Beowulf - The Ideal Hero

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. 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.

Similarly, the character of Beowulf clearly exemplifies these traits. They both challenge the readers understanding of what it means to be heroic. The reader is constantly reminded of Beowulf’s heroic presence and strength as he is an ideal king and warrior.

Beowulf A hero in mythology and legend is a man often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for bold exploits, and favored by the gods. Beowulf, the strongest man alive and the greatest Anglo-Saxon warrior, distinguishes himself as this kind of hero. When Herot is in danger of being destroyed by the ferocious beast Grendal, Beowulf raises hell to the menacing beast. Through his brave actions and deeds, Beowulf demonstrates heroic qualities and that is revered by Anglo-Saxon and those which are also universally respected. To start off, Beowulf, identified as the greatest Anglo- Saxon, pursues glory and fame.

Beowulf and Sir Gawain – True Heroes 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.

A Comparison of Beowulf and Sir Gawain 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.

From the beginning, Beowulf is viewed as the epitome of a true hero. He may have been somewhat selfish at times and boast about his achievements, but when it really mattered he is there for his people. These traits truly expose the heroic king he becomes. The courage and bravery that the character of Beowulf exemplifies throughout the epic, demonstrates reasons as to why he would reign as a strong king as time goes on. The reader learns quickly how important the act of being courageous is to the epic of Beowulf, as it is made clear in the first lines of the epic, stating, “So.

Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his loyalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and fate In the Anglo-Saxon society, an ideal hero does not seek riches of gold and treasures; instead, he seeks fame and glory through his accomplishments. To ensure immortality and spread his name across kingdoms, Anglo-Saxon warriors had strong aspirations to boast their achievements with contests and challenges in order to prove their capabilities. Unferth challenged Beowulf’s swimming contest with Breca, “The pair of you agreed out of pride and folly to race in the ocean at the risk of your lives and could not be dissuaded by a soul on earth,” (Chapter 8).

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 first thing that makes Beowulf an epic hero is his wisdom.

Well, actually he leaves us a new type of hero, a hero that is foreign to the golden age of Homer. He presents a new ideal of heroism and shows us in what fields it can be exercised. Unlike Homer, the essence of his conception is that a man's virtus is shown less in combat and physical danger than in the defeat of his own weaknesses. Aeneas sees his chief obstacles within himself and his greater victories are when he triumphs over them whereas the Homerian hero relies much more on physical gifts than in moral strength to overcome his trials in the battlefield. Homer believed that a man owed great actions to the ideal of manhood and that in his short span of life he must do all that he can to show that he is really a man.

He was afraid of his own death. We witnessed this after Enkidu died, when he set out on his journey to gain immortality. In both Ancient Anglo-Saxon and Ancient Mesopotamian cultures, works of literature portray heroes such Beowulf and Gilgamesh, and the heroic values that they possessed. The heroes, Beowulf and Gilgamesh, had both similar and dissimilar heroic values, however, Beowulf was by far a better hero than Gilgamesh. While Beowulf and Gilgamesh both possessed remarkable strength and courage, Beowulf was fearless and selfless, which makes him a true hero.