To the Anglo-Saxons, a hero was both brave and mighty as well as audacious and arrogant. In Anglo Saxon society, warriors were assumed to be loyal to their leaders in battle, even if the battle appeared to be hopeless, because they earned great honor and riches from protecting their leader. These warriors were alleged to be just as fearless as their heroes, and always as loyal as a dove. In the epic poem Beowulf, created by Anglo-Saxon storytellers, the loyalty of Beowulf’s warriors varies depending on the levels of security they feel in fights; they are more loyal to their leader when they believe they can prevail, and their loyalty wanes when the predicted outcome of the battle appears unfavorable, contradicting the appetite for eternal …show more content…
After Beowulf gives his life to kill the dragon and his men run from the scene to preserve their own lives, they have their beliefs reinforced by Wiglaf, who tells them that “when the brave Geats here / How you bolted and ran none of your race / Will have anything left but their lives. And death / Would be better for them all, and for you, than the kind / Of life you can lead, branded with disgrace!” (2887-2891). Wiglaf brings to light how the warriors are supposed to be loyal to their leader regardless of how grim the situation looks, and that by abandoning this mindset, they now live lives branded with disgrace, and how in their quest for eternal glory, the more effective method would have been to give their lives to protect Beowulf. The only explanation for the reason the warriors fled is because they are afraid of death, and for that reason, they are selfish and preserve their own lives instead of sacrificing themselves to save their leader, Beowulf. Furthermore, Beowulf goes on to be burned on a pyre atop a mountain, and drown in gold and riches upon his death, whereas the cowering warriors are not mentioned again, which means that they do not go on to achieve their goal of eternal glory. Beowulf achieved this goal by sacrificing his life in battle for the greater good of his
In Beowulf, the essence left behind by a true hero is extremely important. In epics such as this one, leaders tend to have the determination and boldness of a hero. On the other hand, the main character, Beowulf, does not only display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem. There are many moments in Beowulf that manifest the many traits that a person should have. This proves how important these attributes are to the characters and the Anglo-Saxon society. Although Beowulf has no known author, it embodies many of the beliefs and morals of the early Germanic society. The author of this epic poem uses many approaches in order to demonstrate that respect and trust are fundamental characteristics of a leader and hero.
The Anglo-Saxons prior to 1000AD were as a race fierce. They possessed great courage. Beowulf reflects their fierceness and courage in a variety of ways. Beowulf complains to Unferth in the Danish court: “Grendel would never have done such horrors … if you were so fierce as you suppose.” The hero, who had earlier killed nine sea monsters, opted to face Grendel in mortal combat WITHOUT sword or shield or the assistance of others: “but I shall seize my enemy in my hand grip and fight.” Later when the hero’s sword failed against Grendel’s Mother, he remained “resolute” and seized her by the shoulder and fought till victory came. Thus “Beowulf, fierce in war, received the cup from Wealhtheow.” Later, the hero went up against and killed Daghrefin, the Huga champion, without weapons: “Nor was my sword his death, but my hand grasp broke his bone-house, tore out his surging heart.” After fifty years of kingship, when the fire dragon molested his people, Beowulf, the old man, did not lose his fierceness; he was “ready to die … life from body parted … I am brave in mind.” In the final battle brave Wiglaf showed his own fierceness and advanced to help his lord who was englulfed in flames: “With him I will embrace the fire … he doesn’t deserve to suffer alone.”
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
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.
Everyone feared his abilities and wouldn’t dare attack him. Then a dragon was woken from its slumber and attacked part of Beowulf’s land. “Yet the prince if rings was too proud to line up with a large army against the sky-plague.” (159: 2345-2347). Beowulf could have taken all of his warriors to fight, but he was too smug. He had to be the one to fight it, or die trying. Beowulf had a need for glorious battle and impossible tasks. He brought few warriors with him to kill the murderous creature. When they reached the dragon, Beowulf made the decision to go in alone because he was too proud, and full of himself to ask for help. When the time came that he needed his warriors, they all ran except one. Beowulf was such a great warrior that no one else in his army had any skill at battle. They had no courage or experience because of Beowulf’s need to go in alone. Beowulf met his match against the dragon, and perished. The need for all the glory and fame drove Beowulf right to his death. It wasn’t the actual threat that killed Beowulf, but the careless decisions that were the real
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.
