ipl-logo

Essay On Beowulf's Fatal Flaw

528 Words3 Pages

From the beginning of time humanity has looked for a hero. In an epic a hero is someone who is a great warrior but also has a fatal flaw. An example of an epic hero is Beowulf. Today a hero would be someone who could save a nation not with brute strength but with intelligence.
The tale of Beowulf takes place in Sweden and Denmark. Beowulf was a warrior and a young prince. King Hrothgar send him out on a mission to defeat Grendel, a monster who is terrorizing King Hrothgar’s warriors. Beowulf followed Grendel onto a swamp where he would fight against him and end up killing him by ripping his arm off. After the death of Grendel, Grendel’s mother arrives to avenge her son. Beowulf fights against her and ends up defeating and killing her as well. Beowulf was seen as a hero for his bravery and ability to defeat monsters. However Beowulf’s fatal flaw was that he was greedy. Beowulf placed too much value on material goods as was seen after battles when he would have to collect something as a “trophy”. As described by the Encyclopedia of English Literature, the fatal flaw must lead …show more content…

In the story, Beowulf refers to religion and how God has helped him win wars, "The fight would have ended straightaway if God had not guarded me.” Nowadays, we have the same values but they are not strong as in the past. Courage for example, sometimes we are afraid to act or defend a friend because we are afraid of the consequences. We are afraid of become a victim or being judged for our actions.Wiglaf shows courage when he refuses to withdraw from war saying, “A warrior will sooner / die than live a life of shame” (2890-2891). Beowulf also talks about destiny, “fate goes ever as fate must”(455). In my opinion, we are the masters of our destiny. It is up to us to to be or get what we deserve. We believe we can change the world. We march, protest, and raise our voice if we do not agree with the status

Show More
Related

  • Star Wars Episode Iv A New Hope Odysseus Comparison

    651 Words  | 3 Pages

    An epic hero is someone who is brave, noble and will fight for a certain goal. An epic hero must be able to risk his life for others and is humble. In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope by George Lucas, there is a kid named Luke Skywalker who helps Princess Leia destroy the deathstar. In the story of Homerś The Odyssey, it is about a man named Odysseus, who is punished a long journey home.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Is Evil Essay

    290 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is an anglo saxon story about an epic hero it's a story with a kingdom being terrorized by a scary monster and the story about the monster spreads to other kingdoms and then this hero heard about it and lend his hand to help them out and bring back the peace to that kingdom. Beowulf in this story is good and grendel the monster is evil and his mom is too they terrorize the hall in which they host their celebrations and at night the monster would come and slay and murder each and every person that was in that hall that night. Grendel is pure evil because he has no conscience , no quench for his thirst of blood and killing he simply does not care about the actions he commits. For that he is the epitome of all evil he does not care for

    Read More

  • Beowulf: The Characteristics Of An Epic Hero

    592 Words  | 3 Pages

    An epic hero is an individual who must evoke a sense of heroism through legendary and inspiring deeds (Merriam-Webster). These heroes of tragedy have the ability to determine their own fortune due to the amount of admired characteristics they possess. However, the ideals of an epic hero are constantly fluctuating due to the ever changing ideals of society. Although the characteristics of an epic hero are under constant modification, Beowulf is still an effective modern-day hero due to his acts of courage, compassion, and dedication in relation to his people. Courage can be defined as any individual possessing moral or mental strength in the face of physical pain or indescribable hardship (Personalitytutor).

