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Parallels between beowulf and the the monsters
Elements of a hero's journey
Analysis of beowulf and its influences
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Recommended: Parallels between beowulf and the the monsters
When deciphering between what it considered to be heroic or monstrous, it is important to keep in mind the angle in which a story is being told. While reading Beowulf, the protagonist of the epic poem could be considered either heroic or monstrous through the eyes of different characters. Beowulf can be classified as a hero according to The Hero’s Journey through the eyes of Hrothgar and Hygelac. On the other hand, Beowulf could be viewed as being monstrous according to Monster Theory through the eyes of Unferth and Grendel’s Mother. Beowulf could be considered as a hero through Hrothgar’s perspective. For example, in The Hero’s Journey, a hero must enter the unknown and Beowulf does this more than once in order to restore Heorot to its …show more content…
Unferth seems to be jealous of the courage that Beowulf has to kill Grendel. This jealousy is demonstrated through the distorted version of a swimming race between Breca and Beowulf. Also Unferth wants to be the one who kills Grendel for his king, Hrothgar. This goes along with Thesis VI: Fear of the Monster Is really a Kind of Desire, which Beowulf is a symbol of something that Unferth desires he could be. Another instance that Beowulf proves himself to have monstrous qualities is through the shoes of Grendel’s Mother according to Monster Theory. When Grendel’s Mother came to Heorot to avenge her son’s death she crossed territory that was not in her domain. In response, Beowulf killed her. In Thesis V: The Monster Polices the Borders of the Possible, Beowulf was a symbol of limitations of how Grendel’s Mother could act while grieving for the loss of her son. Therefore, depending on which perspective you choose to look at Beowulf, it could either be heroic or monstrous. Beowulf would be considered more of a hero from first glance because he is doing the majority a favor by destroying the figures that seem harmful. However, Beowulf could be considered a monster in the eyes of the figures on who he is inflicting pain
There is a seemingly fine-line between the hero and the monster in Beowulf. How far should we consider Beowulf’s strength and abilities as the traits of an Anglo-Saxon hero before he becomes monstrous? To answer this we must first look at the way in which heroism and monstrosity are perceived within the literature of the Anglo-Saxon period. This can be seen within texts such as The Wonders of the East, if we note what types of creatures were described within this text we can compare these to the monsters in Beowulf and see how they differentiate. If we examine the way in which the poem 's "Hero", Beowulf, is described, then we shouldn 't see any similarities between him and the so called monsters, however the physical representation and abilities
Beowulf being a hero, is a questionable statement because some may have a different definition of a hero. However, I do think otherwise because Beowulf does what an average man does not wish to do or is not strong and brave enough. He also has the qualities of a hero, one being loyalty and he shows this by travelling across the sea to help Hrothgar defeat
Beowulf is a courageous and strong hero because he shows all of the qualities and traits that a true hero should possess. His actions toward Grendel show that he is willing to help others. Beowulf defeats Grendel, his mother, and a dragon until seriously injured. Beowulf has all of the characteristics that are expected from a hero. I definitely consider Beowulf being a hero because there are no other men who could accomplish all of the things that he did. He is a hero for many reasons, his bravery, generosity, strength, and power.
There are several elements that make Beowulf one of the most celebrated epic heroes of all time. Beowulf is extremely loyal to his father and King Hrothgar. Hrothgar helped his father in a time of need. He was a brave warrior that feared nothing. Beowulf stated “I’ve never known fear, as a youth, I fought in endless battles.” Page 87 in the workbook, lines 2-3. Beowulf honored his beliefs and morals till his death. God is Beowulf’s savior and the one he counted on. “ I can leave this life happy; I can die knowing the Lord of all life has never watched me wash my sword in blood born of my own family.” Beowulf said on page 92 in the workbook, lines 146-150.
A woman is walking all alone at night when suddenly a man jumps out and takes her purse. Another man witnesses the crime and chases after him to retrieve the woman’s purse. He tries to catch the thief but he soon realizes he cannot catch up to him and lets the thief get away. Whether or not he was able to get the woman’s purse back or not shouldn’t make him any less of a hero. In the poem Beowulf and in John Gardner’s novel Grendel their ideas of what a hero is differs from each other. Beowulf in the poem Beowulf is perceived as a hero for destroying monsters and being able to help out others with their needs. But in the novel Grendel, Beowulf is not considered a hero because of the bad intentions he has behind wanting to be a hero even though he achieves the heroic feats. Unferth on the other hand has good intentions with his actions. So is Unferth somehow the most honorable character even though he is not able to kill the Grendel?
