Tolkien’s Viewpoint on Heroism Authors give heroic qualities to characters within literature. Tolkien gives the characters in The Hobbit heroic qualities. The characters given heroic qualities by Tolkien are Bilbo, Beorn, Thorin, and Gandalf. Tolkien then indicates Gandalf is the is the most heroic because of the amount of wisdom Gandalf has, compared to the other heroic characters from The Hobbit. In The Hobbit, all of Tolkien’s characters are heroic because of their courage. Tolkien indicates courage is a positive characteristic by causing the characters to succeed when they act courageously . Bilbo’s use of courage allows him to escape the caves successfully when he was alone (Tolkien 82). Beorn’s use of courage allows him to gain information from the Goblin and Warg as they were on the Carrock (Tolkien 123). Thorin’s use of courage allows him to attack the trolls without getting hurt (Tolkien 38). Gandalf‘s use of courage has allowed him to defeat the Great Goblin and save the dwarves (Tolkien 61). Because the characters are successful because of their courageousness, Tolkien has a positive tone concerning courage. Tolkien implies that wisdom is a positive and heroic characteristic because the heroic characters are placed into scenarios where if they did not have wisdom, they would have …show more content…
Gandalf has more wisdom because he was able to defeat the trolls without physically fighting them (Tolkien 40). Having a plan, Gandalf was able to defeat the trolls using his wisdom. Gandalf’s wisdom differs from Bilbo’s and Thorin’s wisdom because Gandalf was aware that the trolls were able to be defeated in sunlight whereas Bilbo or Thorin knew that was possible. In addition, Gandalf’s wisdom differs from Beorn’s wisdom because Gandalf has the ability to use his magic anywhere, whereas Beorn can only use his shapeshifting powers near the
Courage Isn’t Relative As said by Dr. Robert Anthony, “[c]ourage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway” (Brainyquote.com). This quote means that having courage is the ability to face your fear. Two people who share this trait, one fictional and one real, are Wiglaf from the epic poem Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. The first, Wiglaf, is a warrior who helps his king defeat a dragon. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who helped improve the lives of many African Americans.
This quote shows Bilbo’s cowardly nature because he is too fearful to partake on this adventure with Gandalf. He is so afraid that he doesn’t even bother to listen to Gandalf to understand what the adventure entails. Instead he just denies Gandalf’s request, and immediately tries to get rid of him, proving his cowardice. Another example of Bilbo’s cowardice is shown when Bilbo and the dwarves are meeting in his house to discuss
Bilbo shows courage when he saves the dwarves from the Spiders and wood elves. A courageous person is someone who is brave, smart, and willing to fight for a cause. Bilbo proves to be all of these examples when he saves the dwarves. He shows bravery when he throws rocks at the giant spiders and smartness because he found a way to get the giant spiders to leave. He also proves to be smart when he uses the barrels to escape the wood elves.
Perseus’ drive to kill Medusa and to rescue a helpless girl makes him courageous. Odysseus’ willingness to always do the thing that everyone else fears and preservers through them makes him courageous. Wesley Autrey’s impulse to save the man and risk himself makes him courageous. Everyone has a bit of courage in their soul, and these people in particular have used it to the best of their abilities, and this makes them
As I aforementioned before Bilbo makes a colossal transformation. Bilbo and the narrator notices that he doesn’t mind what used to bother him he says “I am sorry to say he did not mind. He was quite content; and the sound of the kettle on his hearth was ever more musical than it had been even in the quiet days before the Unexpected Party”(Tolkien 302). Bilbo isn’t aggravated by any little thing anymore since he got out of his comfort zone he’s more relaxed. To continue on this point Gandalf also takes consideration that Bilbo has made a colossal transformation Gandalf says “My dear Bilbo!
Bilbo's fortitude in the face of such a fearsome foe is genuinely remarkable, and it sets the stage for Lake-town's ultimate victory over Smaug. However, Bilbo's fortitude transcends mere physical bravery. He also demonstrates moral fortitude, which is equally essential. For instance, when the dwarves become consumed by their desire for the treasure and begin to turn against one another, Bilbo confronts them and insists that they work together for the common good.
Courage can be shown in many forms, sizes, and shapes. This quality is defined as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty”(dictionary). Courage is such an admired virtue to have and most would promote the quality. In the discussion of ethics, courage is considered a moral value. The history of courage in philosophy
The last virtue, is honor. Even villains could have courage, and be loyal to their cause. But what sets them apart from heroes is their lack of honor. Bilbo Baggins, of Bag End, was not one often thought of when one thinks of a hero. People with super strength, or speed, or both are often what come to mind.
“Life doesn't cost him a thought” (Heaney 1536). This quote shows bravery because he is brave and confident in himself that he will fight to the fullest when he battles monsters it's like he's not scared of death and real quick to risk his life to save or help others. “Yet the prince of the rings was too proud to line up with a large army” ( 2345-2346). This quote shows bravery because it shows he’s too proud to fight with an army he rather fight one on one and that shows that he is brave and not afraid. “I shall win the gold by my courage, or else mortal combat, doom of battle, will bear your lord away” (2535-2537).
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. To have the trait of bravery you have to have lots of confidence in yourself and have courage.
Characters such as Thor, Harry Potter, and Katniss Everdeen are considered as prime examples of heroism. As for the story of Beowulf,
Finding three characters in The Hobbit that showed heroic qualities wasn 't hard. I find the main theme of this book was heroism. And yes, the main focus was Bilbo’s heroism but it was also filled with others’ as well. The whole book was filled with action and adventure.
“The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one 's self a fool; the truest heroism is to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when it be obeyed.” Many people real and fictional are heroes whether accidentally or purposely. The protagonist of The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins was one of the former. Even though he became a hero accidentally he still demonstrates many heroic traits such as bravery, intelligence, and choosing words over brute strength. Bilbo shows bravery when he encountered the spiders and instead of cowering in fear he showed bravery and chose to fight them.
Most people see bravery as not being afraid of anything, but there is more to it than that. Bravery is standing up and speaking even if you are scared or standing up for what is right, though it might have consequences. On the website, https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/classes/Register?classCode=Baker, my first character trait was bravery. Character traits, as defined by https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-character-trait-definition-examples.html, is “A few descriptive adjectives used to describe someone's personality.” I also define character traits as traits that can round out and improve lives.
Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself”. Beowulf is a hero who helped Hrothgar and Hrothgar’s towns people by defeating Grendel and Grendel’s mother. Harry Potter is a hero when he protects his friends and Hogwarts. Beowulf and Harry Potter have similarities and differences so their values teach the reader about society. Having values is important in our society for many reasons.