Beowulf's Loyalty Research Paper

Years and years ago, many qualities could be found in warriors that are still prevalent today both in the present and past world. In “Mulan”, Fa Mulan from China is a very courageous woman. Defending her people and ,ultimately, saving her people despite the fact that she is a woman and could be killed if her secret were ever found out. Chris Mintz, a former 30 year old Army infantryman, threw himself into harms way, taking seven bullets, and surviving the encounter. Beowulf, from Scandinavia, held a great deal of pride without too much arrogance. He withheld his strength, unless necessary, and with time, grew the loyalty, courage, and faith warriors have today.

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.

As part of human nature, we’re accustomed to following a set of rules to have an orderly and peaceful lifestyle. Usually, if those rules are disobeyed, destruction and disorder are bound to come our way. This act is prevalent in two stories, Beowulf and The Lord of the Flies, that were written centuries apart, but yet the concept of how ignoring rules can lead to the downfall of societies is common in both.

Beowulf is willing to risk his life by battling battles to protect the people. There are three main battles. The first battled Beowulf had to fight was against Grendel. The second battle, Beowulf had to fight was against Grendel's mother. The third battle, Beowulf fight was against a dragon. Tangible riches are things that are able to be touched or felt. Gold is an example of tangible riches. Intangible glory is something that is unable to be touched, but it is unable to be felt. Love is an example of intangible glory.

Finally, both men beowulf and wiglaf, demonstrate Anglo- Saxon value of loyalty. All decisions made by both men are done due to their loyalty to their king and the Danes. Beowulfs loyalty to the danes stems from his fathers war, that hrothgar ended. Hrothgar explains, “Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance.” (33) Beowulf and his men went to fight grendel not to make himself a bigger hero but to honor his father and pay off his debt to Hrothgar. This is a demonstration of loyalty because beowulf chose to go into battle not because he wanted to but because he wanted to show his loyalty to his father by paying off his debt. Wiglaf later, shows his loyalty to beowulf his king by following him in to battle when other men stood back stating

Being loyal was a crucial trait of a hero in the medieval era, especially to those higher in power than them, such as their king or lord. In Beowulf, Beowulf and his crew are loyal to their King and Queen by fighting for them. The King praises the heros by saying “It is most fitting you do Queen Wealtheon. To the best of friends, who come in our greatest need”(6). The King tells the Queen that she should praise them as they have come when they needed them most. The King praised them because they had come to help, as they are loyal to their rulers, and for no other reason, and when one is praied by someone of high power they are held in high esteem by the people. In the play Becket, Thomas Becket Was loyal to the church, when he was

UThe Anglo-Saxons were a tribe of people who lived in Great Britain during the 5th century. They were warriors who had traveled all the way from northern Germany and southern Scandinavia. The Anglo-Saxon people are very well known today despite not having been around for the several, several centuries. Their people led to the spread of Christianity through eastern Europe and the establishment of seven major kingdoms. They are also well known for the code of Honor, as the Anglo-Saxons had many values that their soldiers must live by. In Beowulf, an English epic poem that tells of the tell of the incredible warrior Beowulf, Anglo-Saxons values of the time period are displayed. Loyalty, bravery, and honesty are three of the most important values

Since it began in oral convention, the epic Beowulf has no known creator. It does,

A hero's journey is a pattern of narrative identities that appears in many dramas, storytellings, myths, and psychological development. The journey consist of twelve different steps and in the story Beowulf we read about the magnificent and rough journey that Beowulf and this men accomplish. Many people question if Beowulf is considered a hero and if what he did was good. The journey that he embarked on, leads me to believe that Beowulf is a hero and always will be.

Both epic and romantic heroes had devoted followers that helped them throughout battles. Beowulf was very strong, but when the people of Denmark thought he needed help. They were ready to step in and lend a sword. “All of Beowulf’s Band had jumped from

The film and epic poem Beowulf may seem alike because of their similar plots and characters, but when looked at deeper, it is clear that their cultural differences set them apart. Traditionally, epic poems are lengthy stories that praise the deeds of heroic warriors whilst reflecting the brutal reality of life. They expressed cultural pride and teachings, while telling everyone that we are hopeless in the hands of fate; that all human ambition ends in death. In our modern world today, movies are made to entertain, but more importantly to sell and make a profit. This means that they portray what we like, value, and can relate with. It is obvious that we like different things now than we did before. Loyalty, revenge, sexuality, and violence all accurately represent their respective time periods for different reasons in the text and movie Beowulf.

"Hear me! We've heard of Danish heroes, ancient kings and the glory they cut for themselves, swinging mighty swords." These verses were words sung over and over, by singing poets all over ancient Europe. They were sung in the presence of kings and warriors. They are the beginning lines of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, an ancient tale of monsters, dragons, kings, warriors, battles, life, death, and the virtues of a hero. The narrative follows the adventures of a young, brave warrior, as he conquers every challenge with his bare hands; seeking nothing but fame and glory until the very day he dies. Through this work of literature, the lost world of the Anglo-Saxons can be uncovered, and their past culture and concepts of heroism can be revealed.

The translator of Beowulf used the battles between Beowulf and the monster to inform the reader that loyalty and allegiance is the most valued aspect in the Anglo Saxon culture. As the story unfolded we learn that Beowulf is such a heroic human but without the group of fourteen of the mightiest Geats Beowulf would not be a mighty as he is shown to be. The Geats, mighty warriors, which supported Beowulf throughout the story showed their first sign of loyalty when they went to confront Grendel. The following quote is stated before the battle with Grendel, “Beowulf arose, with his men around him, ordering few to remain with their weapons”. The Geats are well aware what Grendel has done and what he is capable of but yet their loyalty lays with

In the poem Beowulf, we see the Anglo-Saxon hero. It is an epic of a hero who embodies the honor of the Anglo-Saxon culture and tradition. The poem in itself is an elegant script of Anglo-Saxon times. Composed in 8th or 9th century the epic was passed down from generation to generation orally and has no known author. In the Anglo-Saxon culture a hero was a warrior. Beowulf depicts the adventures of a remarkably brave, larger-than-life hero who demonstrates almost superhuman abilities in battling monstrous opponents. Through Beowulf’s strength, bravery, and, loyalty he exemplifies the archetype of a perfect hero.

Anglo-Saxons, the clans that ran Old England and led Britain, used bards and Scops to tell their stories. These bards and Scops, honored members of society, passed their oral traditions down the generations. A well-known epic poem told by the Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf, about an epic hero, who leads the Geats in many well-known victories, demonstrates various beliefs that the Anglo-Saxons had. Throughout time, the epic became continuously passed down was changed and evolved into the version that exists today. Which was written into text by Christian Monks, who added here and there parts of their own religion to the epic, leading to the well-known epic today. Moreover, through Beowulf, the reader has the ability to take some of their values and apply them to their life, and the overall human condition. These values and traits include, Honor, Bravery, and Loyalty, which considering their time they have become some of the most valuable traits in a person, and even a valiant warrior.