Courage, honor, and super strength are among some of the traits shared across the spectrum of epic heros. Some characters have a weakness, or a “tragic flaw.” Beowulf is a perfect example of these traits. The epic poem, Beowulf tells about a hero, Beowulf, and his heroic battles protecting the Geats people from the dragons. Beowulf is a prime example of the epic hero character type. His inhuman strength is evident in his battle with Grendel. He fights with his bare hands to prove his bravery. Beowulf is also a responsible leader, fighting and eventually dying for his kingdom. Out of all these traits his honor and
He was the hero of all heros, People knew of him everywhere and knew how great and brave he was. Everybody wanted to be him, or wanted to know him. Beowulf was scared of absolutely nothing. “Telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, passing him for heroic deeds”(831-833). Once he makes a vow he always stands by his word, no matter what. He signifies the true heroic character because he is willing to risk his life for other people. In his youth, Beowulf was a tremendous warrior, characterized predominantly by his feats of strengths and courage. While he is young, he proves he is a brave hero by defeating not only Grendel but Grendel's mom also, who are both descended from the evil cain. Beowulf is a strong responsible leader. He once stated “I feel no shame with shield and sword and armor against this monster” (673-674). He was not scared at all while fighting grendel, he knew he would come out a winner like always. He felt the same way with grendel's mom and as always, he came out a winner. From the time he was young until he got older he was always strong and always put all his effort into everything he did. Beowulf matures as he grows up, gaining more heroic qualities. Everybody around him watched him as he grew, watched him gain knowledge. Beowulf says “They have seen my
Beowulf is a epic hero in a lot of ways. He is “stronger” than life, and he does not fear death. He was able to fight the monster and kill him with his bare hands. Beowulf was also able to hold his breath for a long period of time to kill Grendel’s mother. Beowulf looked like a normal person, but with muscle and super strength.
Beowulf embodies the traits of the quintessential hero. The poem shows Beowulf’s dauntlessness in two fashions, his juvenile years and his three progressively strenuous conflicts with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Beowulf’s heroic code can easily be seen throughout the three clashes but there is a conspicuous divide between his juvenile heroics as a unrestrained warrior and his prime years of heroism as a dependable, genuine king. Divided by fifty years, these two periods of Beowulf’s life correlate with opposite models of morality. Grendel is one of the monsters that Beowulf battles in the poem. He has a very ambiguous nature. Grendel has a plethora of animal like traits and a very mutilated and monstrous appearance. Grendel
Beowulf is a true hero from the way he handles pressure. He is never scared or hesitant to be the good guy and help. “Then they sailed,set their ship out on the waves, under the cliffs.” (line 125 The Coming of Beowulf). “Beowulf arose, with his men around him, ordering a few to remain with their weapons,” (line 229-231 The Coming of Beowulf).
Beowulf easily fits the profile of an epic hero. From all his strength and courage, he has sought immorality through these characteristics. A mighty warrior who was known for his many heroic deeds in Geitland from singlehandedly slaying beasts with his bare hands. Edgetho, his father had a good relationship with Hrothgar which he recalls when Beowulf meets him in Denmark when he arrives to take the head of Grendel. Beowulf bravely sails from Geitland to Denmark to kill Grendel in the name of glory.
The fight with the monster, Grendal; the fight with Grendel’s mother; and with the dragon all show the qualities of a strong responsible leader. Beowulf is a epic hero who performs great deeds throughout this poem. Beowulf would always be remembered as a strong, responsible leader who risks death for glory. The definition of a hero according to Merriam Webster dictionary “is a person, typically man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievement, or noble qualities.” The definition of a hero shows that Beowulf has all of the qualities of a true
Throughout history, literature has portrayed a variety of character arcs. This ranges from the vengeful hero to the sympathetic villain to the chaotic anti-hero. Yet the further back through time written works go, the simpler the characters portrayed. In the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf, the characters of Beowulf and Grendel are the least complex version of heros and villains ever created. They fall under all the typical traits of these arcs. Beowulf is strong, vain, and seeks further enlightenment via the path of endless adventure. There are no qualities he possesses that may indicate any depth to his beliefs or weaknesses. The same can be seen in the character of Grendel. Simply put, he is the incarnation of evil. The concept of good vs evil is portrayed in Beowulf
Is The Beowulf really a hero in the eyes of modern era? This epic poem is not conventional in today’s belief of what we know as a hero. The poem shows Beowulf as a divine king that leads his people with spunk and without solicitude. Then why does he cheat on his wife or get the wonderful women at the end of the story? Today this poem is not what we think of as a hero, we think of heroes in three distinct ways, we think of a hero in a way that a person does something to shield something that isn't theirs example a person jumping in a lake to save a drowning dog, another way we look at a superhero we think of an extraterrestrial character from another planet or a person that has super power or capabilities than the average human example is the Hulk or Superman, and the last would be somewhat related to the second reason is that they do something completely unheard of like saving the earth from the villains that want to take it or destroy it .
The story of “Beowulf’ speaks of the magnificent journey of a Geatish warrior, who swam across the dangerous sea to save the Danish people from a man-eating monster, Grendel. He showed us his heroic personality over and over again throughout the story, as he defeated two terrorizing demons. Beowulf answered Prince Hrothgar’s cry for help, as a favor for assisting his father in a historic feud. Some tried to discredit the warrior, such as Unfereth, and claimed that he was not strong enough to be a hero; but throughout the story there is plenty of evidence to prove that he is in fact, a hero. His kind heart, bravery, and ambition are just a few of the many reasons he is a hero. As Beowulf and his men made their journey across the sea, they faced extreme, life-threatening, conditions.