The Role Of Heroes In Beowulf

As Beowulf lies at rest, the question must be asked. Was he a true hero? Wanting only to help the towns people and keep them safe? Or just a mighty man wanting to be king, loathed in fame and riches? That is something that may always stay

Beowulf; a man whose greatness begun when he saved an entire kingdom from the clutches of the vile monster Grendel. Beowulf was known for countlessly putting his body and his life on the line to save his people. His courage and determination is what kept his legacy alive for all of these years. Not only that, but the respect he had for the people around him made him a remembered warrior as well. That’s what I think makes a hero. Being determined to get a job done, having the courage to step in and complete that job, and having enough respect for your people to still obey their wishes despite your apparent fame. The hero I will be writing about is the fictional Marvel Comics character known as the Black Panther (real name T’Challa). He and Beowulf

How do people perceive a hero? A person who saves millions of lives or someone who saves a cat from a tree. From little to big anyone can be considered a hero, especially a character from a story or a book. One specific character, is Beowulf from the epic poem, “Beowulf”. Beowulf is a Geat who is summoned by the king of Danes, Hrothgar, whose great mead hall, Heorot, is plagued by the monster Grendel. The battle with Grendel resulted in Grendel’s defeat. As the poem goes on, Beowulf gets involved in a battle with Grendel’s mother which he also defeats. Later in his life, Beowulf becomes king of the Geats and fights his last battle with a dragon who terrorized Beowulf’s realm. This battle resulted in the dragon’s defeat, but Beowulf was utterly wounded and later cremated. Beowulf goes through great lengths to battle these creatures, and his heroic acts lead him to becoming an epic hero. Beowulf is a hero because he posses courage/ bravery, faith, and strength.

Beowulf is considered a hero in many ways because he goes through many problems and overcomes many of them. Beowulf puts his life on the line countless times to protect the lives of others and doesn’t really get a reward for it. He is what many believe any kind of warrior or great leader should strive to be. Beowulf should be considered a hero because he stood and faced all his odds head on, puts his life on the line to protect his people, and he displays selfless service for his people. Even though he boasts often he can back it up.

A hero must do many things to be allowed the title of hero. However, there are some aspects a hero should not show. If these characteristics are shown, they should not be considered a hero. One attribute a hero should not display is selfishness. In the Knight’s Tale, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, Arcite and Palamon acted selfishly. They perceived a beautiful lady. They fought for the beautiful lady. They died for the beautiful lady. Nevertheless, they acted selfishly during this gripping story. For example, they fought for Emily, the beautiful lady, because neither could live without her. Nonetheless, neither ambitious young man could bother themselves to question her on whether she wished to marry either of these headstrong knights. She may not have desired to marry either of them. Therefore, they acted selfish and do not live up to one requirement of a hero. On the contrary, Beowulf, the main protagonist in the epic poem Beowulf written by an unknown source, did not act selfishly. Throughout the poem, he risked his life to fight horrendous monsters to save the good people living in the area. These actions define Beowulf as a hero. Contrarily, Sir Gawain, who starred in the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, embarked on a dangerous journey. The Green Knight had tasked him to find the Green Chapel. Before finding the chapel, the tired knight came across a castle tucked away in the peaceful forest. When he asked to stay for a night, his host proposed a trade. The host would

A hero is not born; he is self-made with heroic qualities. What qualifies for making someone a hero? According to Merriam Webster, a hero is defined as: “ a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability”. Beowulf perfectly fits that definition of a hero. In Seamus Heaney Beowulf, Beowulf has everything it takes to be known as a hero. Some of Beowulf’s vital traits as warrior includes bravery, courage, honor, incredible physical strength, and the will to serve the people for the greater good. This poem is centered around him and that is all he needs to be portrayed as the hero he is.

