Hrothgar's Selflessness In Beowulf

Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney and Sir Gawain from “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” translated by Brian Stone and Burton Raffel demonstrate heroic qualities like courage, honor, and selflessness, but Christy Mahon form Playboy of the Western World; and the Riders to the Sea written by J.M. Synge explains what a hero should not do by his actions.

Similar to honor, courage was also very important. Beowulf being a very courageous man, is motivated by the desire to prove his valor, through accomplishing brave feats. By accomplishing these feats of bravery, Beowulf would boast about them in detail at Hrothgar’s hall. Even Beowulf’s mission to kill Grendel was motivated by a desire to prove himself and improve his reputation. When boasting about his about his feats, Beowulf would often give credit to god for his bravery and

. . . Darlington was a gentleman of great moral stature” (Ishiguro 125-126). This demonstrates Stevens’s defensiveness against the notion that Darlington’s life could have ever been shameful, since he immediately dismisses this idea instead of proving it wrong.

King Lear possesses certain Machiavellian characteristics. Machiavelli believes that it is “safer to be feared than loved.” (Machiavelli, XVII, Paragraph 5). Lear employs this philosophy and tries to make his subjects fear incurring his wrath. Lear banishes Cordelia for not professing her love for him. “Here I disclaim al my paternal care,

Since Gatsby fails to adhere to these qualities of a self-reliant man, he is a romantic dreamer that is not self-reliant. In his essay, Emerson describes the quality of materialism and suggests that a self-reliant man must not be materialistic, and this is a fault of Gatsby that is expressed in the novel. Emerson believes that materialism leads people to belittle their own value due to the misguided importance of extravagance, and writes, “Let a man then know his worth, and keep things under his feet,” (p. 6). He condemns materialism and explains that the true value of a person is found in his morals and not the amount of expensive items he possesses. This flaw of excessive materialism that prevents self-reliance is displayed by Gatsby as he constantly boasts about his wealth.

Within my paper, I will explain why I perceive the theme of Beowulf is people, regardless of their status, have the ability to be a hero; they must decide. Wiglaf chooses to be a hero while the others did not. I begin my argument by first defining what it means to be a hero today as well as in Anglo-Saxon literature. From there, I show the importance of Beowulf being mortal and having human qualities, like families. I then go on to describe Beowulf’s heroic actions, such as his grand speeches and his epic, justly fights.

Bilbo seized the ring but did not destroy it. Instead, he became tempted by it and kept it for himself. Some may claim that Bilbo’s greed for the ring made him not a hero but this point is invalid because all heroes make mistakes. One mistake does not make someone evil or not a hero. In conclusion, Bilbo was a hero; Bilbo exemplified honor, Bilbo exhibited bravery, and Bilbo embodied

"But Beowulf refused to rule when his Lord's own son was alive." "He gave Herdred all his support, offering an open heart where Higlac's young son could see wisdom he still lacked himself: warmth and goodwill were what Beowulf brought his new king." This shows Beowulf's loyalty to Higlac his late King, and to his family. Beowulf would not be dishonorable by taking what wasn't rightfully his; he would rather stand by Higlac's son and teach him all he knows. Beowulf is the hero to his King's son and country, by staying loyal and having honor.

Brutus has the more persuasive trait as he is loyal to his country, not one man. He has killed his best friend for the better of his country, and that’s a better trait than being loyal to one

In The Comedy, Dante the Pilgrim develops a relationship with his damned idol, Virgil, in order to journey through both Inferno and Purgatory. Even though Virgil was a good man while living, he lacked understanding of certain virtues, like pride, which prevented him from being able to reach higher levels in the afterlife. Dante the Poet’s choice to damn Virgil conveys that obeying a higher order is the way to one’s salvation. The developing relationship between Virgil and Dante the Pilgrim throughout the first two canticles brings light to the opposing separation between the two characters because of the devotion Dante has to Christian virtues in comparison to Virgil’s pagan misunderstanding of virtue. While Dante the Pilgrim experiences many