ipl-logo

Beowulf's Legacy

959 Words4 Pages

In the great epic, Beowulf, an unknown poet describes Beowulf as an invincible hero with the amazing strength stronger than any human ever, but does having the traits of an incredible warrior, make him a great king? A great king is loyal, generous, reliable and should be able to realize what he needs to do to make sure his people are safe. Beowulf is brave, strong, and extremely confident in his combat abilities, but Beowulf does not think about the possible effects of his actions. Beowulf cares about his fame, fortune, and legacy, but he often makes rushed decisions that risk his life and could potentially leave his people powerless and unprotected. During Beowulf’s transformation from thane to king, he has always had more of a warrior’s mindset, …show more content…

Beowulf says, "No Weapons, therefore,/ for either this night: unarmed he shall face me/ if face me he dares"(55. 683-685). This passage shows that Beowulf is fighting Grendel for the pride of killing the greatest monster, instead of fighting Grendel to save the Danes. If Beowulf's top priority is to save the people, he would have known that his best chance would be to wear armour and use weapons, but because he wants the pride and fame he goes into battle without armour or weapons. Beowulf was the best chance for the Danes to be safe again, and if Beowulf went in with no armour and no weapons, and died, then Grendel could continue killing men, women, and children every day until he finally dies. This is an example of a rushed decision, and if Beowulf was king he could have left his people helpless against …show more content…

He risks his life against the dragon to save his people and get back the treasure. Although he dies before leaving an heir, he is known as the greatest king on earth: “They said that of all the kings upon earth/ he was the man most gracious and fair-minded,/ kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”(106. 3180-3182). Beowulf was an incredible king because he was strong, generous, brave, and kind to his people. He made the decision to fight the dragon, even though he was very old and knew he had little chance of winning. He frees his people and is able to return the treasure to the kingdom. The warrior mindset he has makes him brave, and reliable for his people. He is able to keep them from danger, and to protect them. Having a warrior mindset affected the way he ruled, but for the better, he never second guessed going into battle to save his people, and he died a

Show More
Related

  • Beowulf Hero Quotes

    550 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf is a very strong man. In order to fight and defeat Grendel he must show how strong he is. Beowulf states, “The truth is this: when the going was heavy in those high waves, I was the strongest swimmer of all." (532-534) This quote shows how Beowulf believes that he should always show his strength even when he does not have a heroic act to be accomplished; therefore, even if there is not a demon or dragon to fight, he wants to show his strength in different ways.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Foreshadowing In Beowulf

    761 Words  | 4 Pages

    By doing this, he does protect his warriors from potential harm, but is putting his own life, the defender of all the people in the kingdom, in danger. It seems that Beowulf is letting his great warrior skills get in the way of him making sound decisions and being a great king. This ultimately leads to the great warrior’s downfall and his questionable leading skills are seen after he perishes when his great thanes he scoured the land to find all retreat except

    Read More

  • Comparing Beowulf And Modern Times

    455 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is a good ruler for his people. He will fight for them even when they aren’t with him. I believe he’s a good fit for modern times because we need a good ruler like him now-a-days. Someone who is not selfish and not afraid to do something that’s terrifying. Beowulf states, “That I, alone and with the help of my men, May purge all evil from this hall” (“from Beowulf” ln.

    Read More

  • Superheroes In Beowulf

    735 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the story, Beowulf, Beowulf’s first motivation, when fighting the monster Grendel, is his duty. Beowulf has been told by his people that he should fight this great monster. Beowulf possesses the strength and skill to defeat Grendel, therefore he should. This is crucial

    Read More

  • Beowulf: Hero Or Hero?

    121 Words  | 1 Pages

    When Beowulf approaches Hrothgar and offers to kill Grendel, he is already a very very skillful warrior who has (accomplished or gained with effort) many feats, and he is a hero to the people. Later in life, Beowulf changes from a young warrior to a wise king who later dies in order to save the people of his kingdom from an (imaginary, huge, fire-breathing animal). The extreme danger of the job is illustrated through the fact that Hrothgar 's own men 's tries to kill Grendel have been useless/pointless.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Leadership In Beowulf

    815 Words  | 4 Pages

    The story Beowulf contains many different rulers that people follow. Among the various characteristics these men share, a few great qualities shine through, these being generosity, loyalty, and bravery. The leader Beowulf portrays these qualities multiple times throughout the story, which define him as a model of leadership for all times. One of the reasons is that Beowulf always acts decisively and courageously to combat evil, and he is also noble in his actions. He knows how to create peace as well as to wage war.

    Read More

  • How Does Beowulf Show Self Sacrifice

    447 Words  | 2 Pages

    Not only did he put himself at risk against grendel later plans to during his final battle against the dragon, he tells his people, “When he comes to me, I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins.” He is very determined on winning this last treacherous battle and killing the dragon even if it will cost him his own life. He even goes into the battle knowing death is a probable factor. His tone and the context of his speech shows it when he his talking to his people, it 's almost as if he saying goodbye. When it comes to our modern day heroes, fighting to the death is in their arsenal as well.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Epic Poem Beowulf By Burton Raffel

    821 Words  | 4 Pages

    Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”

    Read More

  • Epic Of Gilgamesh And Beowulf Comparison Essay

    1088 Words  | 5 Pages

    His courage and strength exceed all human men. Beowulf came willingly to help the Danes which was highly unusual in a time of war (Fisher). He set a moral example for human beings spreading the need of friendship. Beowulf was most definitely the ideal Anglo-Saxon warrior as an epic hero of epic proportions (GÓMEZ-CALDERÓN). Gilgamesh was destined to greatness from birth.

    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 Is A Hero Essay

    626 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero, however in today 's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior. That’s because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Thor And Beowulf

    497 Words  | 2 Pages

    Being fit to become king comes with being a great warrior, but you must also act as a hero. In Asgard, Thor is known as someone powerful and brave, always ready for a fight and always ready to defend his people. He is supposed to become the new king of Asgard, the only problem with that is that he is arrogant and acts poorly because of his anger. He thinks he knows best but to him, violence is usually the answer. In most of the lands, Beowulf is known as a courageous warrior who can conquer any enemy, he is suited to be a king just like Thor.

    Read More

  • Why Is Beowulf A Hero

    948 Words  | 4 Pages

    This proves that he is strong and brave because no one else could kill Grendel let alone face him. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands and without armor on. Other warriors could not even kill him with a sword and armor. “Beowulf’s intention to fight Grendel with only his strength proves that he carries the characteristics of a true hero”(Hailey).

    Read More

  • Good Vs. Evil In Beowulf Is An Epic Hero

    570 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be

    Read More

  • Is Beowulf An Epic Hero Or A Fool Essay

    486 Words  | 2 Pages

    He sacrificed himself when killing the dragon that had frightened almost everyone but Beowulf. Some may have seen him as a proud fool but he should be proud considering he was risking his life for others in dangerous situations. Ergo, he was a hero and was still looked up to even after his

    Read More

More about Beowulf's Legacy

Open Document