Conquering the struggles
How can one live without struggles? Struggles are part of life whether it is getting bad grades in Algebra class or dealing with the death of our loved ones. Unfortunately, humans have to break through the wall standing between the person and their future. Therefore, the poem, Beowulf can be interpreted as a didactic journey. The epic character Beowulf is known for his victorious battles against evil. Beowulf confronts extreme struggles in the Anglo-Saxon age therefore, persuading the readers to over come barriers without hesitation.
Beowulf's considerate heart encourages him to face struggle. Beowulf sees honor to face his challenges. For instance, Beowulf's respect for the king of Danes leads him to face the monster.
…show more content…
The struggles are the walls that one shall jump over to reach their destiny. The courage of Beowulf in the old age is unbelievable. "I've never known fear: as a youth I fought in the endless battles. I am old, now but I will fight again seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his towers dares to face me"("Cantos 35" 484-488). While his solders flee away from the fire breathing monster he stood his ground to fight. Furthermore, Beowulf confronts the frightening daemon without an weapon. "My hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster"("Cantos 6" 147-149). Sometimes in these unforeseen circumstances one lacks the tools to resolve the problem therefore, one has to persevere. Beowulf went into the water to defeat knowing he cannot breath . "...As his words ended He Leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone's"("Cantos 22" l.364-365). At times one has to perform the impossible to overcome the …show more content…
The completion of an struggle is a heavenly achievement. The world opens a whole new door for happiness. Similarly, Beowulf gains the honor from the citizens of Danes as their epic hero. "Slowly toward Herot again, rebelling Beowulf's bravery as they jogged along"("Cantos 13" 297-298). Beowulf enjoys being the savor of the citizen of Danes. Even more, he was rewarded with cherishing gifts. "Beowulf's victory is rewarded by gifts of armor, horses, and weapons"(35). The accomplishment brings many rewards. Going back home, Beowulf has returned a honored man. "On earth or under the spreading sky or between the seas, neither south nor north was there a warrior worthier to rule over men...."("Cantos 13" 300-302). Beowulf has became an epic hero for the world to see. Each painful struggle has rewarded him with honor. Ones struggling accomplished will feel greater than the
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.
In the epic Beowulf, the reader can clearly find the very distinct conflicts, although some go unnoticed. This poem came to be around the birth of Christianity and the dying out of paganism. In Beowulf, the battles between the monsters and the warriors are interpreted as a battle between the old way of faith and the coming of Christianity. Beowulf himself comes across many conflicts of his own. A literary critic, Alfred Bammesberger, analyzed the person who gives Beowulf the idea to go to Herot and fight Grendel, “.... Beowulf wanting to fight single-handed and challenge Grendel based on the information he had given to his uncle, the Great King Hygelac” (Bammesberger). The Danish king asks not for help however, Beowulf goes anyways. While he has many physical battles with enemies, he also has internal conflicts that seem to hold heavy in his mind. These conflicts include but are not limited to, “Battle of Grendel”, “The Battle with Grendel’s Mother” and “The Last Battle.”
challenges. “A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall” Aristotle. Beowulf has many adventures and he fights Grendel and other monstrous creatures but he was very sure of himself. He was born being strong and we as an audience do not identify with that. “Of living strong men he was the strongest” . Beowulf had qualities that any other man had, but he
The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes because of his actions. He is constantly being cited as a "war-chief" and a "gold-giver" (61). Beowulf has achieved fame through what he has done with his own hands. His identity as a leader is based upon the Danish society’s emphasis on personal action, as opposed to the delegation of responsibility through conscious thought. It is this very sense which spurs Beowulf to fight the dragon: "In my youth I engaged in many wars. Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle, perform a deed of fame, if the evil-doer will come to me..." (59). Beowulf derives his power from a strong link to the past. Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th...
“For a brief while your strength is in bloom/ but it fades quickly; and soon there will follow/ illness or the sword to lay you low… and death will arrive, dear warrior, to sweep you away”(1761-8). Hrothgar bestows his wisdom onto Beowulf after Beowulf has defeated Grendel and his mother. Hrothgar reminds him not to let pride overcome him for everything is eventually defeated due to the power of fate. This exemplifies a theme woven throughout the story of Beowulf. Beowulf is presented as a valiant hero, slaying beasts with his mighty strength and demonstrating the importance of the balance between wisdom and strength, but as the story unfolds Beowulf slowly loses his vitality until eventually he is defeated. This shows the power of fate has on everyone; no exceptions. This paper will demonstrate the heroic qualities of Beowulf and show his gradual decline through the approaches and outcomes of his three battles with the monsters.
