As actor and filmmaker John Heder once said, “That’s what protagonists do. They work hard, they have a conflict, and they overcome the obstacles”. This is precisely true to the three main protagonists in Beowulf. These three men are faced with difficult battles and extreme adversity. They willingly sacrifice as much as their lives in order to achieve victory. In the epic poem Beowulf, acts of dedication, heroism and bravery are exemplified through the characters of Hrothgar, Beowulf and Wiglaf.
Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, undoubtedly yearns for what is best for his people. Having much experience with poor fortune and atrocity, Hrothgar is most necessary for assisting Beowulf in his development as a hero. His old age and familiarity with the pros and cons of leadership and power give him much wisdom, which he then passes on to Beowulf. Hrothgar is deeply affected by Grendel’s killing sprees, but is too old and weak to fight on his own. However, “His misery leaped the seas, was told and sung in all men’s ears: How Grendel’s hatred began” (lines 64-66). The people of Herot are aware of Hrothgar’s hatred for Grendel and that he is troubled by all Grendel has done. Given that Hrothgar is a powerful, respected leader, he is able to facilitate the conquering of Grendel although he is physically unable to fight himself. Hrothgar’s strong leadership and the respect his men have for him is exceedingly evident. “In Herot, when the night hid him, he never dared to touch King Hrothgar’s glorious throne, protected by God” (lines 82-84). The referral to Hrothgar’s throne as “glorious” and “protected by god” provides evidence that he is very well-respected, and it can be concluded that he has fairly earned this respect. Hrothgar’s dedicati...
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...es Wexston’s family enjoyed, Wiglaf’s mind was made up; he raised his yellow shield and drew his sword” (lines 716-722). Wiglaf’s act of valor in Beowulf’s time of need grants him much esteem. Wiglaf strives to conquer the dragon with difficulty. “But his soul did not melt, his sword was strong; the dragon discovered his courage, and his weapon” (lines 740-751). Wiglaf perseveres through the arduous battle, determined to prevail and attest to his bravery.
Without the divided effort of Hrothgar, Beowulf, and Wiglaf, the people of Herot would not have been saved from destruction. Each character, encompassing a unique trait, is crucial to success. When faced with evil, these characters willingly execute adequate effort in hopes of defeating this evil. The acts of dedication, heroism and bravery in Beowulf are critical to the victory of protagonists in the epic poem.
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 display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem.
Clark, Gorge. “The Hero and the Theme.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
Clark, Gorge. “The Hero and the Theme.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
King Hrothgar had no solution to the conflict it was described that “All were endangered; young and old were hunted down by that dark death-shadow who lurked and swooped in the long nights on the misty moors” (Heaney 219). Grendel took over and established a kingdom. Grendel established a terrorizing fear in all the danes, until Beowulf comes along. Beowulf is immediately praised “There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful”, the Danes after seven years have found how to defeat this monster. (Heaney 222) Beowulf travels to another country and is one of kind, no one compares to his might and power. This proves how brave he is to travel to another country to defeat a monster that has had repeatedly attacked Danes. Beowulf emphasizes his bravery even more by declaring ““I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend”. This boastful attitude gives Beowulf the bravery to step up and fight using his barehands. The average warrior would use a shield and sword but, Beowulf is not average he shows that he is a hero and will fight Grendel as if he was invincible. Beowulf defeats Grendel by ripping of his arm and it signifies that he is not a fraud, but a man of his word. Beowulf pride gives himself an
To be considered an ideal hero, you must be willing to risk everything to succeed. A hero is one who would give his own life to save another; one who is fearless in the face of death. In the epic poem Beowulf, our hero thrives on the opportunity to prove his worth. He is young and strong and is driven to make a name for himself. The author describes Beowulf’s exceptional ability and warrior character long before he is named in the poem: "Great among Geats, this man was more mighty than any then living" (Damrosch 913). Shortly after Beowulf arrives in Denmark, Wulfgar, one of King Hrothgar’s men, explains to the King why he must meet with the men that have come to slay the beast. ”Far-sailing Geats have come to our kingdom across the wide water. These warriors call their leader Beowulf and bid me bring their plea to our prince, if it pleases him to allow them entrance and offer them audience. I implore you t...
In the poem Beowulf, the protagonist is portrayed as a heroic figure who strives to spread his name and glory out across the land in order to be remembered. Although his acts may not entirely be for the right reasons, Beowulf does express his heroic qualities of bravery, arrogance, and brute force.
