When he arrived at the Danish land, Beowulf was a man seeking adventure and glory. Beowulf was famous among his people, the Geats, for his bravery. Beowulf fought in many battles and as a result showed his great character to others.
Beowulf had many characteristics which helped him to succeed in battle. Beowulf was known as the strongest man alive. His strength allowed him to succeed in battle. If wasn’t for his pure strength, he would not have been able to defeat Grendel because his weapons wouldn’t work. By fighting Grendel without weapons, he opened himself up to greater praise. Beowulf’s strength could not be seen as a disadvantage, while the results of his strength could. Beowulf’s strength allowed him power in battle, but it also made him vain. While his cockiness allowed him to be sure of himself in battle, some of his peers found it to be a character flaw. Unferth saw Beowulf as cocky and vain. So, while his cockiness was a flaw in the eyes of others, Beowulf saw it as a self promise and used it to his advantage.
Beowulf also had a strong spirit of adventure, his spirit of adventure was part of the reason that Beowulf went to fight Grendel. Beowulf’s strength and spirit of adventure had also led him to victories in many battles, including the battle with Grendel. Beowulf used his glory in earlier battles to prove himself when coming to help Hrothgar. In addition, his self assurance and known bravery probably guided his decision. Beowulf’s spirit of adventure gained him a lot of fame; however, it could have gotten him into danger, if he were to have taken an adventure too far.
Beowulf used his strength for respect and recognition. As he became older his great strength was beginning to become weak. The weakness of his strength and the lost battle against Grendel’s mother was overwhelming to Beowulf; however he realized that his time was over and he would be remembered as a great hero in all battles he won.
Beowulf is told to be, “as strong as thirty men”. He has slayed numerous water monsters. When faced with Grendal, he kicked Grendal’s behind. Grendal had never felt such fear for his life. After he beat up Grendal, he kept his arm as a trophy to display in the hall. Hrothgar was forever grateful to Beowulf; he gave Beowulf a sword, a coat of mail, horses, ensign, etc. Weatheow, Hrothgar’s wife, gave Beowulf Hygelac’s old collar of gold. Beowulf was then faced with the vengeful mother of Grendal. Of course he defeated this foe and in reward he took with him Grendal’s head and a giant’s sword. Beowulf is a strong fighter in the manuscript Beowulf.
Beowulf is “the strongest of the Geats -- greater / and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (ll.110-111). Even though he is famous for his massive strength, Beowulf has other attributes that are noticeable other than his strength. These attributes, arrogance, bravery, and a strong love for his people are what make Beowulf become such a powerful, epic hero. Beowulf is arrogant. He constantly brags about his supreme strength. The “strongest man alive” lets people know that he is the most powerful person around by saying, “no strength is a match for mine” (l.267). Beowulf does not think that he could ever be destroyed by anything. He obviously never questiones how his fighting ability would be when he was around seventy. Since Beowulf is convinced that God is watching over him, his ego makes him act as if he is invincible, because of the idea that he has a guardian angel. But, as Beowulf gets older, wiser, and fights in more battles he should realize that there was a possibility that he can die. Beowulf also boasts about his many battles, and is proud of himself for winning all of them. One of these triumphs is the battle in the water when he meets up with nine sea monsters which he killeds, and fights with a monster that is digging its jaws into Beowulf’s flesh. Beowulf proclaims that “ I fought that beast’s last battle, / left it floating in the sea” (ll.290-291). This epic tale reads that while Beowulf is in battle with Grendel’s mother, all he cares was about the fame he would get for defeating her. Unferth thinks that Beowulf was arrogant, by saying, “ You’re Beowulf, are you the same / Boastful fool who fought a swimming / Match with Brecca” (ll.239-241). Yes, Beowulf is a boastful fool that loves the attention that his strength gives him. A strong man and an arrogant one, Beowulf is also brave. Even after all of the horror stories that he hears about Grendel, he still fights the cursed beast without any hesitation. When he battles with Grendel, he does it without the things that everyone else would use--weapons. This shows that Beowulf is not scared of anything in the world. He also must be brave to fight a sea monster after swimming in the ocean for days. He went straight into battle exhausted, from the strenuous journey across the ocean.
