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123 essays on character analysis
123 essays on character analysis
123 essays on character analysis
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What is a Hero? What is a hero? Merriam Webster defines a hero as being a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities. What are those noble qualities? They are bravery, selflessness, and strength. Two heroes, Beowulf and Sir Gawain, exemplify these traits while the "hero" Arcita fails to do so. First is the hero Beowulf. In his time, he served as a valiant hero and, eventually, king. He heard tell of a monster that appeared in the night and caused much sorrow for all the deaths he wrought. Despite the fact that this monster terrorized a kingdom far from his, Beowulf quickly ordered a strong ship built and set sail for this other kingdom. He then waited for the monster, at the risk of his own life, in a great hall. Even though he may die, he still is willing to try and defeat the monster. Beowulf exemplifies incredible bravery as well, by attempting to defeat the monster with only his bare hands. Later, he even goes after the beast's mother, who lives in the …show more content…
Arcita first portrayed his lacked of selflessness by attempting to kill his friend in a forest sword fight. Also, his selflessness resulted in a great battle for a princess in which many gained injuries. Bravery is another trait Arcita lacked. Instead of confessing love for the princess and asking forgiveness from Theseus, Arcita disguised himself, lied about his name, and gained a job close to the princess. While Arcita may have possessed some physical strength he held no moral strength, willing to kill his friend for a girl and lying to get close to her. Arcita certainly does not portray the aspects of a hero. Beowulf and Sir Gawain exemplify the true characteristics of a hero, bravery, selflessness, and strength, while Arcita possesses none of these. In today's world the definition of a hero has become twisted and sometimes corrupt. It is important to realize how a true hero acts, what he does and does not do. Heroes should be more like Gawain and less like
What is a hero? Is it someone who pulls a drowning child out of a lake or is it someone such as Nelson Mandela who inspires others to be better? I believe it is both. Although the two differ in what makes them a hero, they are still a hero. That being said, when comparing the British characters Beowulf and Sir Gawain, I found that both fit the hero archetype. Beowulf and Sir Gawain will be compared on the hero archetype characteristics of being better than the ordinary man, proving oneself many times, and having a tragic flaw.
A hero is defined as "someone admired for his bravery, great deeds or noble qualities". There are three categories to which all heroes can be classified into, one of which is the anti-hero genre.
Then the Danes decide to go back to Herot and while they are sleeping, Grendel’s mother
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.
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...
The perfect image of a true hero is Beowulf. His courage and confidence seems to come naturally. He is the ideal man; he puts others before himself and has amazing physical and mental strength. He is so revered that he can boast about his achievements without seeming vain. “I had greater strength on the sea, more ordeals on the waves as any other man.” (Luizza 69)
Beowulf and Sir Gawain share courage in both of their stories. Beowulf show his courage when he decides to take on Grendel without a sword and shield. In the story, Beowulf asks Hrothgar if he can slay Grendel without armor and he says this, “Grant me, then Lord and protector of this noble place, a sing request! I have come so far, oh shelterer of warriors and our people’s loved friend, that this one favor you should not refuse me – that I, alone ...
Beowulf represents what a modern hero truly is rather than Dante the pilgrim, because he displays qualities of courage, pride, and humility. In order to be considered a modern hero the individual must demonstrate these particular qualities, and courage, pride, and humility should be reflected in the actions they make.
A hero, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, is someone who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown great courage, strength of character, or another admirable quality. He is looked up to for the brave and noble things he has done. Though Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both considered heroes they each have many different qualities. For Beowulf his reputation as a hero depends on the opinion of others within his society, for Gawain Christianity determines his bravado. In order to understand how they are both considered a hero in their society we must look at the many differences their respective societies possess.
The two literary heroes from the poems Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, can be compared and contrasted by their heroic aspects like their character, strength, honorability, bravery and loyalty. Distinctions between the two heroes, Beowulf and Gawain, are because of their cultural differences and the separate time periods in which each one lives. Despite the fact that these two tales emphasize and focus on different aspects of their hero, there are still clear contrasts of their heroic nature.
On first glance, Beowulf and Sir Gawain seem quite different, however upon closer examination many similarities will appear. Beowulf is a warrior who defeats demons and dragons to protect other tribes, while, Sir Gawain is a knight who is challenged by the Green Knight who faces external and internal conflicts from his challenge. While these two seems vastly different they share several similarities. Most notably, Beowulf and Sir Gawain both have supernatural antagonists, both are considered heroes, and they both follow customs and traditions of their cultures. However, while they are similar they are still different especially in their religious views.
Gawain and Beowulf are heroes from different time periods, and it explains their varied traits. Gawain is intently focused on a chivalric code, and Beowulf is just worried about getting recognition as a good hero and keeping it. These traits are ideal within the separate texts, and there is little crossover between them. Gawain’s ideal traits are represented by his pentangle, and Beowulf’s ideal traits are represented by his actions. The poets both show these traits (or lack thereof) through the heroes’ actions, so it’s apparent whether the heroes are living up to these ideals or not. The poets are questioning the heroic codes using the poems as their medium.
An example of this is located when Beowulf is boasting to Unferth, stating that he “drove great Giants from into chains, chased all of that race from the earth” (Beowulf 29). He goes on later to say he also “swam into the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean” (Beowulf 29). These examples show that he willingly accepts adventure in dangerous situations, and fights in the midst of danger, even when compromising his own safety. For instance, Beowulf alone killed Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and with the aid of Wiglaf, the dragon. Before any of these battles, he states that “death was [his] errand, and the fate they had earned” (Beowulf 29). This statement shows his acceptance of death if he is unable to defeat the monsters, alluding to his exceptional courage in battle. Although Beowulf completes these tasks to earn infinite fame and glory, Harold Bloom states that “his hero’s virtues have nothing to do with salvation, and everything to do with warlike courage”(Bloom 7). Because of this, many see Beowulf’s duties are seen as courageous, rather than something of a duty. In the words of Jacqueline Vaught, she states that “Beowulf’s attitude is praiseworthy, whereas Grendel’s is not… The distinction is that which we regularly make between the reckless courage of the criminal who has abandoned all hope and whose actions are purely selfish and the selfless courage of the hero who places the good he is defending before his instinct and self preservation” (Vaught). Her statement reflects the courage found within the epic hero, and the definitive comparison towards Beowulf’s opposing character, Grendel. To summarize, many of Beowulf’s actions when confronted with dangerous tasks and his acceptance of fate show readers courage, making him a prime example of an epic
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 was this hero. He used to always do everything on his own, he would fight and defeat evil, he was a man of honor and bravery, he was a true hero. That was up until the time when he needed help slaying the dragon while it was the most dangerous feat he had ever faced. Although he needed help he was still a hero to everyone, and he died a hero too. This story of Beowulf taught me that even when you believe you are strong enough to face something on your own to never be afraid to ask for help from those around you. Not everybody was made to be a