Hrothgar's Selflessness In Beowulf

The epic poem, Beowulf is about a hero who comes to the aid of King Hrothgar. Hrothgar’s Mead Hall was being destroyed by a demon that lurked the boundaries of the small town. Beowulf hears the news and comes to try to defeat the demon. He performs this admirable deed because he wanted to achieve immortality by being a hero. He fought the monsters with his bare hands. He had the true characteristics of a hero, strength, bravery, and courage. Nobody would dare do the things Beowulf attempted in his lifetime. I envisage during all his battles he possesses all the traits of an epic hero. So, Beowulf, travels from Geatland to save Herot from the demons that lurk about.

One of the most important works in Old English literature is Beowulf, it is a great example of an epic hero. Beowulf shows great feats of bravery throughout the story/epic. “In the beginning of the story Beowulf is called upon to rid the people of Herot of the monster Grendel, who had been on a killing rampage for the past twelve years, he lets it be known that he will do so with his bare hands. (http://study.com/academy/lesson/beowulf-bravery-quotes-examples-analysis.html)”. Another act of bravery by Beowulf is when he fights and kills the dragon. Beowulf’s final boast was, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight

In Anglo-Saxon culture to be a hero was to be a warrior and a noble leader for his people. Warriors had to be willing to face any odds put against him any willing to die. He was born of a noble birth by being born the prince of the Geats. Beowulf character traits by carrying out brave deeds, being a kind and generous leader, and his willingness to put his life on the line for the greater good of his people. Beowulf’s courageous acts include not making his men do anything he wouldn’t do himself. That shows when they go to visit King Hrothgar for a noble deed. His actions he chose did affect his people as well as his soldiers. They go to see Hrothgar in Herorot due to his special request that Beowulf was the best at defeating others. He leaves

Strength, honor, and resilience are all words that captures the essence of Beowulf. During the Anglo-Saxon era, Beowulf is a hero who strikes fear in his enemies and relief in his allies. Beowulf is widely-regarded as the most honorable and ruthless hero in all of the world; he defends villages of people from blood-hungry predators, defeats sea monsters, and defeats Grendel and Grendel’s mother in the epic poem Beowulf. However, Beowulf can be an egomaniac at times. For instance, before Beowulf’s epic fight and defeat of the monster Grendel, Beowulf strips nude and fights the monster nude to boast and show off. This can cause Beowulf to be a static character throughout the epic poem; he shows little change as his main goal throughout the whole

In every heroic tale, there lies a theme of balance in values. Every hero is said to possess a fatal flaw; whether they overcome this flaw or let it define who they are is up to them. In the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, it is not particularly hard for the reader to point out their perceived flaws of our hero: arrogance, pride, egotism. Yet, Beowulf stands tall in the poem as the perfect hero, adored and praised by all. Why is it that the modern day reader can so easily decide what makes a hero imperfect? Can a hero ever be perfect at all? Well, the difference is in the time period and the cultures. While it can be argued that Beowulf is perfect, or that Beowulf is flawed, the matter remains subjective depending

This quotation shows bravery because Beowulf knew the dragon was much more powerful than him, but he took it upon himself to fight the dragon alone and risk his life to protect the people. Beowulf defeated the dragon but also lost his life while fighting for his people. He states, “So God/Gives guidance to those who can find it from no one/Else” (Beowulf 12-14). This quote is saying, how Beowulf will do what others will not do, he’s showing his bravery towards Hrothgar. The other criteria the Anglo-Saxon hero shows is generous. Beowulf defines the trait generosity. This shows you're not being selfish and you care for other people more so than yourself. A good example in the story Beowulf is, “ The people suffered ,everyone/Lived in terror, but when Beowulf had learned/Of their trouble his

To be a hero you must be unselfish. At the end of this epic poem Beowulf shows how unselfish he is. “to the everlasting Lord of all, the king of Glory, I give thanks that I be had this treasure here in front of me, that I have been thus allowed to leave my people so well endowed on the day I die..” (411-415). In the quote, Beowulf is talking to his lord. He had beaten the last monster of his days. Beowulf wasn’t jumping up and down, he was just glad he got to do that one more time for himself, his servants, and most importantly he showed his lord that he was still courageous!

Beowulf is known as a great hero and on the surface he is. He seems to be brave and just but underneath that, Beowulf is extremely arrogant and egotistical. Beowulf does not just do things for they are the right thing to do, he does them seeing that great deeds will bring him honor and boost his reputation. He fights Grendel for bragging rights like the swimming contest Unferth brought up and he refuses to use a sword when fighting Grendel because it will just add to his bravery. Even if we take into the time period in which it was written, Beowulf is not the shining hero he

Beowulf makes known that “no man but [himself] could hope to defeat this monster, [and] no one could try.” Beowulf wants to have this fight all to himself, so he can take all of the glory. He is too selfish to conclude that only he could defeat the monster alone. Beowulf cannot be thought of as a hero because “Beowulf only longed for fame.” Beowulf does not perform heroic deeds just to save the citizens, but to receive more admiration from the citizens. Beowulf is only thinking about himself. Performing these acts alone just to get the fame forms the quality of selfishness in Beowulf. Beowulf is putting all of his strength to be credited as a hero, but he displays acts of selfishness which marks him as an insignificant

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.” (Heaney

Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable

Every past and modern culture over the course of history, has its hero’s. A hero is a person or figure that others look up to and use as forms of protection. Many cherish the hero’s, they make up who we are today. The Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf, and the postmodern hero/hero’s, the soldiers, both show the traits of bravery, selflessness, and loyalty.

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.

Beowulf is the clear protagonist of the novel and an example of a “perfect” warrior from the middle ages. He has all the ideal traits that make him so distinguished and respected. An example of his loyalty was going to meat Hrothgar to fight the Grendel. He was not forced to do this but his father had an obligation to the king so Beowulf carried that forward. An example of honor is when he chooses t fight Grendel with no armor. “unarmed he shall face me, if face me he dares.” (685-685). This proves to the reader and to Beowulf’s men that he is a truly honorable warrior. He has gone above and beyond to make the fight equitable and make sure that he is at no advantage. The last trait that Beowulf shows is bravery. “Now help depends again on you and you alone. The gap of danger where the demon waits is still unknown to you. Seek it if you dare.” ( 1376-1379) No other person would go to the home of Grendel’s mother but Beowulf is no ordinary warrior. If there is a challenge, Beowulf will meet it no matter how life threatening it could be. He was leaving makeshift will before he went to go fight the Grendel’s mother. This proves to us that he is not naïve. Beowulf knows that he could potentially die in the battle. This is what makes him so

In Beowulf, one poetic narrative tells the story of Beowulf in the Anglo-Saxon era (449 A.D- 1066 A.D). The departure in beowulf occurs when beowulf is acknowledged with the idea to murder Grendel. This action enforces the mentality of asking king Hrothgar to give him permission. Bestowed upon him, Beowulf is told by Hrothgar: "Never, since my hand could hold a shield have I entrusted or given control of the Danes ' hall to anyone but you (655-657).” Being told such a thing, gives Beowulf the authorization that he must go and enforce his personal fists in the soul of Grendel. The action that is bestowed upon beowulf enforces the cultural values of honor as well as loyalty. Honor to the name that is he who