Wiglaf As An Epic Hero In The Epic Of Beowulf

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic about a great warrior who values the Anglo-Saxon ideas of loyalty, personal indebtedness, fame, fate, and heroism. The epic is named after, and centered on, Beowulf and his quests; however, several other characters also reflect Anglo-Saxon values throughout the story. For example, King Hrothgar built “the best/ Of all mead-halls” (ll.145-146) so that his “men lived happy” (l. 15). Hrothgar built the mead-hall because he was indebted to his men who served and protected him. Meanwhile, Beowulf was indebted to Hrothgar because Hrothgar once defended Beowulf’s family.

He aided his king, never caused danger to other, and bravely fought. He never doubted his calling to defeat Grendel because he believed it was in the hands of God. An epic hero is someone who leaves a mark on earth for what good they did, and Beowulf surpassed the normal typical hero. He demolished Grendel with nothing but his hands and asked of nothing in return. But with every victory, there comes a prize.

The kings were strong and brave warriors which shows the ideals of their culture. It has been established that “The Anglo-Saxon social structure consisted of tribal units led by chieftains ("kings," or "lords") who, theoretically at least, earned their respect from their warriors.” (Delahoyde). Leadership was not just passed down from generation to generation but they had to earn their spot by doing something honorable. The same principle can be found in Beowulf “Then Beo was king in that Danish castle.

In Burton Raffel's, epic poem, Beowulf, one of the main values that stand out is essentially culture. Beowulf, the hero of all hero’s shows this through his willingness to come so close to death day after day, his insistence on having humility and being loyal to people in need. As readers, we see that in Anglo-Saxon society Beowulf is a valuable hero. He seems to have all of the qualities that a hero expected to have. Traits such as honor, valor, respect and bravery all come very easily to Beowulf.

There is no denying that Siddhartha is in fact the hero of his story, following along the strict hero’s journey without missing a single point. Siddhartha grew up a Brahmin’s son. He was well loved, very attractive, extremely perceptive, and, above all, intelligent. He looked at the world and questioned what he saw. He listened to the Brahmin’s teachings, but he never saw how they could help him find peace, when none of them have ever found it themselves.

The reader was taken through a series of battles that demonstrated all of Beowulf’s strengths and character qualities. He was depicted as not only a strong and invincible warrior, but also as a man of strong character. Nonetheless, all of the qualities the author had given to Beowulf throughout the story, meant nothing when it came to his invincibility at the end of the story. One could make the argument that Beowulf’s character was invincible because no matter what he faced, he stayed true to who he was and what he stood for, but as for the idea of his ability to escape mortality, it all disappeared as Beowulf took his final breath laying in the arms of his noble comrade who had come alongside him to defend him in

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.

Saxon England, courage and loyalty were valued (Janet, 101). A man with valor and loyalty was expected to be rewarded by their king (Janet, 103). Furthermore, above anything, everyone battled for fame because fame is the only thing that lasts. In Beowulf, Beowulf is a renowned Geatish warrior and hero (Beowulf, 153-156). His

A hero must be honorable, no lies will be told in his name. Lastly, every man needs courage to win the love of others. Courage that makes evil tremble in its skin. Wiglaf has every characteristic for becoming an amazing hero. This man has proven his loyalty for his King, his belief in the almighty, and the courage of a lion.

Furthermore, Beowulf is characterized by the strength and bravery that he possesses, proving him to be the ideal epic hero. During the battle where Grendel would meet his demise, the narrator describes Beowulf’s ultimate strength showing that Grendel, “had met a man whose hands were harder… but nothing could take his talons and himself from that tight grip” (33). Rather than shy away from the hideous monster, Beowulf used all that he had to overpower the great monster Grendel. Beowulf does not cease to amaze all of his people for years to come. He lived his life as a warrior for the sake of gaining honor he would be presented for his accomplishments even after death.

He is the most noble for being loyal to all his companions, for being sensitive to others and for being selfless in difficult times. One of the reasons why Paul is considered the noblest character is because of his loyalty towards people. First, in the beginning of the novel, one of Paul’s friend Kemmerich is badly injured and had to have his leg amputated, sadly things are getting any better for Kemmerich and in the course of time he eventually dies. Paul describes himself as “wretched with helplessness” (Remarque 30), and even though he was like that, he stayed with his friend until his very last seconds.

These characters were Scyld Scefing and Beowulf. They were shown to have a good heart though being kind, strong, and courageous. On pages 2 and 3, “Scyld grew up to be strong and brave, the terror of his enemies… Scyld Scefing was kind and wise, and his people loved him. This definitely showed that Scyld is all the characteristics of a good hearted person.

Thorin Oakenshield should have a right to take his company on a journey for his ancestor’s claim. Throughout the entire journey, Thorin proves that he is a rightful leader. His family ancestry, skill, and his bravery prove that he has a right to his claim. Thorin comes from a family of Kings under the Mountain. There is his grandfather, Thror and his father, Thráin.

“In Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, to be a hero was to be a warrior. A hero had to be strong, intelligent, and courageous” (Dogra 79). Furthermore, he had to be an honorable warrior who did not cower at the thought of an impossible battle. Rather, he trudged forward, prepared to the rattle cages of the strongest, evilest, and most damnable villains known to men. He personifies strength, loyalty, and bravery.

Beowulf comes from a well respected family. His dad, the King of the Geats, allows Beowulf to step up as a hero and prove himself. He led his hero’s journey by conquering many, as well as keeping his reputation of coming out on top when it came to fighting battles. He shows many hero-like characteristics throughout the book such as bravery, courage, honor, and leadership which students and teachers alike still consider honorable in today’s day and age. Being a hero requires one to conquer many obstacles.