The Importance Of Heroism In Beowulf

When people talked of Beowulf they would say, Young prince show them a might battle grip, hands that moved with thirty men’s strength. (Beowulf, Lines 379-380). He was known throughout the lands for his strength. He would obtain such strength that would allow him to kill sea monster, Grendel (with his bare hands), and Grendel’s mother with assistance from God. This come to light when he battled Grendel, bare

In spite of this Beowulf goes through an awesome journey of all these creatures and a great fight to eliminate the problem of Grendel and his mother. This caused Beowulf to make the Geats and the Danes allies which is great as a leader. He also brought riches to his people through the help of the generous Hrothgar. “And risked the voyage received a bounty, some treasured possession. And compensation in gold, was settled for the Geat Grendel had cruelly killed earlier.

Beowulf, a mighty warrior from Sweden, comes to help the king destroy a monster. The second part, set in Sweden, provides Beowulf as an old man who must get rid of a dragon. When a mighty Geatish warrior named Beowulf, a man who has killed giants and sea monsters and is known for his strength, courage, and skill in battle hears of Grendel 's actions, he decides to sail to Denmark and help Hrothgar kill the

Page 2 of 3 ZOOM Anderson 1Nathan AndersonMrs. OrfanedesEnglish 4 Honors NCVPS8 February 2018Is Beowulf a Hero?Beowulf is the main character and epic hero of one of the oldest pieces of literature recorded in the English language. In order to be held at such high esteem his traits as a hero are strong and represent what the poets of the time idealized in a hero. Beowulf’s qualities, those being his brawn, faith, and courageousness, exemplify why Beowulf is considered to be one of the best heroes to date.

Achilles in Homer’s The Iliad is one of the best example of warrior hero “seeking the status of a hero embraced a life that was ongoing contest

Beowulf, born in the land of the Geats, makes the voyage over to the Danes upon hearing the problems troubling the Danes. Even though Hygelac told Beowulf not to, Beowulf went on ahead and he proves his worth, both to his king and the Danes’ king. In the time of crossing the waters, Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and then a dragon and he inspires one young man named Wiglaf. Wiglaf makes a valiant speech to get Beowulf’s men hustling in the line of defense, but ends up fighting alone. “He picked us out from the army deliberately, honoured us and judged us fit for this action, made me these lavish gifts- and all because he considered us the best of his arms-bearing thanes”

Epic heroes have been written about in literature for as long as there was writing. An epic hero must have superhuman qualities to enhance their character. Epic heroes usually show some relations towards a god or gods in their story. Epic heroes comes across many temptations and embark on a trip into the underworld. Epic heroes follow a certain archetype in literature that follows their adventures and Beowulf is no exception.

Each of these major parts have smaller steps within them that are parts of a task the hero takes on. Now Beowulf is of course the hero of the story. He goes out and volunteers to fight Grendel for the Danes who had been dealing with him for twelve years nonstop. Beowulf also goes and defeats Grendel’s mother when she awakens from her den and tries to avenge her son.

In a present day, many people define the hero, as a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. The definition of hero can be changed depend on culture or people’s belief. Anglo-Saxon is one of tribe who has well developed warrior culture. Anglo-Saxon hero has several archetypes such as courage, responsibility, blood relationship. An epic poem Beowulf reveals Anglo-Saxon’s heroic archetype through the protagonist Beowulf .

If weapons were useless he 'd use his hands, the strength in his fingers. So fame comes to the men who mean to win it and care about nothing else!” (505-509). Lastly, Beowulf demonstrates braveness when he encounters with the dragon. He doesn’t give up just like the rest of the superheroes, ““Then Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong, and with his shield at his side, and a mail shirt on his breast, strode calmly, confidently, toward the tower, under the rocky cliffs: no coward could have walked there!”

Even though he’s out numbered, he takes his chances by being courageous to defeat these sea monsters (559). Another trait is Beowulf’s strength that helps him become a hero. Beowulf has “hands that [move] with thirty men’s strength” (380). Like a superhero, strength is also important for a native hero. Beowulf battles monsters like Grendel who triumph his size and devour men who nobly fought in battle.

Additionally, Beowulf’s immense courage makes him fit for representing the ideal epic hero. Beowulf is brave and he does not avoid doing anything that might be dangerous or risky. Beowulf is even willing to give up his life, when he performs some of the courageous deeds. For example, when Beowulf plans to fight Grendel, he tells Hrothgar: “’the monster’s scorn of men / Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. / Nor will I’”

¨True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat¨- Napoleon. Clearly, Napoleon is explaining that a hero will conquer any negative things in life that challenge them. For example, modern day superheroes always overcome their problems in life. Modern day superheroes such as Batman, Superman, and Spiderman fight the villains and grow superior to the negative aspects in their lives. Similarly, heroes in poems and books gain their heroic name by defeating the ills of life.

The poem “Beowulf,” translated by Burton Raffel, contains many tones. Tones are very important factors in writings. The tones in the poem help the reader understand the feelings of the writer. The choice of words used help find the tone. Some of the tones in “Beowulf” include heroic, conceited, and devoted.

Anglo-Saxon Superhero Traits What comes to mind when you hear or see the word “superhero”? Some may see a strong character such as superman, but others may see people such as Martin Luther King Jr. while overcoming hardships. But different times can change the way we perceive what a hero should be like. For example, the Anglo-Saxons believed that a superhero, first had to look the part of a strong, stunning man.