Early in the poem, Beowulf hears accounts of Grendel’s destruction of Herot, Hrothgar’s majestic mead hall. Knowing his strength and military prowess, Beowulf immediately devises a plan, recruits men, and orders boats, thrusting himself into a battle that was not necessarily his to fight. Beowulf felt obligated to end Grendel’s reign of terror. Though he knew the death of Grendel would bring him fame and honor, the idealized Beowulf was able to set aside personal ambition in order to end the suffering of the Danes. Shortly after slaying Grendel, Beowulf again displays an awareness of duty when Grendel’s mother extracts revenge upon Herot, killing one of Hrothgar’s best men, Aeshere. Instead of leaving Herot in a state of frenzy, Beowulf comes to King Hrothgar’s side, pledging allegiance and service. Bolstering the defeated king’s moral, Beowulf boldly addresses the older King Hrothgar saying, “So arise, my lord, and let us immediately set forth on the trail of this troll-dam. I guarantee you: she will not get away, not to dens under ground nor upland groves nor the ocean floor. She’ll have nowhere to fall to. Endure your troubles to-day. Bear up and be the man I expect you to be.” Beowulf could not set aside his duty and obligation, though he knew full well the suffering and pain that might result from his actions. Thus, Beowulf is a portrait of
Reading through Beowulf I began to compare it to the last great epic I read, Homer’s Odyssey. While the Odyssey and Beowulf are each examples of both historic and modern ideas of heroism, the acts of Beowulf’s hero seem to fit better within its context.
Beowulf by far endures more than the average person as the poem progresses. He is faced with daunting challenges of defeating three monsters that would kill any other man. Beowulf exemplifies bravery by never backing down no matter what the threat was. He was loyal by honoring his promises of keeping those around him safe and alive. And finally, his unwavering confidence helped him push through the toughest confrontations. These traits and the fights with the three different monsters are what genuinely make Beowulf a hero.
Heroic characters such as Beowulf and Wiglaf do not fight for shallow fame and riches as certain rivals such as Grendel may. The two heroes of the epic exhibit selfless characteristics that contribute to the definition of what “good” means in the fight against wickedness. When Beowulf lays dying after Wiglaf fearlessly assists him in slaying the dragon, Beowulf makes one final request: he wants Wiglaf and his men to construct a memorial for him on the coast of the highly populated sea in Hrothgar’s kingdom. At the surface, this request may seem selfish and immature for a warrior like Beowulf. However, there is significant evidence to suggest that Beowulf’s request for fame is as much for others’ benefit as his own fame and recognition. He aims to gain acclaim, yes, but he also wants to continue his legacy far into the future and paint of picture of true heroism and courage that he lived his life by for generations to come.
This recognition that Beowulf receives proves his place as the quintessential hero in Anglo-Saxon society. The unknown author recognizes Beowulf as a warrior who “behaved with honor and took no advantage” (149). This quality is important to Beowulf’s image as a hero. The author also days that Beowulf “bore himself with valor” and names Beowulf “Heroic Beowulf” when describing the hero (135, 149). The author’s recognition of Beowulf as having these qualities and as being heroic shows that Beowulf was regarded as a hero during the authors’ own time. This is also confirmed by the several times people in the epic recognize Beowulf’s heroic qualities. Wiglaf, who was with Beowulf during the final battle, is one of the people to recognize Beowulf’s glory-seeking heroics, saying that Beowulf is “a man unequalled in the quest for glory” (179). This statement speaks much of Beowulf’s willingness to search for and his success in finding glory. Beowulf is also recognized by a thane of Hrothgar’s court during his earlier days. This thane recognizes Beowulf’s heroics and begins “rehearsing Beowulf’s triumphs and feats” by comparing him to Sigmund, an old Anglo-Saxon hero (59). The recognition Beowulf receives from the characters in the epic shows that Beowulf was impressive and heroic to Anglo-Saxons who told his
First of all, Beowulf came to help Hrothgar on his own free will. Hearing of the troubles that Hrothgar was having with a monster terrorizing Herot, his mead hall, Beowulf bravely offered his help not knowing what he was up against. When he arrived, Beowulf did not ask the king for either money nor fame. The only favor that he asked of Hrothgar was that he and his men were to fight the monster, Grendel. Coming away from one's homeland to help get rid of a man-eating monster and asking for nothing in return takes much courage and is an extremely brave deed.
In the beginning of the novel, Beowulf takes interest in the plight of Hrothgar, King of Denmark, and wants to help him fight Grendel. Grendel is a large monster that has been harassing members in the mead-hall of the Heorot. Beowulf owes Hrothgar a favor, due to the fact that Hrothgar saved his father in years past. Hrothgar is honored to have Beowulf attempt to fight the swamp monster, and decides to hold a feast in his name. When Grendel shows up to the feast, Beowulf illustrates his bravery by fighting Grendel without any armor. When Beowulf wins the battle by ripping Grendel’s arm off, everyone in the mead-hall praises Beowulf for his acts of courage. In this scene, Beowulf proves that he is a hero by fighting off a monster that everyone else was afraid of. This made him look
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 is an epic poem telling the story of Beowulf, a legendary Geatish hero who later becomes king in the aforementioned epic poem. While the story in and of itself is quite interesting, for the purpose of this paper it is important to look at the character more so then his deeds, or rather why he did what he did.