The greatest value of Beowulf is his bravery, some may say bravado. There is no doubt that he is a great warrior. Beowulf's heroism belongs to a different time than that of King Arthur or Sir Gawain. For that reason his bragging about his prowess might seem decidedly unheroic. When he tells Unferth "I count it true that I had more courage, More strength in swimming than any other man" (514-15 (41) it might be interpreted in a poor way. What he is saying though is true. In addition, in order for him to succeed he must orally deliver his resume. Nevertheless, bragging aside, Beowulf is undoubtedly a brave man. When Beowulf sets out to kill Grendel's mother he simply "donned his armor for battle, Heeded not the danger..." (1328-29 60). When his sword fails him he uses his physical strength: "On the might of his hand, as a man must do Who thinks to win in the welter of battle Enduring glory; he fears not death" (1420-23 62). Certainly he is in search of fame. Though this is true it must not discount his brave actions. He gains his fame truthfully by doing battle with menaces to society. He does not lie or manipulate to achieve fame, he uses what is rightfully his, his bravery. Beowulf's bravery differs from that of King Arthur's for several reasons. King Arthur by being king must be brave, to rule the state people must respect him. Beowulf's bravery carries the story. One because it details his ascension in fame and secondly it also outlines his downfall.
The quote displays verbal irony because Montresor knows that Fortunato is not going to live a long life because he is planning on killing him. Montresor wants to get revenge on Fortunato because of the grudge he has against him. He is planning to chain him to a wall and leave him there to die with no idea why his “friend” is doing this.
His bravery and physical strength needed to kill this evil being makes him a great warrior and an even better literary hero. When the Hrothgar’s men attempted to kill Grendel, they were unsuccessful. Although he saw other men die to this monster he did not let that scare him off. This is when Beowulf felt it was necessary for him to intervene and take charge. When Grendel came to attack Heorot Hall Beowulf was there waiting for him. Beowulf stood up for the Hrothgar’s men and accomplished what they couldn’t in order to make everyone safer. Although he faced a plethora of obstacles he did not give up he stood strong and saved many people by doing so. During the battle Beowulf wrestled Grendel to the ground. Beowulf proceeded to rip Grendel’s arm from his shoulder and hang it from the ceiling. Grendel then fled away from Beowulf into the wilderness where he then died. This proved to Beowulf that Grendel may be strong but he will never be as brave. Grendel was an evil monster who wanted nothing good to happen to the people and Beowulf prevented any more murders by Grendel from happening. He saved the lives of many people by accomplishing this heroic and honorable
Beowulf is one of the most iconic and influential heroic journeys of all time. Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, is a Geat and like no other warrior ever seen before. He is the strongest man alive. He has the strength of thirty men in his arm alone. When Beowulf was only a boy, he had battles with his friends and swam for miles with his sword in his hand and armor on the rest of his body. When he battles Grendel's mother, it is said that Beowulf is underwater for nearly half a day. Aside from being a great warrior, he is also very smart and modest about his strength. When Beowulf arrives in Heorot, he is confronted with opposition. The king, Hrothgar allows Beowulf to fight because has known Beowulf's father, Ecgtheow, and Hrothgar saved him from
He like to fight battles relying on his given strength, in one battle he chooses to use no weapon because it would be an unfair advantage. During another battle Beowulf fought underwater, everyone thought he had died because he was under for so long, but he brought back a victory. Explained in the epic, “In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, highborn and powerful” (46). Beowulf was able to hold his breathe all day while fighting Grendel’s mother, he defeated monsters bare handed, ripping off body parts and out powering any average person. Beowulf explains, “Clear proof of this could be seen in the hand the hero displayed high up near the roof: the whole of Grendel’s shoulder and arm, his awesome grasp” (58). Beowulf definitely had the strength of an epic hero. His powers are described throughout the epic in every battle he’s involved in. Like the superhero Mr. Incredible, used his power and superhuman strengths to fight off bad people and keep residence safe. “Stopping crime, arresting crooks, saving people and helping the elderly, the muscular, broad-shouldered and blond champion of the helpless and innocent keeps his metropolis safe”(Meinel 183). Beowulf earned the status of a hero by doing similar acts as Mr. Incredible. Using his power to protect and save the Danes from evil monsters was a big step in finding heroism in his
“And I to your long life.” The effect of the verbal irony is that Fortunato did a toast to himself not knowing that we will be joining the dead really and Montresor did a toast to Fortunato’s long life knowing that it won’t
Beowulf shows physical strength in the story by defeating Grendel. In line 219 of Grendel’s mother, it tells how Beowulf killed her. “…cut it through, broke bones and all.” His strength is also told in line 213 of how he “lifted the sword that was so massive that no ordinary man could lift.” Beowulf’s determination, or his will to win, was throughout the story, even up until his death. A quote that describes this is, “…he cut the beast in half, slit it apart. It fell…”(line 185). He shows courage along with his cousin, Wiglaf, when they defeat the fire dragon. In line 189 it says, “…their courage had killed it, two noble cousins had joined in the dragon’s death.”
