Beowulf, originally written by an unknown author and then translated by Seamus Heaney, is believed to include the epic hero of Beowulf himself. An epic hero is one who has achieved greatness and is appreciated by others. They acquire characteristics that makes them noble and worthy of acknowledgement. Beowulf shows numerous characteristics throughout the poem, including bravery, honor, strength, and loyalty. Beowulf does things such as giving up his weapon and keeping his devotion to the Danes. Beowulf’s actions that are more impulsive show his ability to risk everything in hopes of a reasonable outcome. An epic hero acts in heroic ways, trying to do everything they can to please the ones around them and puts others before himself. The character …show more content…
Before going up against an opponent, more specifically Grendel, Beowulf sacrificed his own weapon. “He then shook off his shirt of iron mail / and helmet from his head. He gave to another / his burnished sword, the best iron for battle, / and ordered him to hold this war-gear for now” (Heaney 671-674). Beowulf was daring enough to give up his own weaponry to just get a point across. He did not think of himself to be any better, or any worse, than Grendel. He just did not believe that Grendel needed to die at that moment, even though he could have attempted. “Reckless and impressive actions like these demonstrate Beowulf’s courage and daring and make him appear more heroic” (Cory 1). Beowulf’s ability of risk taking makes him appear much more heroic to those around him. How others looked at him was very important on how his life would later turn out. “Early in the poem, Beowulf is young, brave and has no one to worry about but himself. Because of this he can risk everything in his quest for personal glory” (Stitt 1). Due to his youthful age, he is able to risk more than those who have built up their lives. Beowulf was just starting off in his life and by making risky situations, he was gambling on who he would be and how his future would play out. Beowulf’s bravery shows through him making spontaneous decisions and risking everything without …show more content…
Courage: Since my courage is strong, / I need not make a boasting speech against the war-flyer. (Heaney 2527-2528) Loyalty also shows to be a quality Beowulf has in common with an epic hero. In the beginning if the poem, Beowulf decides to help the Danes. He also helps rid off his father’s obligation by fighting a monster (Heaney 2518-2537). Along with his love and devotion in helping the Danes, Beowulf also shows loyalty to the crown and the process of secession. “When Hygelac dies, Beowulf does not hurry and seize the throne, but rather supports Denmark's rightful heir. With this gesture of loyalty and respect for the throne, Beowulf shows that he has been transformed” (Stitt 1). Beowulf does not act vain and take advantage of this opportunity brought his way. Instead, he shows appreciation for how Denmark should be the next king, and decides to help him achieve what was rightfully his. In the end, when Beowulf eventually becomes king, he acts for the good of his people. His last few actions demonstrate his devotion to his people and his kingdom. Beowulf’s death comes when he is fighting the dragon. During his ruling period, he learns that he needed to protect his people at all costs (Stitt
Loyalty and bravery are themes that are often found in literature, and Beowulf is no exception. It is one of the reasons I find this poem so interesting. Beowulf is the hero of the poem who decides to sail to Denmark with hope of protecting the Danish people from a creature known as Grendel, who has attacked and devoured many of King Hrothgar’s warriors while they were asleep. Like all heroes, Beowulf exhibits true bravery, courage, and puts the people before himself, which makes him a very likely candidate for king. Even before he faces the terrifying monster, Grendel, Beowulf renounces the uses of weapons when he says “Soon I shall sink him into death-sleep, not with my sword but solely by strength. He is unschooled in skills to strike against
Beowulf is a story of a fearless hero named Beowulf who has many different traits, some good while some bad. His courage and pride make up his good traits, while his greedy strive for glory and being extremely cocky make up his bad. In my opinion, Beowulf manages to stay a static character throughout the epic poem, his character doesn't change even when he is a very old man. In the battle of Grendel, we see a very confident and prideful Beowulf, who brags about his power and might before the battle. Though he did not get the chance to take Grendel on one on one due to the monster's ambush, Beowulf still managed to kill Grendel, showing his immense courage and fearlessness. We see this from Beowulf throughout the entire story and with many events.
