What is a hero? The Webster dictionary describes it as, “a person...who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” But how can mere words on a page create icons that change the course of a culture? Lost in the midst of time, two stories emerge from the medieval era, telling of two great kings who clash in various ways. “Beowulf,” a heroic epic passed down by word of mouth until the 6th century, tells of a brave soldier who gained glory by defeating different beasts. Beowulf, King of the Geats, chased riches and treasures every chance he got. His pride and desire for glory led him to Denmark to defeat the dreaded Grendel- a demonic beast who seeked vengeance for the intrusion of the Danes. Beowulf …show more content…
Arthur was the first born son of King Uther but was advised to stay hidden until the need of his reign. However, when the King died, there was much controversy over who would be the next King. Merlin, a magician who knew of Arthur, set a sword in stone that read, "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is the rightwise born king of all England." When Arthur unexpectedly stumbled across the sword and pulled it out, he humbly took his place as King of England. In both stories we see each King possess a famous sword which aids their defeats. King Arthur simply finds the "sword of the stone", called Excalibur. Excalibur is a symbol of King Arthur's sanctified kingship and the responsibly of his divine power. On the other hand, Unferth, one of the Danes, lent Beowulf his shining sword Hrunting. Beowulf used this sword, as foreshadowed in line 1496, to "gain glory" against Grendel's mother. Even though the sword itself failed him, he did not lose the battle and ended up killing her with a sword guarded by …show more content…
In Beowulf's culture, they believed in Wyrd- a conception corresponding with a person's destiny. "She" is considered a goddess who decides when and how a person dies. The Anglo-Saxons literally defined her as, "the principal, power, or agency by which events are predetermined; fate, destiny.” In line 34 Beowulf says, "Fate (Wyrd) often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good." Obviously, Wyrd "showed favor" on Beowulf at the beginning of the book because of his courage, but he danced with death too often not to know that his end was near. Because the people in Beowulf's time thought their end was predestined, they did whatever they could to go out with a bang. In comparison, it was believed that it was fate that led Arthur to the stone to pull out the sword which granted kingship. In the story, “The Sword in the Stone: Arthur Becomes King,” it describes the event where Sir Kay, Arthur's brother, accidentally left his sword at home. After traveling a long way, Sir Kay said, "I have forgotten my sword; a fool's trick...now it falls on me to wind back the length of the road and fetch it." Arthur, having a sincere heart, volunteers to go back to their house to grab it. Since all of the villagers were at the tournament, nobody answered when Arthur battered on the door. When he remembered no one was home, he looked about for a sword to bring his brother so he would not be disappointed. This, eventually, led to Arthur
King Arthur and Beowulf are both Heroes that stories originated in the England area. They were written at different times, by a different era of people, but some of the core ethics are present in both stories. Both heroes were admired because they saved a whole group of people. King Arthur and Beowulf were also leaders, Beowulf was king of the Geats, and Arthur was the king of England. This is interesting because this means that they were both well known even before they had stories written about them, and they both possess qualities that can be found in leaders. While Arthur is a romance hero and Beowulf is an epic hero, the use of a magical weapon is seen in both stories which is generally a characteristic in the romance stories. "Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by the giants, strong and blessed with their magic, " 242-244 Beowulf. Arthur's magical weapon is Excalibur, which is pretty much well known to anyone that has heard of his story. I also felt that fate had a role in both of the stories. In Arthur's dream he had a premonition about what was going to happen to his people, "Below him, many fathoms deep, was a dark well, an in the water swam serpents, dragons, and wild beasts. Suddenly the scaffold tilted and Arthur was flung into the water, where all the creatures struggled towards and began tearing him from limb to limb." Malory 194. The beasts and dragons were the two armies and when someone drew their sword Arthur, who was connected to his people was thrown in.
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject. It usually is about
In 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.
A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.
In England the poem of Beowulf was regarded as a fable and considered necessary to preserve civilization (Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford, 2004). Beowulf changed the ideal of hero considering the acts of bravery he achieved. Unlike the common hero when Beowulf comes to be poisoned by the dragon he battled, the people that admired him abandoned the dying man. Sadly, Beowulf died with his friend and brother that he named his successor. Wiglaf, Beowulf’s friend and brother became king after his death (Davis, Harrison, Johnson, Smith and Crawford,
In the story, The Crowning of Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, Arthur shows an unrealistic ability of strength. While everyone in the town was at a jousting tournament, Arthur, who was known as a peasant, went to fetch his brother’s sword because it was left at home. Since everyone was at the fight, the lodging doors were locked. Arthur did not want to leave his brother hopeless, so he decided to ride to Saint Paul’s because he heard there was a sword that was wedged in a stone there. With nobody being present, Arthur pulled the sword from the stone without reading any of the signs that were posted. When he gave the weapon to his brother, Arthur was informed he was now the King of Britain because he was able to remove it, something that only the true born king could do (Malory, The Crowning of Arthur 1069). Arthur started as a peasant and grew to be king because of his ability to be able to pull o...
