Benjamin Franklin once said, “Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than Kings and Governments.” The same can be said about the pride of the major characters in the epic story “The Saga of the Volsungs” (translated by Jesse L. Byock). Every prominent figure from Sigi, to the last sons of Gudrun, suffers from his/her own pride. Pride causes a rippling effect that leads to jealousy, betrayal, and revenge throughout the epic. A hero’s own excessive pride leads to his own jealousy if challenged or leads to the jealousy of others who do not have as much wealth and power. Pride causes some characters to betray oaths, husbands, wives, and even other family members. When pride finishes driving jealousy and betrayal, pride then fuels the lust for revenge. As a part of their very culture, the people of Norse stories must seek out vengeance and/or wergild for broken oaths and killed family members as a matter of what? Pride. Envy, betrayal, and vengeance may be the driving factors behind the great epic: “The Saga of the Volsungs,” but where those three themes begin? What about the Norse culture makes these three sins so common and easily brought about? Pride. Pride is the catalyst for the three major themes of the story and the catalyst that leads to the end of the Volsungs. The collection of status and renown increases the power that one wields at the rank of Champion or even King. For instance, King Helgi strikes down a powerful king named Hodbrodd, receives “glory and fame” for doing so, then usurps the power over the kingdom (pg. 50). The victorious king increases his status by taking the land and people of that kingdom. King Helgi also receives fame for defeating a worthy adversary, increasing the number of warriors... ... middle of paper ... ... hold, revenge becomes the last viable option in maintaining status to a culture centered on how proud it is. The Volsungs are the most proud people in the saga; earning themselves a status above all others, solidifying them as the envy of all men and the most wanted by all women. By being the center of attention, and indeed the world at the time, the Volsung lineage becomes a victim of its own pride as nearly every in-law and opposing king tries to steal what the supposed family of Odin has built for themselves. The epic may lead one to feel that pride is a bad thing, but there is no shame in being proud of one’s great deeds and status. As Henry David Thoreau once said: “Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." Pride can be a good thing as long as it is taken in moderation.
In The Saga of the Volsungs, a paradoxical notion of the value of life emerges from almost every action that the characters perform. One’s corporeal death is almost of no concern in the sometimes harsh and cruel society of the saga. The importance of honor over almost anything else can explain many of the seemingly contradictory and nonsensical actions of characters in the saga. This obsession with honor constitutes the basis for an honor society—a culture where pain, death, and other earthly concerns fall short in significance to one’s good name and honor. Many of the actions inspired by this fixation with honor seem foolish, but considered within the context of how the culture in the saga views reputations and honor make perfect sense.
Pride frequently has terrible results. For example, as a result of Brothers pride, he left Doodle in the storm. Brother did this because he is angry that Doodle failed, and that his dream of having an “ordinary brother” is over. Doodle realizes that he failed his brother, and feels useless. In addition, after being left in the downpour, Doodle dies. At the point when Brother discovers Doodle dead, he thinks it’s his fault that Doodle dies because he pushed him too hard. After this happens, their family feels like they should’ve been more protective and love Doodle more. In conclusion, while pride can have devastating effects, it can also result in fulfillment.
The choices we make define the destiny of our lives. Since the beginning of time, man has always been an imperfect being full of flaws. Man is faced with different situations that can end up bringing disgrace to himself and his family if the situations are not well handled. In the texts Book II of the Aeneid by Virgil, Antigone by Sophocles, Oedipus the king by Sophocles, and Book XXII from the Iliad by Homer; Creon, the Trojan people, Hector, Achilles, and Oedipus embody what can lead to a man’s downfall through their own choices. Through these texts we are able to learn from the mistakes people made in the past and lead good moral lives. The texts illustrate how pride, lack of empathy, and ignorance lead to the destruction of man.
In the anglo saxon society in which Beowulf took place, there was a warrior code which resulted in everyone trying to gain power over one another. Everyone lived by a heroic code that encouraged battles, feuds, and murders and rewarded the victor with treasure. By showing your insecurities or weaknesses in this age you will be taken advantage of. Beowulf understands the heroic code and uses his pride to get the upper hand on everyone else, Beowulf boasts himself as an invincible hero and goes in battle with out an ounce of fear. Beowulf’s justifies his excessive pride through his . Lastly, Beowulf’s pride made him a leader and led by example to defeat the dragon and ultimately sacrifice himself in the process. Beowulf’s desire for pride
The Epic poem of Beowulf is a story of heroism, loyalty, ego, and fate. To be a great leader of men; a great king of the people, you must be respected and trusted. Loyalty is given to those who earn the respect and trust of their people. Beowulf was blessed with great physical strength, the pride and fearlessness of a warrior, and an equally strong command of the spoken word, which he used skillfully to his advantage. He gained the respect and trust of nearly everyone he came in contact with, largely because he possessed the characteristics of a true hero, but in the end it was his ego that sealed his fate. Although it could be said that Beowulf’s character was flawed by an enormous ego, fueled by thoughts of immortality, it is this very trait that made him an ideal hero and king.
Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war is inevitable and its inhabitants live with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked within every facet of society. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor instills deep convictions of justified violence. In many ways, Beowulf’s attitude parallels the warrior instinct exhibited by the crusaders as they attempted to recapture the Holy Land. Hence, the world of medieval Europe painted suffering for a just cause as an honorable
Many people take much pride in numerous things some being: their job, family, political views, even as much as in their favorite sport. People make mistakes big and small, but it is how one deals with the situation and the mistake, that shows the morality in a person, and shows who he or she may be. “The only crime is pride,” Sophocles, is still held to be true; for instance, pride itself can cloud a persons’ mind and caused him or her to commit the crimes he or she did. Pride is thought to be a good thing but in many cases it is proven otherwise. Even though there is some truth in “the only crime is pride” the crimes/mistakes caused by pride are not forgivable, and “yielding” does not help at all; pride is not just to prove oneself right, but also not to look “weak” in the eyes of others.
Being prideful can be very easy. It's natural to think that you are superior, and that you can do everything. However, this is not always correct, and sometimes pride can lead to negative effects. These instances are shown vividly through the short stories, “To Build a Fire,” and “The Scarlet Ibis.” In the end of these stories, the main character’s pride caused regret, or even death. In”To Build a Fire,” by Jack London and “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst, the authors both conveyed the common theme that pride can have negative consequences.
"So,” begins poem. “The Spear-Danes in days gone by/ and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness./ We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns” (1-3). What follows is a brief history lesson, the story of “Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes,/ a ...
Often readers will criticize the champions of classical and medieval epics for egotism. Critics cite examples from the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Beowulf of conceit and egocentric behavior. Odysseus, Aeneas, and Beowulf display a well-known arrogance befitting their accomplishments. The motivation for this arrogance, to complete these tasks, to perform these feats, is often over-generalized to the point of inaccuracy and confusion. One must not let such misinterpretations interrupt the humanization of these characters. Through the examination of the desires and behavior of these epic heroes, we can discover an underlying need for recognition or honor. In classical and medieval western epics, the hero’s desire to complete a given quest is fueled by their desire to gain or maintain honor or fame.
Throughout the epic poem of Beowulf, the main character is faced with numerous evils, in which he chooses to fight all by himself. At times, one would think pride is a great thing to have, but sometimes it is good to ask for help. The hero Archetype, Beowulf, comes from the great land of Geatland and travels to Daneland to defeat the manslaughterer that is roaming the country. Although Beowulf arrives at Daneland with his boat loaded with Geat warriors, he does not plan on needing/using them. In fact, while Beowulf was battling Grendel, “All of Beowulf’s/ Band had jumped from their beds, ancestral/ Swords raised and ready, determined/ To protect their prince if they could. Their courage/ Was great but all wasted…”
(E) Beowulf learned that a good warrior and king should not think of himself above others, and he must use his gifts for the reason they had been given. (F) Before Beowulf left the Danes, Hrothgar warned him against the both the dangers of pride and of the dangers greed. (G) Hrothgar described to him a man who had everything he could ask for but when greed took the man’s
Njal’s Saga is a long and epic tale of jealousy, treachery, and manipulation. The previous book that we read, The Nibelungenlied, also featured these similar plot elements. Njal’s Saga contains several characters that have close similarities to those in The Nibelungenlied. In The Nibelungenlied, there is a mighty fighter named Siegfried. As a proven warrior, Siegfried possesses great strength and an ego that is equally as great. Halfway through the story, Siegfried is betrayed by an ally and left to die. In Njal’s Saga, there is also a powerful fighter named Gunnar. Gunnar uses his physical prowess to kill enemies that ambush him. Not only do these two characters have similar personalities, but they also suffer a similar fate and die midway through their respective stories. These two share many of the same qualities with each other as well as with modern day heroes in the media. However, when comparing Gunnar’s and Siegfried’s traits and relationships, it is evident that they are both not heroes; they are simply flawed, arrogant characters that are ultimately responsible for their own deaths.
For her perfections. But my revenge will come (Act IV, VII, 25). This act of murder reflects upon the society through the vengeful advance of Fortinbras and his army upon Denmark in pursuit of reclaiming his fathers land. This dual understanding gives the play an additional element of excitement and intensifies the overall meaning and depth of the play through the relation to political elements of the surrounding society.
Parsimony causes contempt so great that it can lead loss of power, or even in extreme cases, death. Hrothgar describes Heremod as...