Literary Analysis Essay On Beowulf

413 Words1 Page

An epic Anglo-Saxon hero is someone like Beowulf who struggles with eternal human problems but overcomes it by his actions. The hero, Beowulf shows many qualities such as loyalty, unselfishness, and a sense of justice. He shows loyalty by fighting the evil Grendel and becoming king. He shows unselfishness and a sense of justice by sailing his ship to fight the monster and willing to risk his life for it. Beowulf is a hero because of all the things he is willing to do to accomplish his goal. Wouldn’t you consider Beowulf an Anglo-Saxon hero after all he has done? To be a true Anglo-Saxon warrior, they must be loyal to their king. They would do anything and everything for their king. In the epic poem Beowulf, he shows a lot of loyalty to his king Higlac. “My …show more content…

During the Anglo-Saxon period, the warriors showed great valor. They were not afraid of anything. “Warrior who bravely does battle with the creature haunting our people, who survives that horror unhurt, and goes home bearing out love”(line 210-212). Showing bravery in a battle is what the Anglo-Saxons were known for. They fight together and never leave each others side. Beowulf fights for what he believes in just like they do.
An epic Anglo-Saxon hero must also have a sense of justice. They are willing to do whatever it takes no matter the cost. “In his fists till they cracked, clutched Grendel closer. The infamous killer fought for his freedom, wanting no flesh but retreat”(line 336-338). Beowulf shows a great sense of justice in this quote because he is fighting Grendel back knowing he is going to die. He risked his life to save others from the evil monster.
After all, Beowulf is a true epic Anglo-Saxon hero. Being loyal, unselfishness, and having a sense of justice will make you a hero. Even though the great Beowulf died in a long fight with the evil Grendel, he died a great hero. No one will forget what he has done for his

Show More
Related

  • Beowulf Is Not a Modern Day Hero

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is a character that possesses all the qualities of an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is strong, fearless, brave, courageous, and arrogant. But are these qualities enough to consider him a hero by the standards of today?

    Read More

  • Was Beowulf A Good King

    413 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the Anglo-Saxon society, warriors were in wars daily, as they looked for prominence, success, and fortune. Kings of various kinship groups were not just secretly planners; they also fought in wars. Beowulf shows great qualities of a good and successful king throughout his life. Such as rare physical strength, having courage while fighting, and loyalty.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Hero Quotes

    507 Words  | 2 Pages

    In my opinion Beowulf is can be considered a hero. Beowulf can be considered a hero because of the characteristics he displays that resemble heroes. He displays all of the characteristics that heroes have. Throughout the story Beowulf stays true to himself and is morals showing that he is a hero. Beowulf is a hero due to his courage, loyalty, and justice.

    Read More

  • Beowulf As A Hero

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Beowulf, a Classic Example of an Anglo-Saxon Hero

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    The clear definition of a hero is often open to interpretation and has never been clearly defined. In the translation of the epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, it is often debated whether the main character Beowulf is actually a hero or not. Beowulf displays hero-like characteristics through his bravery, loyalty, brute strength, confidence and protective nature. He is a crystal clear example of an Anglo-Saxon hero in his time period. In the present day he should be considered a hero as well. He displays heroism through his fights with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon while managing to protect his people and eventually sacrifice himself.

    Read More

  • Epic of Beowulf Essay - Beowulf as Anglo-Saxon Hero

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    A hero is a person of distinguished courage who has outstanding qualities and abilities, who is admired for these having these aspects of their character and also admired for brave and noble acts. An Anglo-Saxon hero is a person who has good leadership qualities, is able and willing to provide people with a sense of security, and is willing to go into danger despite possible harm to themselves. These Anglo-Saxon heroes usually were kings or thanes because they distinguished themselves above others by doing a good for the greater of everyone. This person has to be willing to put their own lives on the line for the benefit of others.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Beowulf's Physical Journey

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    For the thanes, warriors fight all their lives out of loyalty to their kings, and Beowulf, who was a well respected and highly acclaimed warrior, was getting to become that king that men would so shamelessly fight for all because of how bravely and hard he fought for king Hygelac. “So Edgetho's son proved himself,/ Did as a famous soldier must do/ If glory is what he seeks: not killing his comrades/ In drunken rages, his heart not savage,/ But guarding God's gracious gift, his strength,/ Using it only in war, and then using it/ Bravely”.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Beowulf

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Beowulf A Hero Essay

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Heroism Essay

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf displayed great courage and honor throughout his journeys and battles; he was an epic hero. An epic hero is a person who is viewed as larger than life and possesses values of a certain society. From the time of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel to his brawl against the dragon, he has showed everyone what being an honorable hero looks like. His heroism is revealed through both youth as a young warrior and wisdom as a reliable king. He never backed down and didn’t give up when situations were tough. Beowulf had obligations to fulfill and went about every aspect of his life with courage and strength. He cared for his people and was willing to take on anyone that threatened them or his kingdom. He sincerely was the hero of his time.

    Read More

  • Why Is Beowulf A Hero

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    To start off, Beowulf, identified as the greatest Anglo- Saxon, pursues glory and fame. He brags about himself and his accomplishments. When it was time to battle Grendal, Beowulf states “my youth have been filled with glory”. (143-144). He boasts about what the people have witnessed. Beowulf says to his men, “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of the race from the earth” (151-155). In addition to Beowulf bragging about himself and his accomplishments, Beowulf embodies that fame and glory mean more than anything else. When Beowulf helmet failed him, he jumped back in battle because

    Read More

  • Love Of Glory In Beowulf

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    Another way that an Anglo-Saxon warrior shows their love of glory is shown br Christopher Garcia: “A hero must be willing to die to achieve glory” (The Anglo-Saxon Hero). With this being said the warriors are to put everything on the line to achieve the ultimate amount of glory. Which is to die for one’s country or kingdom. These are just a few out of many ways Beowulf shows the Anglo-Saxon love of glory.

    Read More

  • Selflessness In Beowulf

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    First off, Beowulf shows the characteristic qualities of an Anglo-saxon hero by being selfless. Beowulf would always help everyone and he helped the townspeople by getting rid of Grendel. Beowulf risked his life just to save the people of the town, and he did just that. He took Grendel's life, and ripped his arm off. Another way Beowulf is selfless is that the last thing Beowulf tells Hrothgar is to take care of his men if he dies in battle. His first thought was towards his men and what would happen if he died. Another example of Beowulf's selflessness is when "Beowulf gave a battle-sword to the

    Read More

  • Is Beowulf An Epic Hero

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    An epic hero according to Anglo-Saxon literature is a hero who is larger-than-life; someone with self-confidence, great strength, and the qualities of loyalty, bravery, and honor. Beowulf can be considered an epic hero for multiple reasons throughout “Beowulf.” Beowulf is a character constructed on all of the Anglo-Saxon epic hero qualifications. For starters, Beowulf is seen as a noble character, that is willing to provide security for the people by risking his own life. As a character, Beowulf conducts superhuman strength, and can complete impossible tasks. These are only some among many other reasons and characteristics Beowulf can be classified as an epic hero.

    Read More

  • The Epic Of Beowulf Argumentative Essay

    722 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf was a great hero in his time. He always was one to go the extra distance to prove his greatness. It was shown many times throughout Beowulf the Epic Poetry, either when it was Hrothgar King of the Danes spoke highly of him, when he fought the evil and wicked Grendel along with his mother, or his final battle against a dragon who dared to attack his kingdom. No matter where you look, throughout the poem Beowulf is constantly trying to prove his courage.

    Read More

More about Literary Analysis Essay On Beowulf

Open Document