Beowulf fulfills this by an epic tradition of dying while fighting. While this may detract from Beowulf's invincibility claims, fate has it that all are destined to die. Beowulf’s funeral included “buried torques in the barrow and jewels and trove of such things,” signifying his death had great traditional power. Death is only a portion of being a hero. The willingness to die for his people signifies courage as well. After Beowulf delivers the “deadly wound,” and is a near death, he goes on delivering a monologue showcasing his feats. This heroic scene embodies his willingness to fight for the Danes with his life at
The belief in fate for the Anglo-Saxon’s is everything to them. For example, when Beowulf is about to fight Grendel: “fate intended him to gnaw the bones of his last human supper”(295). So Grendel’s fate has already been determined that he was going to lose and die to Beowulf. Also, this is a biblical allusion referring to Jesus’s last supper indicating that Grendel will perish because it was already decided for him that fate was not on Grendel’s side anymore but on Beowulf’s. For the Anglo-Saxons their belief in fate was one of the most important traits of their culture. When Beowulf is fighting the dragon he can tell that fate has switched its loyalty. For example, in the epic poem Beowulf’s shield fails him from the start which is indicating slightly that fate is no longer on his side; best said by Renee Yewdaev: “A great warrior can fight his best but if fate is not on his side that day, then he will lose.” (Beowulf). With this being said no matter how good of a fighter you are will not matter if fate is not on your side. As seen in the epic poem, when Beowulf’s shield fails completely allowing the dragon to strike and inflict Beowulf with poison; thus ending his life. However, looking back before Beowulf was slain he would fight as if it were his last. As Anglo-Saxon view fate the same way as specified by Rene Yewdaev:”After all, if a man has not already been predetermined to die, the his
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.
Beowulf is a heroic tale; "The Nun's Priest's Tale" is mock-heroic. In what ways does Chaucer use "The Nun's Priest's Tale" to ridicule the heroic style? Increased length is a clear result; name other story elements or writing techniques Chaucer uses.
Beowulf , a hero from a past story that was written in the 6th century, is one of the oldest English stories today. This story is written by an anonymous, mysterious author and is partially based on facts as well. The story is about a hero named Beowulf, the strongest man of his group known as the Geats, fought Grendal, a monster who was terrorizing people in a banquet hall due to his jealously, along with other enemies. Still even though Beowulf is a relevant hero to have memory of, the heroes that exist in the real world are known to this day are more relatable. Their differences and similarities lie within their methods of their heroic acts, how capable they’re really are, and how can they inspire people.
Beowulf and King Arthur share many similarities that depicts them as epic heroes. Both men are fearless leaders, strong, brave, and admired warriors for their powerful reputation. Both stories display a supernatural intervention; a deus ex machina. While in battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf’s sword fails to protect him. Suddenly, Beowulf spots a sword on the wall, as if a supernatural force placed it there, and uses it to behead Grendel’s mother. Likewise, in the story of King Arthur, it is the ability to remove Excalibur from the stone that displays supernatural powers. King Arthur’s tremendous physical strength upon the removal or the sword from inside the stone, suggests that he is chosen as one of God’s elect to become King. Beowulf
King Arthur began as a young fellow, always looked upon as a nobody, a reject, a charity case, he was destined to be a squire, but one of those days, he made it. It was the day of Sir Kay’s duel, in which he forgot his weapon. Wart ( Arthur ) goes to get a weapon and gets the sword in the stone, which makes him the king. In the ending of the book, there is a part that summarizes the whole story wonderfully, deciding his fate as a king, “ ‘ Yes Wart,’ said Merlin. ‘ Or rather, as I should say (or is it have said) Yes, King Arthur’.” (White 209) This is confirmation of the fact that Arthur is now the king, and will live happily for the rest of his life. It is a final assertion of his
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.
His request is granted by Hrothgar, King of the Danes, so he and his man enter into the battle themselves and when Grendel is defeated, the glory, love and respect belong solely to Beowulf and his men. Arthur does the same, he met with his man and his horse, and so mounted up and dressed his shield and took his spear, and bade his chamberlain tarry there till he came again (Morte dArthur paragraph 20). Although Arthur begins his journey alone he does meet up with Merlin, the court magician and faithful companion, who accompanies him. Much like Beowulf, Arthur gains great respect and praise from all men of worship by fighting alone, even though it is not necessarily the smartest thing to do. The characteristic of being fearless when faced with death is often a trait of heroes because it is associated with courage and strength. King Arthur and Beowulf are not afraid to die, thus showing their courage to their adversaries and peers. When Arthur is faced with death he declares, welcome be it when it cometh, but to yield me unto thee as [cowardly] I had liefer die than to be so shamed. (Morte dArthur, paragraph 34). Simply put he would rather die than admit to defeat and being cowardly. Beowulf feels much the same way about death. He illustrates this by showing no fear for his own life but instead expressing concern for the honor of King Higlac by asking that, if death does take [him], send the hammered / Mail of [his] armor to Higlac (Beowulf, line 186-187).