Here, Wiglaf proves himself the better man because he has honor while the others, who willingly abandoned their King in battle, clearly do not. Lastly, Beowulf and Wiglaf both show outstanding loyalty throughout the piece. All of Beowulf’s actions are clearly motivated by loyalty, starting with his decision to help the Danes.
Beowulf also displays great courage, for example, when he fought the dragon, he knew it was his last battle, but there was no hint of fear on his face and he fought like a warrior until the bitter end. These traits make someone a hero in today’s society. A hero that is willing to fight for what they believe in and lead people into the correct path. A hero that is willing to give their all and not give up when there is an immense obstacle up ahead. These two heroes might share different stories, but they share the same courage to fight and the honor to give their all.
He becomes often associated with the image of a perfect, almighty warrior, able to prove his fame in any situation. However, the foil characters can do more than purely illuminate his positive values. With the contrast they provide, Beowulf’s faults are revealed and criticized as well. Although foil characters often point out the greatness of Beowulf, they also serve to highlight Beowulf’s flaws, teach him lessons, and allow him to change, as seen in his interactions with Unferth, Hrothgar, and the dragon.
An Anglo-Saxon hero, a brave, courageous warrior, fearless enough to fight and risk one’s own life for others, represented by the character Beowulf in the epic poem Beowulf. Described as, “Follower and the strongest of the Geats--greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world…”(110-111). The Geats treat Beowulf with great respect and admiration due to his promise to protect them from the danger that oppresses
Though one real and one fiction, Beowulf and Alexander Hamilton both can be viewed as ‘heroes’ through their abilities to embody the values of their time, such as generosity, dedication, and bravery. Anglo-Saxon values varied widely, but Beowulf very clearly demonstrated generosity throughout the epic. He willingly goes to the Land of the Danes to fight the monster that plagued them, a very brave and generous action. When facing the potential for death before fighting Grendel’s mother, Beowulf asked that, “If the combat kills me, take care/of my young company; my comrade
Beowulf is characterized as an epic hero because of his glorious legacy. This epic hero was in constant danger from evil but always defeated it. He also had a moral code that separated him from mere mortals. The epic hero portrayed many traits that made him great. Although he died in battle, Beowulf’s leadership, bravery, and sense of morality made him an epic hero among men.
Being remembered, in death, is a very immense part of the Anglo-Saxon code, and with that, Beowulf seemed to believe that defeating Grendel’s mother would grant him more fame than he had previously received. As explicated in the epic, “So fame comes to the men who mean to win it and care about nothing else!” (Lines 507-509) Beowulf cared about his name, and with that, he knew it was in him to fight for that name and to make it heard through his life and generations afterward. After understanding what it means to be truly glorified, and what it means to be remembered, years after one’s death with fame, one can recognize the reasoning behind Beowulf’s actions.
On Beowulf, if you fought a monster naked and head-on, and even won, you are brave. Nowadays, being brave can be seen in any manner not just by fighting others. Honor is of great importance and every man should dream of glory and victory. They are also expected to be loyal to their leader or to someone of importance to them. In Beowulf, for example, the dragon, being loyal, kept the treasure and gave his life for it even though the real owners already died.
Beowulf was a hero, not only because he was brave, but also he protected Danes, brought peace to them, because he was a good king, even when he was almost eighty years old, he was still brave to fight with the fire dragon, what a pity was that he died, with the fire dragon. He was a true hero who devoted his life to protect his people; he was the hero who held his sword and his shield to fight with the whole
It is this part in the poem that somewhat revealed the importance of his boastfulness in this poem. Other heroic tales have helped us form a set of characteristics that tend to describes heroes, one of those characteristics being humble. Humbleness is not only a heroic trait but that of a good person—which is why Beowulf’s bragging tends to throw the audience off. Beowulf builds himself up with his words. By this I mean he boasts about his previous ventures and his success to come because this helps the Danes and King Hrothgar gain confidence in him concerning the defeat of Grendel.
Beowulf, the epic tale of a Danish society plagued by evil beasts, reveals many thought-provoking and admirable character traits of the main character and hero, Beowulf. Firstly, he shows chivalry through his interactions and actions towards the king of Heorot, showing him the respect and honor he deserved. Secondly, he demonstrates bravery in all battles above and beyond the standard of the times and the standard of his fellow fighters. He owes his bravery in part to his seemingly immeasurable strength, having more power in each fist than that of thirty men. Lastly, he demonstrates a trait that applies to people for his time and ours, pride.
As said by Tomy Beta, “you are the fairytale told by your ancestors.” This quote is directly referring to the importance of ancestry and how it plays a part in a person's life, and the way they are perceived by others. In Beowulf, this idea of ancestry proves to be one of the biggest ways Beowulf finds his identity, and achieves his goals. Ancestry, in this sense, is not only a part of your life, but a part of your past and future generations. Additionally, the way a person is perceived can be tied to their motivation in pursuing heroic acts.
I think Beowulf, is a better fit for mordern times becausehe does not put his pride in the way of what is important. Beowulf may be self- centered and very boastful, but he often thinks of others in their time of need. His character proves strength; to me this categorizes him as a great warrior. Beowulf shows fairness, strength, selflessness, and kindness, all which I believe is very important to the development of the current society. Beowulf’s character has a very strong influence on the Anglo-Saxon period, which is why I think Beowulf is a good fit for the twenty-first century.
The audience will agree that Beowulf is a warrior of generosity, courage, and hospitality which practically defines the Anglo-Saxon heroic code. However, the audience will realize that he is a man of God if they reflect upon his reason which ensures those values. It is understood that Beowulf is as selfless as they come during a time of fear and despair. Beowulf contains an undisclosed characteristic known as fear and employs the courage required to defeat the demons that people have become apprehended to. Of course, others would argue that Beowulf is simply a new follower of Christ and that his morals fall along the lines of Paganism.
Anglo-Saxon Superhero Traits What comes to mind when you hear or see the word “superhero”? Some may see a strong character such as superman, but others may see people such as Martin Luther King Jr. while overcoming hardships. But different times can change the way we perceive what a hero should be like. For example, the Anglo-Saxons believed that a superhero, first had to look the part of a strong, stunning man.