Heroism as the Main Theme of Beowulf
The main theme of Beowulf is heroism. This involves far more than
physical courage. It also means that the warrior must fulfil his
obligations to the group of which he is a key member. There is a
clear-cut network of social duties depicted in the poem. The king has
an obligation to behave with generosity. He must reward his thanes
with valuable gifts for their defense of the tribe and their success
in battle. This is why King Hrothgar is known as the "ring-giver." He
behaves according to expectations of the duties of a lord when he
lavishly rewards Beowulf and the other Geat warriors for ridding the
Danes of Grendel's menace.
But the thanes have their obligations too. (A thane is a warrior who
has been rewarded by his king with a gift of land.) They must show
undivided loyalty to their lord. Only in this way can the society
survive, because the world depicted in Beowulf is a ruthless and
dangerous one. The warriors must be prepared for battle at all times.
Only in the mead-hall is there any respite from the dangers of the
world outside. As Seamus Heaney writes in his introduction to the
poem: "Here [in the mead-hall] is heat and light, rank and ceremony,
human solidarity and culture" (p. xv). This is why the coming of
Grendel is so traumatic for the Danes. They are being attacked in
their own sanctuary.
Beowulf is the greatest of the heroes depicted in the poem not only
because he has the greatest prowess in battle. He also perfectly
fulfills his social obligations. He has the virtues of a civilized
man, as well as the strength of the warrior. He looks after his people
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...im a true hero. Strength, courage, loyalty, and
fame. If these truly are the defining factors in each great hero, how
then are the heroes different from the villains. Doesn't Grendels
mother have all of the same qualities. She was strong courageous,
loyal to her son, and though she dies, famous through her battle with
Beowulf. In the end the
Anglo-Saxon hero is not merely defined by his traits, but by his
appearance through the eyes of his God (or at least how the people
perceive God's vision). The lord sees Beowulf as good, therefor he is
a hero. The grendel family, as well as the dragon are seen as
abominations by lord, so they are evil. Hero's are therefor nothing
more than good looking villains who posses social graces. And yet they
still inspire us to be good. And so Beowuld remains a hero - and an
immortal.
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.
direction is like trying to hit a cloud with a bow and arrow. A hero is also
There are many traits that are possessed by those who seek heroism. Whether it is in real life or in fiction, every hero desires these character traits in the past, present, and future. IN my opinion, the two traits that are most prominent in the poem Beowulf are bravery and goodness.
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
Throughout time, society has come in contact with individuals who are praised due to their bravery, loyalty, strength and a tendency to go beyond the limit. One may call this individual a hero, and if asked to give some examples of heroism, one may pick the classical literary hero Beowulf. According to Roger B. Rolling, Beowulf is classified as a Type I hero who, “if superior in degree to other men but not to his natural environment, … is a leader. He has authority, passions, and powers of expression far greater than ours but is subject both to social criticism and to the order of nature” (434). Beowulf’s heroism is exemplified first when he kills Grendel, then when he kills Grendel’s mother, and finally when he kills the Dragon. Also, Beowulf
In Beowulf the poem, Beowulf is considered to be an epic hero, he is different than just a regular hero. At the time, except for the King, warriors were the most honored and respected. Throughout this poem the author expresses that Beowulf is a true epic hero. What makes an epic hero? An epic hero must undertake a quest to achieve something tremendous value to his nation, must be super-human, and protects his people and their ideals. Beowulf is one of the greatest warriors of all time to protect his nation and people, he is a perfect candidate of an epic hero.
Beowulf is an epic hero being the central character presenting himself as larger than life, showing high skills, courage, and virtue. Skill, courage, and virtue are shown as values by the Anglo-Saxons. An epic hero is the central character of an epic, a long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a legendary hero in pursuit of a goal of national importance. All epics consist of an epic hero, a quest, valorous deeds, divine intervention, and great events. An epic hero is larger than life, typically born noble or semi-divine, and presents courage, skill and virtue against opposing, often evil, forces. In the case of Beowulf, he presents courage through his three main fights, he presents skill through how he fights, and he presents virtue through loyalty, generosity, and heroism. Beowulf was also
Bravery is like a very trusted friend, it will never let you down. That statement holds true in the great epic of "Beowulf." "Beowulf" is the story of a great hero who comes to the aid of a troubled king. Beowulf hears that king Hrothgar is having trouble and immediately comes to help with no questions asked. he defeats the monster, Grendel, with his bare hands. Beowulf then defeats Grendel's mother along with a dragon until he is fatally injured. Bravery is a very admirable characteristic that few people possess.
Karma is the destiny you earn through your actions and behaviors; when you act greedy and loathsome to others, you end up worse than the ones you looked down on. In Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, and Grendel, written by John Gardner, Unferth is an underrepresented character who is marginalized by others, especially Beowulf, and portrayed as unheroic due to him killing his own brothers. However, deep inside he is the most heroic character of all. In Beowulf, society defines heroism as all about fame and glory, something Unferth does not have, thus making him unheroic; in Grendel, Unferth finds his own definition of heroism as dynamic and realizes that he can be the hero of his own life, not anybody else’s.
Beowulf is a good example of a courageous and strong hero. He shows all of
Courage is a theme that is shown throughout the entire epic of Beowulf. By definition courage is the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes on ones own will and determination. There are many things form the epic that could be used to prove this statement, but I chose to use the section entitled "The Final Battle." In this section there are two great speeches given by both Beowulf and Wiglaf. I believe that in both of these monologues courage is portrayed by the two warriors, and it is easy to see why.
Although the main character in Beowulf is Beowulf himself, I believe that the single section which most concisely illustrates the heroic values in this poem occurs on pages 61 through 64 of the text, and is illustrated not by Beowulf's actions, but by Wiglaf's. Although Wiglaf is by nationality Swedish, he identifies himself as Beowulf's kinsman when he says "I did begin to help my kinsman." (Chickering 64)
In Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is shown as a hero with extrodinary strength. This is not what makes him a hero. By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. However this term does not do Beowulf justice. His self-imposed purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in doing so. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon serves as a critique of the notion that Beowulf is a hero. The Dragon section displays many of Beowulf’s heoric characteristics. Beowulf establishes himself as a hero by fighting the dragon, exemplifing strength and courage when fighting the dragon, and sacrificing himself so that others can live.
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.
Good and Evil- The entire poem of Beowulf deals with the battle of good verses evil, good being Beowulf, his followers, Hrothgar, and Hrothgar's people, and evil being Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. In this poem the power of good overcomes all the evils, but not without the lose of life. These lives include that of Beowulf, Aeschere, and many of Hrothgar's people. The clashing of good and evil forces was the main method of creating interest and suspense in the poem.