite some time, but he still is being depended on by his kingdom to fight off this evil. Sadly, he does die, but he was so dedicated, brave, and strong enough to fight off this dragon to make sure all is safe. It was, “that final day was the first time / when Beowulf fought and fate denied him / glory in battle” (2573-2575). Each characteristic has a special part of an epic hero, but faithfulness can really set the tone for a hero's life.
The epic Beowulf is one of the oldest poems written in English. According to the Norton Anthology, "the poem was composed more the twelve hundred years ago, in the first half of the eight century. Its author may have been a native of what was Mercia, the Midlands of England today, although the late tenth-century manuscript , which alone preserves the poem, originated in the south in the kingdom of the West Saxons" (Norton 21). Although the poem is of English origin, it speaks of tribes (the Danes and the Geats) that are from the "Danish island of Zealand and southern Sweden respectively" (Norton 22). The main character, Beowulf, demonstrates that he is a warrior who places heroism and bravery over his own well-being and life. Beowulf is a hero and an example of a great warrior. His actions give us a good example of the pagan warrior mentality. The pagan society is a warrior society, in which courage and bravery are extremely prevalent. Beowulf fights against monsters and dragons, and he would rather die in battle, then anywhere else. Beowulf is called upon to help defeat Grendel, who is a monster that has taken over the hall of Heorot. He is greeted with great hospitality. Hrothgar, the King of Denmark, is relived to see Beowulf. There is some skepticism by Unferth, who recalls a fight in which Beowulf lost in Battle. Unferth is wrong, and Beowulf says this great line: "fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good." Beowulf defeats Grendel with great ease and the people of the hall are gracious to Beowulf.
The Epic poem of Beowulf is a story of heroism, loyalty, ego, and fate. To be a great leader of men; a great king of the people, you must be respected and trusted. Loyalty is given to those who earn the respect and trust of their people. Beowulf was blessed with great physical strength, the pride and fearlessness of a warrior, and an equally strong command of the spoken word, which he used skillfully to his advantage. He gained the respect and trust of nearly everyone he came in contact with, largely because he possessed the characteristics of a true hero, but in the end it was his ego that sealed his fate. Although it could be said that Beowulf’s character was flawed by an enormous ego, fueled by thoughts of immortality, it is this very trait that made him an ideal hero and king.
The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes because of his actions. He is constantly being cited as a "war-chief" and a "gold-giver" (61). Beowulf has achieved fame through what he has done with his own hands. His identity as a leader is based upon the Danish society’s emphasis on personal action, as opposed to the delegation of responsibility through conscious thought. It is this very sense which spurs Beowulf to fight the dragon: "In my youth I engaged in many wars. Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle, perform a deed of fame, if the evil-doer will come to me..." (59). Beowulf derives his power from a strong link to the past. Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th...
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject. It usually is about
He put his life at risk on many occasions to protect his people, he exhibited extreme strength and bravery, which gained him respect, and which ultimately lead to his reining. Not only is Beowulf a superior fighter, he knows his weaknesses, especially those that come with age, and is aware when he needs assistance, specifically using a weapon when his physical strength is not sufficient. Beowulf’s behaviour provides a great deal of insight into his character, and how he follows the Anglo-Saxon culture. Although we are unaware of who wrote Beowulf, we are able to assume the significant influence the Anglo-Saxons had during this
He possessed traits that most heroes don’t even posses take for example another mythical character Hercules he defeated mythical creatures, stood for his kingdom, and became a mythical God and was the son of Zeus. Beowulf did more in a shorter time than Hercules did his entire lifetime, he saved more kingdoms, he might of not defeated as many mythical creatures that he did but he was more of a hero. Not only was he a kind hearted man towards Hygelac’s son that was taking over throne but he stood by him and helped him. When it came to Beowulf’s death when he sacrificed himself to the dragon thinking was best for his kingdom but he put them in danger since they were left without a king, while most would say Beowulf did not have much of a choice for free will from the dragon. But we also can not blame our heroic figure in this story, that he was just thinking for the kingdom and what would honor the best for the civilians. In the end the story was kind of harsh calling it a failure and that should obviously look wrong, most should think of it as a heroic act at the time that it happened, that Beowulf himself was just acting for the good and responsibilities of a king and his moral status. When Beowulf’s funeral came around the people made sure it was going to be a memorable funeral they gave over golds and silvers and
For the most part, Beowulf’s characteristics describe those of a triumphant warrior who played a major role in defending the lives of his fellow citizens, while leading a thriving country. Although Beowulf soon became king, he died for his people, and was remembered as a victorious fighter. Beowulf is at least in part a study of kingship because it discusses the qualities that produce a good king, the disadvantages during his rule and how he overcame them, and the problems that arose upon his death.
What are the qualities of an epic hero? An Epic hero is a hero on a
What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.
These two battles showed Beowulf’s true character as a hero. It showed how Beowulf didn’t give up, lead his army to victory, and his loyalty to King Hrothgar. Fast-forward fifty years, Beowulf is king of the Geets, and is on another mission to show his heroism. A thief awoke a dragon and Beowulf is on a mission to kill it. Beowulf tells his people that he can handle this battle alone like he did against Grendel fifty years earlier. This act alone shows that Beowulf isn’t afraid of risking his life to save his people. Beowulf ended up dying as a result of the dragon’s venomous
Beowulf was a highly skilled and great fighter, but because of his over-confidence in himself the fire-breathing dragon kills him. Beowulf’s excessive pride is evident from the very beginning of the epic. He is almost always boasting about himself to one person or the other. In the first part of the epic, when Beowulf first travels to Hrothgar’s kingdom to rid him of Grendel, he talks about the mighty deeds he has done in his life. “Hail, Hrothgar, health ever keep you! I am Hyglelac’s thane and kinsman; mighty deeds I have done in my youth…they saw themselves how I came from combat bloodied by enemies where I crushed down five, killed a tribe of giants, and on the waves at night slew water-beasts; no easy task, but I dove out trouble from Geatland-they asked for it, the enemies I killed.”(Beowulf p73) One can easily picture him standing proud and tall in front of a multitude of fellow warriors, proclaiming all the deeds he has accomplished in his lifetime.
When the story begins, Beowulf has gone to the land of the Danes to kill Grendel for the people, not for the glory. Beowulf brings his own hand picked, group of soldiers with him throughout his battles, and refuses to allow help from others. Beowulf also tells the readers he will not use weapons unless necessary. Before the battle against Grendel, a Denmark officer states, “A chosen warrior who bravely does battle with the creature haunting our people, who survives that horror unhurt, and goes home bearing our love” (ln. 210). Also, when Beowulf’s men abandon him in the battle against the dragon, he does not choose to run in fear, but to continue fighting. In this moment much like in his past, Beowulf shows how honorable he really
Beowulf shows extraordinary bravery throughout the poem. He challenges an evil beast, Grendel, that no man has been able to defeat. Beowulf says, “No skill is his to strike against me/my shield to hew though he hardy be bold in battle; we both, this night, shall spurn the sword/if he seek me here, unweaponed, for war” (Beowulf). He boldly challenges Grendel to done what no man has before,
Beowulf is a great example of a warrior because he shows courageous, honesty, bravery, loyalty and selflessness. To a large number of people these examples are the flawless warrior. The only thing that Beowulf is ...