Most people in modern day society believe that heroes are like Batman, Superman, or even Spiderman. These fictional characters are children's modern day heroes since they are portrayed as brave, loyal, and fearless. However, as these children are growing up, their perception of a hero is changing when they come across celebrities, civil rights leaders, or someone highly inspirational in their life. According to the Anglo Saxon society, a hero is portrayed with the qualities of being brave, loyal, and fearless and these qualities are in the pagan warrior Beowulf. Just like Beowulf, the main character of “The Hunger Games”, Katniss Everdeen , who fights in a battle to save her district from poverty, is also an embodiment of a true hero. Though

What makes you who you are? Is it the clothes you wear or simply what you say. People can be identified in many ways but what makes anyone a hero? A hero is someone who does something out of selfness of themselves rather than for themselves. Simply by saving an old womens cat in the tree can signify you as a hero to her. But, how do you become a hero to the world? How about saving people from burning buildings or saving someone from a bad guy. Anyone can be classified as a hero but it is hard to be seen by the world as a hero. Look at the story of Beowulf. He was well known by everyone and very strong. He was shortly defeated by a dragon but, that doesn't mean he's doings die with him. He will be forever known for what he accomplished. All Beowulf wanted was to be seen by the world as a hero.

What makes a character a hero? What makes a character a monster? A character that is a hero, would be described as an individual who stands up for what they believe in. These individuals would have characteristics, such as determination, dedication, confidence, charismatic, and bravery. On the other hand, a character would be described as a monster, if the individual is cruel and demands actions that would give themselves pleasure. An example of a monster would be if an individual order, other individuals to kill someone for the "monster's" own pleasure. While reading the Beowulf, I feel Beowulf would be considered a hero instead of a monster because how each of the battles took place. Beowulf and his crew members faced three battles. During

A hero is a person that people look up to as a role model. Beowulf does good deeds so that people will remember him long after he is dead. Duty makes heroes have a sense of responsibility to do what is right. On page 47 in From Beowulf, by Burton Raffel, line 244 to 226 states, "My people have said, the wisest, most knowing And best of them, that

The story of Beowulf is an epic tale of a heroic great named Beowulf from Sweden. There are many important characteristics that make someone a hero. Beowulf is a hero because of the accomplishments he completed during his time in Denmark. One of the great accomplishments that beowulf is most famous for is killing the evil monster Grendel and Grendel’s mother. This task can only be completed by a true hero.

The age of heroes is long behind; or at the very least is slowly fading. Where good triumphed over evil in days past, evil now spreads almost freely throughout the world. Heroes today are far less impactful and are often overpowered by the many evils of the world.. And while heroes and monsters do exist, but they have changed drastically since the time of Beowulf. The thought that heroes and monster don't exist is incorrect.

Looking back at early forms of literature we notice the classic idea of heroism in Beowulf. As time passes by the notion of a hero changes. Consciousness in early literature such as, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, does not enter the innermost thoughts. The notion of a hero and the notion of consciousness changes within literature through time. In the novel, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen the hero is portrayed differently compared to earlier texts as well as the characters being aware of one’s environment. The author Jane Austen, carefully shapes her characters’ actions, feelings and affiliations in a specific way. In Sense and Sensibility we have a clearer picture of the consciousness of characters than what we see in Beowulf or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endures in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In other words, a hero is a normal person who is able to be strong and persevere despite difficult obstacles preventing them. In the book, Beowulf, the the nephew of the king of the land of the geats, helps Hrothgar, another king, kill a series of monsters that threaten his kingdom. He helps Hrothgar kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Firedrake. Beowulf is a hero because he is just an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite the overwhelming obstacles preventing him from doing so. Beowulf embodies Christopher Reeve’s definition of a hero because he defeated the flesh-eating Grendel, who could not be stopped even by groups of elite soldiers. Beowulf also killed Grendel’s mother, a much eviler being who lived in a cave in an endless pool of blood that led to hell. Finally, he defeated The Firedrake, who swelled up and breathed fire when angry.

The epic poem Beowulf, is an Angelo Saxon tale that represents heroism and strength. This poem was written be an unknown poet between around 1000 A.D and showcases the heroic character named Beowulf who comes to save the land of Danes from the beast Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel and then faces his mother the evil monster who is killed as well and is viewed by all the people of Dane as a hero who can never be beaten. An evil Dragon comes and Beowulf is able to kill the Dragon but sacrifices his own life as he is killed by the Dragon’s poison. Beowulf is about more than heroism this epic poem shows true English narration, represents Angelo-Saxon religion, and depicts women’s roles in Anglo-Saxon society