The first irony is verbal irony. Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant. There are many examples of this kind of irony through this story. The first irony is the name “Fortunato.” Fortunato’s name suggests good fortune, or of being fortunate, but he is exactly the opposite, he is killed. Another irony is when Fortunato follows Montresor go to the vault, Montresor acts like he cares about Fortunato’s health, “we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter. We will go back; you will be ill, and I cannot be responsible.” (1202) But readers know from the beginning of the story, Montresor only wants to kill Fortunato. “And I to your long life,” (1202) Fortunato has lived out his life already, it is about to be over. Going deeper into the vaults, Fortunato gets more and more coughing, and Montresor shows his concern to Fortunato’s health “Come, we will go back ere it is too late. Your cough—“It is nothing.”(1202) But Montresor knows that the more he acts as he cares Fortunato, the more Fortunato wants to reach Amontillado-his dark fate. Fortunato is a man who is being blindly led to his death by someone who he feels as an admiring friend, but this friend is actually a person in searching for his own revenge.
The capability of a hero to possess superior physical strength is the quality that sets him apart from the other warriors. In the beginning of Beowulf, Beowulf is described as the, “follower and the strongest of the Geats, greater and stronger that anyone anywhere in this world” (lines 110-111). This represents Beowulf’s strength by stating he is the strongest man in the world. In addition, Beowulf demonstrates physical strength when defeating Grendel. During the battle, “[Grendel] twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke” (lines 390-392). This quote describes the part of the battle when Beowulf rips off Grendel’s arm with his bare hands. Obviously, Beowulf demonstrates super strength because he is able to mutilate Grendel without any weapons. Furthermore, the most prominent event in the poem that signifies Beowulf’s super strength is when he is able to use the large sword to kill Grendel’s mother. The sword was, “but so massive that no other ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length. He drew it from its scabbard, broke the chain on its hilt” (533-535). Due to the fact that Beowulf had the ability to break the sword off of its chain and pick it up with ease proves that he possesses super strength. Emphatically, Beowulf exemplifies undeniable super strength of an
challenges. “A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall” Aristotle. Beowulf has many adventures and he fights Grendel and other monstrous creatures but he was very sure of himself. He was born being strong and we as an audience do not identify with that. “Of living strong men he was the strongest” . Beowulf had qualities that any other man had, but he
Montresor explains to Fortunato that he is of the masons. Fortunato asks Montresor for a sign of being a mason. This is an example of dramatic irony because even though the reader knows the truth behind the story, Fortunato does not. In the passage Poe states, “It is this, I answered, producing a towel from beneath the folds of my roquelaure.” (pg. 239). Poe also states in the passage, “You are not of the masons.” (pg. 239). Montresor is trying to put himself on the same level of Fortunato, which Fortunato does not ever let him, and that causes part of the feud that Montresor has for Fortunato. Another example of dramatic irony is Fortunato develops a cough and has become sick which leads him to believe that is what he will die from. This is dramatic irony because the reader fully knows that Fortunato is going to die, but because of a cough. It states in the passage, “the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kiss me. I shall not die of a cough.” (pg. 238). Montresor leads on Fortunato by stating, “we will go back; your health is precious.” (pg. 238). Montresor shows Fortunato that he cares about his health when in reality he wants him dead. Fortunato has no idea that he is going to end up dead, but the reader is fully aware of what is going to happen to
He showed great courage, strength, leadership and intrepidness. Beowulf defeated a beast that swooped up an entire room of people and ate them. He took his men on a dangerous voyage to Grendal’s deep, dark lair. Beowulf also demonstrated strength that a normal man couldn’t when he lifted a sword crafted for giants. Although Beowulf was an Anglo-Saxon hero centuries removed, his heroic attributes still appeal to heroes today. Although Beowulf has super strength, he still shows courage, initiative, selflessness, and desire to make the world a better place just like heroes of
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.