Beowulf is the one of if not the strongest man in his world he has killed many monsters like grendel and fought in countless wars and he makes sure that everyone knows how great of a man he really is taking on task no sane person would take and accepting no reward but the satisfaction of completing the task and his accomplishments to be known. He is boastful and would always love to take all the glory and fame for himself .in the text you see beowulf Constantly boasting about how great and fearless he is Saying things like
First of all, Beowulf exhibits bravery even in the most dangerous of situations. For instance, "I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was my errand and the fate they had earned." Obviously someone who is willing to hunt down monsters in the night is extremely brave. To continue as the story progresses, Beowulf’s bravery becomes more and more clear. Therefore it should come to no surprise when, “He leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone's answer” (467-469), which resulted in a terrifying battle in the depths of that murky water. Even more amazing, Beowulf’s bravery did wither as he got
Sir Winston Churchill once said “ Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision”. This relates to Beowulf because the epic poem has a lot of hidden messages. One of the biggest messages of the poem is courage, which Beowulf and Wiglaf both posses the trait of courage. This poem shows that courage is when a person sticks through it when times get tough.
Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They show great bravery, intelligence, strength and resourcefulness. They have a strong admiration for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they
Throughout the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf displays the characteristics of an epic hero because he shows courage and loyalty to those around him by
Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They show great bravery, intelligence, strength and resourcefulness. They have a strong admiration for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in
Beowulf was a good king. He wasn’t greedy or mean or selfish, he put his people first. And it’s evident in the fact that he went to fight the dragon himself, when he could’ve got some other “hero” to do it. “...he saw nothing to fear, thought nothing of the beast’s claws,
In the book Beowulf, Beowulf, the main character, is a man of great strength and ability. He is depicted as a man of wisdom, and that he is a prince that comes from a kingdom that is well respected. He fights many battles, and is seen as a hero with glory to his name, but this does not mean that he is as flawless as he seems to be. Beowulf is a man who desires to help those in need, however, he is greedy for the glory and treasure that he will receive in thanks of his success. He is truly confident, but because of this he is impulsive, never questioning his ability to take on a task. He is also brave, he has almost no fear, but this tends to make him reckless. He is a hero to many, but he believes in himself in such a way that he acts foolishly, and it will eventually be the death of him.
In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, can be seen as one of the most prime and pure examples of an epic hero due to his almighty courage.
also demonstrates loyalty to King Hrothgar, who “led / The Danes to such glory that comrades and kinsmen / Swore by his sword” (12-14) even though King Hrothgar is not his king. Beowulf knows that he came onto King Hrothgar’s land, so he should be loyal and respectful to Hrothgar.
Not only is Beowulf honorable and well respected, he is brave as well. His courage is shown by not hesitating to risk his own life to pursue the Dane’s enemies. By being self-assured, Beowulf is able to successfully defeat the fiends, Grendel and his infamous mother. At the time Beowulf is planning to pursue the vindictive dragon, the epic poem states, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, If the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.”(ll. 2511-2515). He feels no fear, is confident in fighting the dragon alone, and has no qualms in risking his life to save others. He declares his bravery by saying, “When he comes to me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins... No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster.”(ll. 2525-2534). In his actions, Beowulf’s bravery is clearly shown throughout the poem.
Beowulf shows loyalty to his men, responsibilities, and Hrothgar. "...you would always be in a father's place for me when I am gone: be guardian of my young retainers, my companions, if battle should take me. The Treasure you gave me, beloved Hrothgar, send to Hygelac." (46) This quote from “Beowulf” shows Beowulf’s loyalty to his men. In case he would not return from battle, he told Hrothgar to take care of his men and pass down his riches to Hygelac. He shows his loyalty to his responsibilities by always delivering the promises he makes. When he comes to the rescue of the Danes, he boasts about his ability to defeat Grendel. Lines 407 to 426 detail Beowulf asking permission to fight in Hrothgar’s honor. Beowulf’s father was a friend of Hrothgar’s. Hrothgar actually saved his father’s life and that is why Beowulf comes from the land of the Gaits to defeat Grendel and his mother soon after.
Beowulf’s responsibility differs from a warrior to a king. As a young fighter he has responsibility to his Geatish king as well as to Hrothgar. His king, Hyglac, relies on Beowulf to represent him and