...his last attempt strikes the dragon so hard, and the dragon meets Beowulf’s strike, resulting in the death of both of them. Although Beowulf is seconds away from eternal death, he greatly admires the extent of loyalty the brave warrior, Wiglaf, displays. As Beowulf comes to the realization that his kingdom will be left with no leader as a result of his defeat, he knows no better man to follow in his footsteps and rule with such loyalty and admiration as he himself did than the brave Wiglaf. Beowulf hands his kingdom off to Wiglaf who he knows will rule it well.
A hero is defined as a man distinguished courage or ability; someone who is admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. When people are oppressed by an evil tyrant, a hero will rise above the circumstance, and conquer the evil that has harmed the people he wants to protect. The Anglo Saxon writer produced a great representation of a hero in Beowulf. If alive today, the protagonist Beowulf would be considered a hero. He possess attributes such as superhuman strength, unshakable bravery, and the willingness to not ever give up until the fight was won. Beowulf has the same attributes that many of the other heroes we have come to know have. The story Beowulf will paint a clear picture of what a hero should be like and show that Beowulf would be considered a hero if alive.
In Beowulf’s younger years, he personified all of the best values of the heroic culture when saving another kingdom from their demons. Beowulf’s willingness to sacrifice his life in order to save strangers his father owed a debt to is quite selfless. His bravery comes into play when he remains unchanged in his resolve even after hearing of all the King’s men and subjects slain by the beast.
Beowulf, written between the 8th and 10th centuries, is an epic poem set in southern Sweden. The poem illustrates the Anglo-Saxon’s strong belief in the heroic code. The loyalty between the warrior and his king bound the culture together. The warrior was the ultimate hero who represented strength and courage. Beowulf, the hero in the poem, illustrates the Germanic principles of the heroic code. Through the battles and character interactions, Beowulf converges loyalty, strength, courage and forgiveness into the hero archetype.
To me the perfect hero is someone who is loyal, has great strength, and has a sense of duty. Beowulf is an excellent example of these characteristics. He was a magnificent fighter, strong, and very loyal to all who came into his presence. Beowulf was always fair to both his friends and his enemies. He made a magnificent hero.
Existence as an Angelo-Saxon warrior was rewarding, however at the same instant it was difficult. Warlords had a number of warriors obliged to serve them. Being a warrior had a worthwhile life, they spent their time shining armor, readying their sword and intimidating the other warriors. Being an Anglo- Saxon warrior was gratifying life because warriors got fame, glory, recognition, and treasure. The younger boys looked up to either their father that was a warrior or another warrior. They idolized these men because they received fame. The idea of jewels, clashing of metal hitting your foe painted great images in Angelo- Saxon boys. In their culture fame is the most important thing you can have. By reading Beowulf I realized that loyalty is sometimes more important to them than their religion.
The epic poem of Beowulf and the tale of the great warrior has been one of the most revered texts of old Anglo-Saxon literature, and has maintained a self-sustaining relevance in today’s society as a result of the vast amounts of translations and reworks of the tale into movies, art, and literature. The epic poem dates back to the ninth century and was first translated off of an old frayed manuscript, leaving some portions of the epic to be left up to the reader of the absent text. The epic story was thought to originate from an oral background as traditional folk tale, yet this has been questioned for debate. On thing that is certain is the fact that Beowulf , is full of thematic elements of the decisions of good vs. evil , the intrinsic excitement of masculinity, and the morbid reminder of mortality, all of which have been analyzed among great scholars and writers throughout decades.
Beowulf’s warriors are the most loyal, as they should be. They will not leave him in a time of need: “the Danes gave up, left / The lake and went home, Hrothgar with them. / The Geats (Beowulf's tribe) stayed, sat sadly watching” (57-59). The Geats are patiently waiting Beowulf to emerge from the water, even after Hrothgar and his men have given up, and gone home.