    Read More

  • Comparing The Hero's Journey In The Lion King And Beowulf

    1044 Words  | 5 Pages

    The hero in the epic poem Beowulf is the main character, Beowulf. He demonstrates heroic qualities as soon as the readers are introduced to his character. Beowulf proves himself to be courageous and brave by voluntarily fighting the “undefeatable” monster, Grendel. He is greatly admired by both the Danes and Geats for his courageous acts. Although his motivation is altered to only benefit himself with the title of the greatest warrior, his plan to save the Danes is greatly appreciated by all in the land.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Hero Quotes

    721 Words  | 3 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.

    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

  • Comparing Grendel's Mother And The Dragon In Beowulf

    603 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, faces three “monsters” at different times in his life. The poem begins with Grendel, a monster who attacks only in the dark of night, tormenting the kingdom of Hrothgar. The last two sections of the epic detail the conquering by Beowulf of Grendel’s mother and the dragon. The battle between the monsters and Beowulf represent the theme of good versus evil in the poem, as well as the fusion of pagan and Christian ideals in the changing Germanic society. Grendel’s mother’s actions directly juxtapose the role of a woman in this time period, and the greediness of the dragon with his treasure contrasts with the virtues of what would be considered a good king.

    Read More

  • Courage Quotes In Beowulf

    621 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf embodies many universal societal heroic values that are signified in the modern world like courage, bravery, and strength. In the poem, Beowulf displays courage. “Now, I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat” (Heaney 425-426). This quote shows courage because he’s telling them that he can fight Grendel and wants to weather he wins or loses.

    Read More

  • Edward Bloom As An Epic Hero Essay

    590 Words  | 3 Pages

    An epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. Edward Bloom is a fantastic example of this in Big Fish, a Daniel Wallace novel. The book begins where Edward is dying. Through larger than life stories about his heroic journeys, he teaches his son about life.

    Read More

  • Why Is Beowulf A Hero

    948 Words  | 4 Pages

    With the battle to protect the city against the dragon, even though Beowulf was king he fought the dragon. He fought the dragon because no one else could. No one was as selfless as he was to risk his life to protect the city. Without Beowulf these monsters would over power good and there would be no balance between good and evil.

    Read More

  • Why Is Beowulf An Epic Hero

    703 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is seen multiple times throughout the poem beginning with his quest to kill Grendel. Beowulf personally sought out permission from Hrothgar to help the Danish people. Beowulf was able to help the suffering community; furthermore, he had a chance to receive great recognition for his actions. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf was given the opportunity to receive more glory and once again help Heorot by taking the life of Grendel’s mother. This was an extremely dangerous challenge because he knew her capabilities.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Odysseus

    1234 Words  | 5 Pages

    What qualifies a person to be called a hero? Officially a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Most people think of a superhero, like Batman or Spiderman, or someone closer to them such as their mother or their life-saving doctor. Heroes tend to be the main character in a story. Beowulf and Odysseus are two famous epic heroes in the texts Beowulf and The Odyssey.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Beowulf And Hercules

    294 Words  | 2 Pages

    An epic hero is one of great strengths and supernatural abilities. Beowulf is unable to be harmed by certain weapons, and Hercules has great strength. They also both go on a quest. Beowulf seeks to kill the evil Grendel, Hercules set out on a quest to complete the 12 labors.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Flaws In Beowulf

    1220 Words  | 5 Pages

    Flaws by Contrast Comparisons and contrasts play a huge role in literary works, especially between characters. Not only do they show similarities and differences between various characters, but they also bring out specific qualities that make a character unique and help guide the readers towards a common conclusion. In the popular Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist and hero, Beowulf, is emphasized for his extraordinary greatness. Throughout his story, he, as an advocate of good, encounters many opposing forces in the form of other characters. In a society where heroism and bravery are honored as essential aspects of culture, the contrasting values of these characters, or foils, help define Beowulf as the model hero.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Essay On Beowulf

    1033 Words  | 5 Pages

    evil. Beowulf is the archetype warrior hero whose one purpose is to defend the innocent and vulnerable of his people. Whether it is the devil incarnated, the mother of the monster, or a fire-breathing dragon, he is capable of defending the Danes and Geats. Without his heroism and bravery, these people would’ve faced certain death under a weakened, but good, King Hrothgar. Beowulf uses the same selflessness as the military that defends our country, and is as great of a warrior as each and every one of the soldiers in the United States armed services.

    Read More

More about Essay On Beowulf's Fatal Flaw

Open Document