ipl-logo

Beowulf Hero Quotes

721 Words3 Pages

Beowulf The Anglo-Saxon Hero A typical hero is someone who is known to be very powerful and have unusual traits that no human being can withstand. They use their powers as an advantage to fight any crime and to protect humans from the bad. However, a hero can be characterized in two different ways; an epic hero or an Anglo-Saxon hero. A character name Beowulf can be characterized as an Anglo-Saxon hero more so than an epic hero because of his actions. Some criteria of the Anglo-Saxon hero is bravery and generosity. Beowulf shows bravery throughout the book Beowulf. Bravery is a very difficult thing to have because it can be very dangerous, or you could be risking your own life for the good of the people. However, the hero himself did …show more content…

This quotation shows bravery because Beowulf knew the dragon was much more powerful than him, but he took it upon himself to fight the dragon alone and risk his life to protect the people. Beowulf defeated the dragon but also lost his life while fighting for his people. He states, “So God/Gives guidance to those who can find it from no one/Else” (Beowulf 12-14). This quote is saying, how Beowulf will do what others will not do, he’s showing his bravery towards Hrothgar. The other criteria the Anglo-Saxon hero shows is generous. Beowulf defines the trait generosity. This shows you're not being selfish and you care for other people more so than yourself. A good example in the story Beowulf is, “ The people suffered ,everyone/Lived in terror, but when Beowulf had learned/Of their trouble his …show more content…

Beowulf showed the characteristic of loyalty. To be loyal you have to be reliable and you have to be very trustful. Beowulf shows loyalty when he says,“ I sought out Hrothgar, first,came to him in his hall;/When Healfdane's famous son heard/That I’d come to challenge Grendel,he gave me/A seat of honor alongside his son”(Beowulf 322-24). This shows loyalty to Hrothgar because he came to him to tell him he will fight Grendel and kill him, and he wanted to do it alone because he did not want anyone getting hurt. He did it for the safety of his people, and he stayed true to his word and killed Grendel. Beowulf also shows loyalty by the statement, “Beowulf ruled in Geatland/ Took the throne he’d refused,once/And held it long and well” (Beowulf 451-53). This resembled loyalty toward Beowulf because it shows how he stayed true to his word and can be trusted. The last characteristic Beowulf showed as an Anglo-Saxon hero was friendship. Beowulf resembled an enormous amount of friendship throughout the novel Beowulf. An example of friendship that the hero himself showed was, “He gave Herdred/ All his support, offering an open/Heart where Higlac's young son could see/Wisdom he still lacked himself ”(Beowulf 619-21). This is showing friendship by showing him support and helping Hendred like a friend would do. That is how Beowulf has the Anglo-Saxon hero characteristic. Beowulf is not a regular everyday

Show More
Related

  • Beowulf Hero Quotes

    1067 Words  | 5 Pages

    This shows bravery because he is fighting a creature who has sharp claws that have snatched up and killed 30 men with ease. One final trait that Beowulf shows would be strength. Beowulf demonstrates strength when in the epic poem it says '' That shepherd of evil,

    Read More

  • Beowulf Courage Quotes

    628 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf is a strong heroic hero who shows honor,selfless,courage. Beowulf is a strong heroic hero in a way because heroes are protectors and he protected his people of his town. So he is a hero in fact a strong one and a loyal one. There is lots of ways he shows loyalty one i can show is “I had a fixed purpose when i came to sea as i sat in the boat with my band of men I meant to perform to the uttermost what your people wanted or perish in attempt in the fields clutches i shall fulfill my purpose prove myself of proud deeds or meat my death her in the mead-hall”(pages 632-639).I chose this quote because it shows that beowulf would give his head for his people. I think that beowulf wanted to die for his king after all that is the reason

    Read More

  • Beowulf Modern Day Hero Essay

    502 Words  | 3 Pages

    For instance, in the Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, the hero defeats evil creatures and saves his people. In his battles, Beowulf displays the heroic characteristics such as bravery, confidence, and selflessness. To begin, throughout the poem, Beowulf demonstrates bravery in a variety of

    Read More

  • Arrogance In Beowulf

    427 Words  | 2 Pages

    In today’s society, anybody can be considered a hero. A hero is a selfless person who is admired for their courageous achievements. A mother, celebrity, or even a mailman can be a hero to someone. In Beowulf, the epic poem translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is recognized as a hero who craves too much glory. In today’s world, Beowulf is viewed as an irrelevant hero since he displays poor qualities of arrogance and selfishness.

