Who Is An Anglo-Saxon Hero?

During both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the hero figure remained an important character for authors, but it was shown in different ways. While it was still important in both times, the definition of hero changed. During the Middle Ages a hero was someone who possessed bravery, fortitude, and loyalty. This changed during the era of the Renaissance where the hero was someone who possessed values of a Protestant: fidelity, hope, and charity. These ideas of a hero can be seen through Beowulf and the Redcrosse Knight. Though there are differences in the definition of a hero, there are similarities in the ways in which the two characters are portrayed fulfilling their heroic duties.

Thomas Paine originally came from Thetford, United Kingdom, born into a Quaker family. Paine received little formal education from Thetford Grammar School in the years 1744 to 1749, but learned standards for an educational foundation such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. In his youth, he worked alongside his father as a stay maker and “later worked as an officer of the excise, hunting smugglers, and collecting liquor and tobacco taxes” (Biography). Unfortunately, Paine was unsuccessful in his work attempts despite holding multiple jobs while living in England. After his termination as an excise officer, he met Benjamin Franklin who convinced Paine to move to America and provided him with letters detailing life in the new nation.

Being a hero can mean many different things. A modern day hero might be someone who has a strong moral code or someone that has extraordinary powers and abilities but, looking back in time the meaning of a hero has changed slightly. During Anglo-Saxon times, being a hero meant being loyal to their lord and god, having a sense of duty, being selfless, having honor, being intelligent, and boasting. It also meant being brave and having courage, having a sense of justice, and having larger than life strength. A great example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf from “Beowulf,” written by an unknown author. In this poem, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he was brave and courageous, he had superhuman strength, and he had a unique sense of justice.

Today's modern day hero has similarities and differences than the Anglo-Saxon hero. The two heroes each have different values they believe in. Also, they are motivated to fight for different reasons. An Anglo-Saxon hero also fights differently than a modern day hero. An example of this comparison is Bono from the band "U2" and Beowulf. Both modern day heroes, like Bono and Anglo-Saxon heroes, like Beowulf, try to improve their societies, but do it in different ways and for different reasons.

We have all had someone whom we have considered our hero. We call them our hero because they have exhibited certain characteristics that make us feel safe or protected in harmful situations. A few books demonstrate heroic characteristics masterfully through their characters. Beowulf portrays a strong, self-sacrificing hero. Canterbury Tales shows us a wise and caring hero. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight displays a flawed, loyal hero. These three men give us some of the attributes it takes to be considered a hero. These books tell us that to be a hero, you have to sacrifice, have wisdom, and loyalty.

The Anglo Saxon is a primary source written by an anglican monk who was captured and taken back to Norway. This chronicle is a recount of the brutal and harsh conditions in captivity and slavery. However; it may not be 100% historically correct due to the obvious grudge and biased point of view the monks have against the Viking warriors. The chronicle was originally written in old english and continuously updated for many years between, 1116-1154 AD . 9 copies of the original were made and spread throughout monasteries around england. All of these facts help depict the importance of this book. This source is quoted as being the single most useful old english historical source due to the fact that it helped historians piece together the romanian

Throughout history, different cultures have created heroes as representations of the ideals that these cultures value. Often times these heroes have very little or no flaws, such is the case with the Hindu hero Rama. On the other hand, some heroes have many virtuous attributes to them, while still containing flaws, creating a more realistic and achievable hero, such as with Odysseus. Both of these heroes represent the principles that were valued from their respective cultures of origin; therefore, the heroes themselves are representations of the society during the time of their (the heroes) creation. These heroes serve as guides to how the people of their respective cultures try to lead their lives, which makes Perfect heroes problematic for people who try to follow their actions.

According to the definition, a hero is one who embodies the values of their society. In the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous author, the character Beowulf is used to convey the value that Anglo-Saxons placed on courage, strength, and loyalty.

Throughout literature, the idea of the hero has changed to represent a number of differing. Heroes were originally personified as being an individual who were not bound by limitations, as well as demonstrating an archetypical sense of moral judgment. Later on, contrasting adaptations of heroes started to form in which the hero of a story would typically exhibit traits that would closely resemble the limitations and troubles that ordinary people faced. For the most part, a contemporary “hero” is simply looked at as the protagonist in the story. Acclaimed heroes in literature, such as Beowulf and Hamlet, when compared to one another can give a person a better sense of the changes in the hero. Although they both are the main characters

Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his loyalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and fate

A hero can be defined in several ways. Someone can be considered a hero by the qualities he or she displays. The epic poem Beowulf, written by an unknown author, describes the most heroic man and role model of the Anglo-Saxon times. This hero Beowulf has all the qualities and traits that a true hero expresses. Beowulf, as depicted in the epic Beowulf, is the prototype of the epic hero, a larger-than-life figure who embodies the virtues and ideals of his culture.

The American Revolution was a conflict between 13 British colonies on the eastern seaboard of North America and their parent country, Great Britain. The war resulted in the colonies becoming a separate nation, the United Stated of America. It is also known as the American War of Independence.

The Anglo-Saxons’ cultures and traditions are rooted in their beliefs of the perfect hero. Their ideal hero has many key characteristics influenced by their culture including courage, strength, bravery, thick skin, loyalty, humbleness, and the ability to create strong trustworthy friendships. Beowulf is an epic poem that exhibits the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxon traditions illustrated in Beowulf accurately represent the Anglo-Saxon traditions of the time period. This is accomplished through the distinct correlation of heroic characteristics between Beowulf and the culture’s traditional depiction of an Anglo-Saxon hero.

Democracy that means the rule of people has been used as a political system since Ancient Greece. Even though its concept has changed as time goes by, it is still regarded as one of the best political systems and used in many countries. Unfortunately, most Asian countries did not use this political system until the middle of the 20th century, so they have a very short history compared with western countries. Because of that, Asia has had some troubles. For example, Park and Shin (2006) said that many countries have had military dictatorship which is a common government for a developing country. A developing country, above all, might want to develop their economy, so they endure dictatorship because the dictator can make a decision easily and quickly (Park, C. D. & Shin, D., 2006). It also happened in South Korea 50 years ago. In spite of military dictatorship in the past, South Korea has the most successfully established democracy in Asia (Whitehead, L., 2002).

Becoming a hero is something we have all wanted to do, whether it is to earn a certain reward or to make one feel good about ourselves. In the time of the Western World, this was the case all throughout the eras. There were three eras covered during this time period: the Classical Era, the Medieval Era, and the Early Modern Era. The ability to contribute your time into the one whom you are trying to impress is what made one a hero in the Western World because you prove that you are fully interested in earning their trust in you.