Heroism In Beowulf Essay

The importance of heroism is a matter of opinion. Between the Anglo-Saxons and the British there was a difference of opinion. Anglo-Saxons were more focused on the hero and his journey, while the British found discovered the overall picture. After decades of simplistic and obstinate writing from the Anglo-Saxons, the British became intelligent and developed art that went behind the scenes to unveil the complex lives of everyday people.
The Anglo-Saxons did not have that same perspective because of their lack of knowledge; which was portrayed in their writing through the epic Beowulf. The main focus was on simple characters that you could easily put into archetypes and the less complex details of life. Beowulf was the hero who had “wondrous gifts God had showered on him”, dominating over everyone in the story. He was the
The “less important” people are well illustrated and more understood. The authors gained more focus on the important parts and became skilled in doing so. Throughout “Canterbury Tales” there are many characters each with their own personal story. Those stories are not camouflaged to make them seem like heroes. They have the cold, honest details about them. The Prioress is a nun, someone who should follow all rules the church which were stricter in that time period. That includes not having much money and helping those in need. Chaucer displays that she is in fact rich and unhelpful. “For hardly was the lady undergrown. The beauty of her cloak I hadn’t missed,” which explains that her clothes were very nice and she did not look poor. She had flaws. The Wife of Bath was a women who wore “scarlet red”. She had “five men she’d been a wife”, even though that was frowned upon. She isn’t a hero, a villain, or a teacher, but rather a mix of all archetypes. The Wife of Bath is a complex character, a more advanced archetype that was not available