Although Beowulf gets killed, he did it being brave, and he did it working hard to destroy the monster who he accomplished to slay. These characteristics are important to have in order to accomplish things in life. I have only accomplished some of the many things that I wish to in life but I still have along way to go and someday I will be able to say that I made it and that I worked hard to get to where I’ll be. Many people would not picture that they have such a common life to that of character from an epic poem but I know Beowulf and I relate a lot. We both face demons and we fight them to rid them of the pain and suffering they bring, bringing peace and pride into our own
Through his many heroic accomplishments, whether it is fighting Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the dragon, in Beowulf’s defense of the needy and his enthusiasm to sacrifice his life to benefit others, Beowulf has earned the right to be given the name “hero.” Beowulf can be looked at as a man who demonstrates the knightly morality of his medieval counterparts. Beowulf is not only a hero, but also a model to all warriors of that they should aim to be.
This demonstrates his boldness since he was the set out man toward the Geats. By picking the most grounded and boldest individuals, Beowulf mirrors that he himself more likely than not been considerably more valiant with a specific end goal to have the capacity to lead his honorable individuals. Thusly in picking the overcome men he did, not just did he demonstrate the amount more overcome he was, Beowulf additionally demonstrated that he was by a wide margin and epic saint. Beowulf had three huge phases of his life. The real battles changed his life until the end of time. Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and the mythical beast was the hardest adversaries, he ever needed to battle. The New York Times states "Beowulf" was an early love, and a sort of Rosetta Stone for his imaginative work. His investigation of the ballad, which he called "this most noteworthy of the surviving works of old English lovely workmanship," educated his reasoning about myth and dialect. I trust that Beowulf will never be overlooked in light of the fact that regardless it demonstrates the distinction amongst immaturity and senior
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject. It usually is about
society. In Beowulf, Beowulf shows extraordinary courage and strength that gives him special status. This notion is shown, when Beowulf fights Grendel and Grendel’s mother, but it is especially noticeable when he fights the dragon. When Beowulf fought Grendel others had the courage to attempt to fight him. The same is true with Grendel’s mother. When Beowulf goes to fight the Dragon, the other warriors cower away into the woods. Beowulf shows his courage by fighting the Dragon. Even when Beowulf is fighting the Dragon and realizes that his sword can do no damage he continues to fight. After Beowulf is on the verge of death he shows a combination of courage and strength by delivering the death blow to the Dragon, and not just laying down to die. Beowulf’s strength is shown when he is able to actually do battle with the Dragon; any normal man would have fallen to the dragon immediately.
What is a hero? The Webster dictionary describes it as, “a person...who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” But how can mere words on a page create icons that change the course of a culture? Lost in the midst of time, two stories emerge from the medieval era, telling of two great kings who clash in various ways.
This was Beowulf's hardest battle that he faced in his life. One of the biggest challenges I have faced in my life so far is having my parents divorce when I was only five years old. That was probably the first real challenge I had to face in life. Throughout the fight with the dragon, Beowulf for the “first time in his life” he had “fought with fate against him.” In the end of the fight “glory denied him.” For the first time at five years old I felt like fate was against me. I truly believe that part of the reason that I am the way I am today is because of not having my parents
Now, this passage pretty much explains Beowulf's courage without an interpretation, but for the sake of argument I will interpret it for you. Beowulf is saying that he has no fear in fighting this monster, because he means to stand and not run. He says that his heart is firm and his hands are calm,...
Beowulf is widely regarded as a classic “good versus evil” story. The Beowulf-poet depicts Grendel, his mother and the dragon as the “evil” of this dichotomy. This raises an interesting question concerning the idea of a community: How exactly is “good” distinguished from “evil” in an absolute sense? Given that the Beowulf-poet expresses a tone suggesting that the pagan figures are the evil ones, it is clear that he is biased in his treatment. Still, this tone contradicts some of the events that play out in the epic. Building upon this, one could argue that the distinguishing of this good-evil dichotomy is relative; what is considered “evil” to the Beowulf-poet may be considered “good” from another’s perspective. With this moral relativism in mind, a psychology of confusion is established in the reader that creates a sense of uncertainty concerning one’s values in shaping a community.
Throughout the poem, Beowulf fights against monsters time after time for the treasures and gold rewarded after a victory. The king of the Danes, Hrothgar, recruits the most prestige fighter around, Beowulf, to save his people from Grendel, a monster that had been disturbing the peace for years. Beowulf agrees to fight Grendel, but his reasoning for fighting Grendel was not for the people, but for grasping the treasures rewarded. After defeating Grendel, as promised, the “Halfdane’s son presented Beowulf with a gold standard as a victory gift, an embroidered banner; also breast-mail and