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Compare Beowulf to other heroes
Compare and contrast Arthur,Gawain, and Beowulf as heros
Compare Beowulf to other heroes
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How Gawain, King Arthur, and Beowulf Show Bravery In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, John Gardner’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Burton Raffel’s translation of Beowulf, King Arthur, Gawain, and Beowulf are hero’s because they exhibit bravery in the face of danger. Beowulf demonstrates his bravery when he goes up against Grendal. King Arthur exhibits bravery when Mordrid challenges him. Gawain shows bravery when he goes to meet the Green Knight. All three of these men show courage when confronted with a challenge. Beowulf shows off his bravery when facing Grendal. “Like Grendal, gripped in my hands and torn, but his breath will be burning hot, poison will pour from his tongue” (Raffel, 670-673). Beowulf has boldness; here it shows that he is not afraid of Grendal even after his hands were torn off. He showed even more bravery when all of his men abandoned him and he was all alone to fight Grendal. King Arthur needs courage when he faces Mordrid after he is challenged. In a dream Gawain came to Arthur and said “…and warned him that and he fought on the morn, he would be slain!”(Malory,171). He showed confidence when his men and Mordrid’s men got together and did not fight right away. King Arthur has defiance when he decides the stay behind, after the massacre of his men, and fight Mordrid although; the dream from Gawain told him he would die. Gawain shows off his manhood when he honors his promise to the Green Knight to return in one year. Gawain exhibits his fortitude when he tells the Green Knight to stop stalling and to take his swing at him. He said “But be brisk, man by your faith and come to the point! Deal out my doom if you can and do it at once!”(Gardner, 162) He has to use his bravery when he lies to the king about taking the green sash from his wife when the king said I want to know everything she gives you.
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
Beowulf’s courage is a characteristic of a hero and this is what makes him one as well. In the story he faces his fears multiple times while trying to save others. One example of his courage would be this quote that states "Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked." This is a good example because it shows how Beowulf had the courage to stand up against Grendel and defeat him. In addition Beowulf also put himself in danger while he was fighting the dragon even when he knew he probably not make it. This is an extreme example of courage because it frightened him that he would not make it, but he fought the dragon anyway. I think that these examples show Beowulf’s courage and that is
There are many things to take into consideration when characterizing a person as a hero. Heros are typically seen as people who accomplish brave deeds and fulfill noble tasks for the greater good of things. In the epic poem Beowulf by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet a hero is revealed. What makes Beowulf a hero is his unbelievable strength and power. He does not get discouraged or let anything stear him away from what he feels needs to be done for the safety of others. In his battles with the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon Beowulf exhibits his strength and will to fight. Beowulf, is loyal to his people and his king. What I feel is the most important quality of Beowulf, though, is his willingness to risk his life for the good
Heroes come in many forms. The construction of "the heroic" has taken many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the "hero" personality. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criterion, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds.
Beowulf automatically proves his fearlessness by just offering to fight Grendel (a monster who cannot be harmed with a weapon) to protect Denmark. “Beowulf and his men sail over the sea to the land of the Danes to offer his help to Hrothgar” (Beowulf 36). When Grendel comes into the mead hall Beowulf comes in and finds the strength to rip Grendel’s arm
The mighty warrior Beowulf volunteered to help fight off the monster, Grendel. Beowulf showed great bravery because even though Grendel over sized Beowulf, he still accepted the challenge. He also showed strength, Grendel’s head was so massive that four men each had to carry it, but Beowulf could handle the head all by himself. Lastly, Beowulf revealed loyalty by coming to Hrothgar’s assistance, to help with defeating Grendel. Even after Beowulf became King he went to his last battle to defeat the dragon without any help from his
The clear definition of a hero is often open to interpretation and has never been clearly defined. In the translation of the epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, it is often debated whether the main character Beowulf is actually a hero or not. Beowulf displays hero-like characteristics through his bravery, loyalty, brute strength, confidence and protective nature. He is a crystal clear example of an Anglo-Saxon hero in his time period. In the present day he should be considered a hero as well. He displays heroism through his fights with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon while managing to protect his people and eventually sacrifice himself.
Heroism is found very easily in Beowulf, there are many different forms of heroism portrayed from different characters. The heroism shown in Beowulf goes beyond just physical courage as they go on into war, or defeating the dragon. The Thanes; the warriors who have been rewarded by King Hrothgar, had to show loyalty and trust to the King to prove that they were able to fight for him and the city. As stated at the beginning of the piece “Indeed, we have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes, kings of the nation in days gone by-how those princes performed deeds of courage,” (489) without this act of heroism King Hrothgar and his villa...
Throughout time, society has come in contact with individuals who are praised due to their bravery, loyalty, strength and a tendency to go beyond the limit. One may call this individual a hero, and if asked to give some examples of heroism, one may pick the classical literary hero Beowulf. According to Roger B. Rolling, Beowulf is classified as a Type I hero who, “if superior in degree to other men but not to his natural environment, … is a leader. He has authority, passions, and powers of expression far greater than ours but is subject both to social criticism and to the order of nature” (434). Beowulf’s heroism is exemplified first when he kills Grendel, then when he kills Grendel’s mother, and finally when he kills the Dragon. Also, Beowulf
Bravery today has changed from that of Anglo-Saxon times. In the poem, Beowulf uses his bare hands to defeat the evil, monstrous Grendel. He believes that it would be braver and mightier if he were to defeat Grendel without use of a weapon. “My lord Higlac/ Might thing less of me if I let my sword/ Go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid/ Behind some broad linen shield: my hands/ Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life/ Against the monster (15).” However, in modern times, bravery is associated and accompanied by weaponry.
Bravery is like a very trusted friend, it will never let you down. That statement holds true in the great epic of "Beowulf." "Beowulf" is the story of a great hero who comes to the aid of a troubled king. Beowulf hears that king Hrothgar is having trouble and immediately comes to help with no questions asked. he defeats the monster, Grendel, with his bare hands. Beowulf then defeats Grendel's mother along with a dragon until he is fatally injured. Bravery is a very admirable characteristic that few people possess.
A hero is someone who is idealized for his courage and noble qualities. Beowulf and Sir Gawain can certainly be called heroes. They both have many qualities that are expected of heroic knights and warriors. They are both brave, gallant, and skilled men, but are they the perfect heroes their people believe them to be? While they are portrayed as perfect heroes and they possess many heroic qualities, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are far from perfect.
The three heroes discussed here, Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur, are heroes for different reasons. Beowulf, our earliest hero, is brave but his motivation is different than then other two. To Sir Gawain personal honor and valor is what is important. King Arthur, Sir Gawain's uncle, is naturally the quintessential king of the medieval period. Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys.
Beowulf also shows courage in all of his battles. His intelligence is far above any others. He used the sword made by the giants to kill Grendel’s mother. In lines 210-222, it describes how he was quick and saw the sword “hammered by giants, strong and blessed with their magic…and struck with all the strength he had left, caught her in the neck and cut it through…”
A true hero has no fear. A hero would risk himself for what he believes to be right and to protect others. I think of someone who, in my opinion of others, has heroic traits or has performed a brave act and is regarded as a representation or ideal is a hero. Heros always have people to look up to him and will always excel when the going gets treacherous. Beowulf is a good example of a hero, because he stared terror in his eyes and saved his land many of times. Beowulf additionally showed bravery, strength, and leadership because he was definite that he would defeat Grendel. Beowulf has all of the distinct qualities of a hero and that is why he is a perfect example of a hero.