    Read More

  • Comparing Beowulf And Lesslie Hall

    415 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is the obvious Medieval archetype, or paradigm, of a hero, and Lesslie Hall’s translation of Beowulf reflects that throughout the texts in the words and actions of Beowulf. Beowulf references his own “undaunted courage” (line 572) when describing his swimming race with Breca, and then later describes the warriors of Geatland (his home) as “heroes unnumbered.” In fact, Hall refers to Beowulf and his group of Geats as “heroes” nearly every time she mentions them throughout the story. His actions reflect his heroicism too, confronting the monster Grendel who no one else dares fight, conquering the throne of the Thanes, and eventually dying in battle, arguably the most heroic possible action for a warrior. Beowulf is possibly the epitome of a hero, in that he has totally shed his fear of death in favor of victory and eternal

    Read More

  • How Does Beowulf Show Self Sacrifice

    447 Words  | 2 Pages

    Not only have we seen brute strength, honorable courage, and admirable loyalty shine through beowulf, Beowulf also possess a great trait not many others have; his will to fight to the death, or self sacrifice. Not once throughout the story did Beowulf ever turn down a battle. Not once did he fear or flee his enemy. Not once did he ever give up even if death had him by the throat causing his mind to flood nothing but fearful thoughts and feelings throughout his body. Every battle Beowulf fought, he fought as if it was his last and that is what truly makes him the great warrior he is.

    Read More

  • Beowulf: Characteristics Of A Traditional Hero

    730 Words  | 3 Pages

    With those three qualities you can very much fit Beowulf into a hero mold. Of course every hero has to have other qualities, as Beowulf does, like Loyalty, Courage, Smarts, and Patience’s all that can clearly be seen in some way or manor in the epic story Beowulf. So, while Beowulf is different from other, more sought after, traditional heroes such as say Superman or Captain America, he is still a hero in the eyes of others and has many of the characteristic that would be seen in a traditional

    Read More

  • Archetypes In Beowulf's Heroic Hero

    604 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf instead praises up for God and regrets about missing Grendel’s death (Beowulf 471-484). Beowulf’s loyalty makes him humble and being a real hero of Dane. This Beowulf’s trait also fits adequately to Anglo-Saxon’s hero archetype as

    Read More

  • Beowulf: A Stereotypical Anglo-Saxon Hero

    328 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is an epic poem written many centuries ago about a legendary Anglo-Saxon figure named Beowulf. The epic tells of his struggles and battles as well as his life story. Beowulf is an example of a stereotypical Anglo-Saxon hero; this is shown through the qualities of his character, such as his physical strength and his moral fiber. Beowulf demonstrates the qualities that are deemed as important by the Anglo-Saxon people, such as compassion, strength, honor, glory, and courage. These qualities in Beowulf can be used as lessons that can be transferred to modern life; these lessons, such as the importance of integrity, loyalty, and courage, are still applicable to everyday life in the modern world.

    Read More

  • Heroic Code In Beowulf

    881 Words  | 4 Pages

    For example, Beowulf displays loyalty by offering his services to Hrothgar because he feels in debt to him since Hrothgar once helped Beowulf’s father in the past (page 49, line 375-6). Another honorable trait that Beowulf possesses is generosity. When Beowulf returns to his home,

    Read More

  • Who Is The Monster In Beowulf

    901 Words  | 4 Pages

    Beowulf's bravery was shown when he volunteered to help the Danes in their fight with Grendel, and not only did he stop there, but when he had defeated Grendel he stuck around for a little longer to slay Grendel's mother who had made herself known after the death of her

    Read More

  • The Anglo-Saxon Hero In The Epic Of Beowulf

    1488 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Anglo-Saxon Hero Everyone is influenced by the world around them; the way one acts reflects that world. Every culture has their own hero and the way a hero reacts to certain situations reflects their upbringing and their values as a human being. In the epic of Beowulf, the main character Beowulf himself does not only portray characteristics of a traditional epic hero but he also displays the values and virtues of the Anglo-Saxon culture which include bravery, loyalty, selflessness, and honor. Bravery is a virtue not easily achieved, but throughout the course of this epic, Beowulf exhibits great bravery in everything he sets out to do.

    Read More

  • Anglo Saxon Culture In Beowulf

    699 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although Beowulf has all of these qualities he completes such traitorous, dangerous feats for all of the wrong reasons. From these tasks, Beowulf expects everlasting glory, fame, and above all immortality. Elements such as friendship, loyalty, generosity and bravery were quintessential in Anglo-Saxon society. The most important being loyalty, without it the whole system would crumble. As the whole Anglo-Saxon “government” ran on the loyalty to each other, if there was no more loyalty between each other there would be no culture.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Epic Poem Beowulf By Burton Raffel

    821 Words  | 4 Pages

    Boasting and self-possession were another common custom of the Anglo-Saxons. (“Anglo-Saxon Warfare Group”). Beowulf represents a quintessential Anglo-Saxon hero through his confident poise, his willingness for self-sacrifice, and his tenacity through near-impossible odds. Beowulf possessed the trait of self-assurance, almost to the point of hubris. Beowulf quickly rose through the ranks and was entrusted by King Hrothgar simply by asserting himself as the leader and savior of the Danes.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Anglo Saxon Society

    712 Words  | 3 Pages

    An Anglo-Saxon hero is perfectly portrayed by Beowulf who contains values of Anglo-Saxons like bravery, loyalty, honor and the willingness to risk his life for the greater good of his people. The latter is primarily why he gains the trust of his people which is why he claims the title of King and therefore gets hold of power. While Beowulf is the symbol and representation of heroes in Anglo Saxons, we have multiple personalities who we consider as heroes. People who work, people who dream, people who act. Today, what we people believe in is that if you have money, you have everything.

    Read More

More about Beowulf Hero Quotes

Open Document