Beowulf: The Archetypal Hero

The definition of heroism is great bravery. Bravery is what Beowulf displays when he makes the decision to battle the monsters. Beowulf's courage is exposed multiple times during the battles for example, "The dragon burns Beowulf's hall with fiery breath, and the old king sets out to fight him unaided" (Hanning 9). This detail displays that although the dragon is evil and might, Beowulf shows no fear whatsoever when battling them. Beowulf ignores the possibility of there being an adverse outcome during every battle he continues to fight.

Beowulf is injured in the fight, and he dies along side his defeated

“A hero is someone who given his life to something bigger than oneself.” (Campbell) Beowulf is the Anglo Saxons. Beowulf most courageous warrior ever. He goes on quest and journeys and chose his path of being a hero and to kill monsters who ever tries to hurt Beowulf people.

He gives Beowulf a Sword and it allows him to use everything he has left in defeating the dragon. “The king/ gathered his strength and drew a stabbing knife/he carried on his belt, sharpened for battle” (Heaney 2701-2703). Even though the dragon dies so does Beowulf. This keeps the good vs evil at a balance until the next evil takes over.

After Beowulf wins the battle he passes on the treasure realizing his death is near. His legacy lives on after he asks for a tower so people can tell his story and remember

This is something that no one can escape from, it’s how the circle of life works. We all know what happens to a hero when they fight a very dangerous and powerful opponent, they die and sometimes their opponent dies with them. Course, many can’t defeat these more dangerous monsters alone, sometimes they have to have help and in the end conquer. On the poem Beowulf, Beowulf goes after the dragon, but ends up needing help, but even with the help of a mighty brave soldier, Beowulf dies and leaves kingship to the brave soldier. The Dragon, represents death because he was able to severely injure Beowulf, which leads to his death in the end after Beowulf and a brave soldier were able to kill the Dragon.

Essay The significance of the heroic code of comitatus in Beowulf is that any warrior that is willing to put their life on the line for their king is heroic and honored. Comitatus means that a warrior is willing to put their own life on the line for their king, and if their king dies the warriors must go and avenge their king. No matter the cost they must go back and do what they can to avenge their king and if they don’t, they can no longer serve as warriors for the next king. The cowardly warriors that left the dragon fight were more than likely shunned and banished from their kingdom.

Beowulf demonstrated this trait as well all throughout his tale. After killing Grendel, before Beowulf was king, Beowulf’s work was done. He had finished what he set out to do. The land he saved wasn’t even his home land, so he didn’t really have any obligation to stay. When Grendel’s mom showed up to avenge her son, Beowulf could have traveled home and left the people of the land to deal with the beast.

In Seamus Heaney's translation of the epic poem Beowulf, descriptions of deaths are often followed by the concept of avenging the murder. Rather than pick a fight for no reason, the characters do so in the name of their fallen family member. Because of this, vengeance conveys the Viking culture’s value of loyalty to their kinsmen. When Beowulf recalls stories of the past, he focuses on the story of King Hrethel and the accidental killing of Herebeald, his eldest son, by Haethcyn, his other son. Following the tragedy, the king “begins to keen and weep for his boy” (2446-2247).

This idea can be seen in the poem when a man steals the jewels and gold from the dragon. " A man stumbled on The entrance, went in, discovered the ancient Treasure, the pagan jewels and gold... stole a gem-studded cup and fled" (2213-2218). Any person who gets any of their possession stolen, will get angry and try to get it back. The dragon, who loves his treasure, does the same. When Beowulf fights the dragon, he gets severely wounded, and is on his death bed.

Beowulf, an epic poem written by two unknown authors, portrays violence and the struggles of being someone in power. Beowulf is a warrior king who was raised with the Anglo-Saxons ideals. He faces many barriers and hardships throughout his life, fighting monsters both mentally and physically. Beowulf demonstrates leadership and heroic deeds through courage, pride and greed. Heroism is portrayed in the text through courage and syntax, which affects the way the reader perceives the story.

In Beowulf, the themes of liberation and sacrifice can be seen in Beowulf’s heroic narrative. Believed to be sent by God to rescue the people of Heorot, Beowulf not only serves as their warrior, but their protector from every evil that threatens their land. Beowulf sacrifices his own life to save the people, accepting his own death at the hands of the dragon. The themes of sacrifice and liberation are major themes in Beowulf, as seen through Beowulf’s willingness to defeat Grendel at Heorot and willingness to die fighting the dragon. Beowulf is first introduced as a liberator when he defeats Grendel and restores Danish power at Heorot.

Many believe Beowulf to be a fearless and heroic character, though in reality, many of his traits and motives prove just the opposite. From defending the King’s citizens to slaying countless evil creatures, Beowulf may appear to be an extraordinary man of unimaginable feats. Upon further investigation, however, it may become obvious that Beowulf’s heroism proved itself unable to stand the test of time. Beowulf was written to be the perfect protagonist, but displays various flaws throughout the narrative that contradicts his heroic intentions. The character of Beowulf is portrayed to be a fearless warrior- one who has slain an infinity of monsters and demons.

Beowulf The Epic Hero In the epic poem, Beowulf, by the Beowulf Poet, it talks about the battles, and the challenges that Beowulf the protagonist has with the supernatural antagonists Grendel, and Grendel’s mom. After reading this poem and discovering what it took to become an epic hero, Beowulf strongly represents most of the characteristics of a hero. Some people may say that Beowulf was just a guy with some good luck, and he was not an epic hero at all, but this statement is proven to be false. In the poem it talks about the Anglo- Saxon way of life and what an epic hero was to them.

Beowulf comes from a well respected family. His dad, the King of the Geats, allows Beowulf to step up as a hero and prove himself. He led his hero’s journey by conquering many, as well as keeping his reputation of coming out on top when it came to fighting battles. He shows many hero-like characteristics throughout the book such as bravery, courage, honor, and leadership which students and teachers alike still consider honorable in today’s day and age. Being a hero requires one to conquer many obstacles.