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Depicted is a scenario relatable to Beowulf’s actions. Kevlar is a military man who defends his people through battle and experiences events uncommon in an ordinary man or woman’s everyday life. One specific experience includes continuously fighting in dangerous battles to prevent people from more harm. Saving lives and defending his people while risking his own life is a large element of heroism. Kevlar is Joseph Campbell’s definition of a hero in Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth by finding, achieving, or doing something greater than himself, in this case, the possible loss of his life to ensure his people 's safety. It is not easy to act on something such as Kevlar’s job, which leads to why he is perceived as a hero. But frequently …show more content…
Without mental strength and stability, one cannot lead or rule efficiently and may cause more harm than good. Beowulf is not just a hero in the terms of Joseph Campbell, but is also the definition of an Anglo-Saxon hero. Christopher Garcia, author of The Anglo-Saxon Hero, declares that to be an Anglo-Saxon hero, one must be a warrior which Beowulf is. Although he is the interpretation of an Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf does not bask in his own glory. He controls his mentality which demonstrates how he is mentally strong. As Garcia says, “warriors had to be willing to face any odds, and fight to the death for the glory and people.” Throughout Beowulf, Beowulf fulfills his job as a hero by using his mental strength to display a proper attitude without being overconfident in his abilities. An example of his properness occurs in a formal boast when he claims, “I mean to perform to the uttermost / what your people wanted or perish in the attempt” (634-635). Presented in this quote, Beowulf shows the obvious power of his mentality and willingness to put his life at risk to save others. Beowulf is a definite hero by definitions and exhibits the proper mental strength to relieve the fear the Danes have from Grendel’s multitude of fatal …show more content…
Beowulf displays his leadership skills in an abundance of particular ways. It takes mental strength and determination to develop leadership skills that Beowulf has. Throughout the text, Beowulf leads his people through various victory’s. To do this, he has to have the ability to lead his people with determination and strength. Dr. J. Michael Stitt has said, “the poem ultimately shows the importance of a leader that is adorned by his people.” This has abundant accuracy when talking about Beowulf. He went out of his way by his travels from Geatland to Denmark to resolve a conflict with Grendel’s common attacks. Beowulf did not anticipate his fight with Grendel’s mother, but when the time comes he is prepared to battle and defeats her. The battles are not limited to Grendel and his mother, but also include a fight with a mighty dragon. The older warrior, Beowulf, is now weaker than he once before but does not give up. His awesome leadership drives him to fight the dragon despite it being much harder than it once was. All three battles are reasons Beowulf is idolized and an inspirational, major character in the poem. An astonishing leadership skill Beowulf displays is his realization of reality and understanding the possible good or bad outcomes and that is exactly what a
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
Of the many characteristics of a hero, being better than the ordinary man is the trait most easily found when studying a character. Beowulf exhibits almost god-like strength throughout his quest. For example, “He twisted in pain, / And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder/ Snapped, muscle and bone split and broke.” (Beowulf 815-818). His strength is once again demonstrated in his fight with Grendel’s mother. After he realizes hand-to-hand combat is futile, Beowulf swings a sword “so massive that no ordinary man could lift/ It’s carved and decorated length.” (Beowulf 1560-1561). Yet another example of Beowulf’s strength is his presentation of Grendel’s head to the Danes. After slicing off Grendel’s head in one blow, Beowulf orders his men to carry the head back to Herot. However, the head of the monster was “too heavy for fewer than four of them to handle” (Beowulf 1636-1637). After arriving in Herot, Beowulf “carried that terrible trophy by the hair,/ Brought it straight to where the Danes sat” (Beowulf 1647-1648). The second trait that demonstrates that Beowulf is better than the ordinary man is his incredible honor. When preparing for his fight with Grendel, Beowulf decides not to use ...
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.
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...
Heroism is found very easily in Beowulf, there are many different forms of heroism portrayed from different characters. The heroism shown in Beowulf goes beyond just physical courage as they go on into war, or defeating the dragon. The Thanes; the warriors who have been rewarded by King Hrothgar, had to show loyalty and trust to the King to prove that they were able to fight for him and the city. As stated at the beginning of the piece “Indeed, we have heard of the glory of the Spear-Danes, kings of the nation in days gone by-how those princes performed deeds of courage,” (489) without this act of heroism King Hrothgar and his villa...
Beowulf is a good example of a courageous and strong hero. He shows all of
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.
The first characteristic of a great leader that Beowulf portrays is confidence in the right things. When Beowulf was a young warrior he was boastful in his unmatched strength, but he was also boastful in something more important: his faith in God.
At the beginning of the novel, Beowulf represents a savage warrior, displaying mostly his strength and bravery by defeating Grendel and his mother. However, as Beowulf ages, he begins to change into a different kind of hero. After becoming King of the Geats, Beowulf matured and took on more of a leadership role in the community, as opposed to a warrior. Even though Beowulf was still a hero, he began to lead an army of geats and acted for the good of the people. In both cases however, Beowulf was respected by others for his admirable
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.
In conclusion, Beowulf’s honor, strength, and bravery all prove on many occasions that he is most definitely worthy of the title of “Epic Hero”. He exhibits all characteristics of a hero, even if they aren’t apparent at first. Proven throughout his story, he truly
As great heroes strive to maintain their reputations, Beowulf‘s pride was a side effect of his success and not just boasting. Beowulf would have appeared very cocky if he had lost the hand-to-hand battle with Grendel, but he did not. Beowulf knows his ability and let
The main character and hero in the story Beowulf, Beowulf shows many heroic traits that German culture valued at that time. He is physically built and strong, making him more than capable to defend the Danes against the monster Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. “In his far off-home Beowulf, Higlac’s followers and the strongest of the Geats-greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world…” (42). One of his strongest character traits is his leadership. “Beowulf arose, with his men around him, ordering a few to remain with their weapons, leading the others quickly…” (43.) The audience and society admired this personal trait of his. Beowulf was willing to...
In the epic poem, Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is considered one of the eldest examples of what society believes are the qualities that a hero should possess. This leader shows selflessness and physical strength as he defeats Grendel in the story. Beowulf exemplifies courage in all his battles along with the intelligence that is needed in order to defeat his nemeses. In Anglo-Saxon literature, being honorable was the most ideal trait that a person must have in order to be depicted as a hero. Because a hero is considered to be a role model to others, they must do what is needed to be done in order to strengthen everybody around them to the best of their ability. Like Beowulf, a ruler should be prepared to lead, be selfless and must have mental and physical strength.
Beowulf was born to lead and not follow. Beowulf’s character from youth to old seeks out battles with all his devotion to win as a great leader would do. “I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open” (Beowulf 2011-15). Beowulf claimed his right as a king to his people and battled against the dragon to protect his people.