For most people, thinking about becoming an adult conjures images or memories of leaving behind their reckless ways, settling down, and becoming more responsible. Just as growing up in today 's culture means becoming more reserved and restrained, the same is true in Beowulf. Beowulf would rather remain a fearless warrior than become King, because to be a good King, Beowulf must leave behind the warrior lifestyle that gained him so much fame and glory.…
Along with setting a dark tone for the story, the narration uses an elevated form of language to describe the events. When introducing the children of Halfdane, the language is noticeably…
In the battle with Grendel he had to prove to the Danish people that he was really there to help him. Beating Grendel proved that Beowulf was not just any warrior but one with honor and integrity. The battle with Grendel's mother was very different. Beowulf went to great depths by plunging into a marsh into the underworld to defeat her. Beowulf went into the monsters territory proving that he would do anything to help the Danish people. 50 years later now old in age Beowulf came back to fight a dragon. This would only prove that no matter what Beowulf's honor never left fulfilling his father's…
To sum it all up, In Beowulf, Beowulf is an archetypal hero who ended up being corrupted by the fame and fortune that was gained while doing the Danes a favour and killing their monsters. In Grendel, Grendel was labeled as a monster who tried to be part of a human society; the failure to be accepted as part of the society has forced Grendel to act like how he was labeled.…
From Beowulf's initial introduction he is seen as being conceited and aggressive. During the first feast, Beowulf tells of the story of his swimming race. Beowulf states, "I was the strongest swimmer of all...Time and again, foul things attacked me...but I lashed out, gave as good as I got with my sword...My sword had killed nine sea-monsters. Such night-dangers and hard ordeals I have never heard of nor of a man more desolate in surging waves." (Heaney 37). This quote reveals the cockiness of Beowulf. He is very arrogant as he believes that he is the best and the bravest. Arrogance is not a characteristic of a hero. Another flaw is shown in Beowulf's character as he fights Grendel and Grendel's mother. Beowulf's quarrel with Grendel exposes his true expression of violence. While Grendel and Beowulf are wrestling, Beowulf manages to get Grendel in such as position where he ripped off Grendel's arm from the socket. This violent act can be seen as very brutal. The killing of Grendel in such a way would deny the right to name Beowulf as a hero in present society. In addition, the killing of Grendel's mother has the same effect. While battling Grendel's mother, Beowulf seeks assistance from an ancient blade. With this sword, he delivers a final blow to the neck of the monster. After determining that she is death, he still proceeds and decapitates her. He then returns with the head and displays it in Heorot. The decapitation of Grendel's mother illustrates Beowulf as disrespectful and in violation of the heroic code, which doesn't identify him as a hero. In the eyes of contemporary society Beowulf can be recognize as a paradoxical character as he is embodied by both heroic and callous…
The worst and most feared monsters of the fen are coming for the people, and only one hero can stop them. The epic story Beowulf was originally written in Old English over one thousand years ago, and, since then, has been interpreted into many different versions. Throughout the story, the hero Beowulf defeats many feared enemies and is honored by people for his actions. In his homeland, he later becomes the king and defeats the Firedrake as his final deed to his people. In the novel Beowulf: A New Telling, Robert Nye introduces a version of Beowulf, a courageous and clever hero.…
The poem “Beowulf” exemplifies Campbell’s claim of the call to adeventure. “Beowulf” was translated by Burton Raffel and is about how a king must protect his castle from a demon at night. “The Call to Adventure” was written by Joseph Campbell and is a guide for The Hero and what he does to become whatis known as the hero.…
Beowulf is an epic that follows the main character, Beowulf, and his quest for glory. Throughout his journey, Beowulf fights three monsters to protect the citizens of Denmark and Sweden. When this story was first told by the Anglo-Saxons, their main religion was Paganism. Paganism is a polytheistic religion which believes in animism, that spirits control every part of existence. As time went on, Paganism began to fade and Christianity started to take over. Beowulf is a prime example of dual authorship in literature since monks who wrote down the journey of Beowulf incorporated Christian ideals into the originally Pagan story due to the spread of Christianity.…
Have you ever wondered where the concept of creation of the epic hero cycle originated from? For over centuries, the old super hero vs. evil villain story has been told over and over again, and it all started with the Anglo-Saxons' story of Beowulf. The archetype for all epic hero cycle stories. Various stories evolved from Beowulf, which contain the same concept, but changing the characters, setting, and etc. Beowulf displays heroic character traits, as well as many other heroes today. For example, one epic hero that possesses heroic qualities is Harry Potter. In my opinion, Harry Potter would be a hero in our society today. Not so much for his physical capabilities, but because he is reluctant to recognize the role that is chosen for him. Both heroes are strikingly similar, and yet they are remarkably different at the same time; Harry has no desire to fight off evil, but when he is called upon,…
Search for “epic hero” in the dictionary, and the definition reads: “a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events” (“epic hero”). Scan the page a little further, preferably just underneath it, and the name Beowulf appears. Beowulf has come to be the embodiment of an epic hero in society for his ability to exhibit not only one, but all traits of a hero in the epic proportion. Although Beowulf’s story remains evident, the relevance of his heroic characteristics may be questionable. Nonetheless, many traits that were valued at the time when Beowulf swam the seas, continue to linger on in modern society. Beowulf personifies the epic hero and all that it stands for by exhibiting traits…
Joseph Campbell has set the standard for the steps a person takes before they can be classified as a hero, but he did not do this until after the writing and translation of Beowulf. Beowulf, a story that was told in the early 100s and wrote within the same time period, is the story of an average Nordic viking that is called to Herot by the king to get rid of an evil monster named Grendel that is terrorizing the town of Herot. If you were to look at how the story is told though, you can see how even before The Hero With a Thousand Faces was wrote that Joseph Campbell’s steps of becoming/being a hero are echoed through the story of Beowulf. To answer the question of if Beowulf qualifies as a mythic hero when comparing him to the story wrote by…
What are the qualities of an epic hero? An Epic hero is a hero on a…
Beowulf is a biography possibly written about a real or mythical individual, in which nothing is known of the exact date or author. In this biography, there is Beowulf a strong Geat warrior and hero. As a hero he is both portrayed as a savior-like figure in a pagan since, but as a warrior sent to do God's work in a Christian sense.…
Beowulf is a tale of journeys- Journeys between kingdoms and people, between worlds, human and monstrous, between life and death. Beowulf is the single-most important work of poetry written in English before the works of Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century. It is a richly textured story of accomplishment and failure, of words and deeds touching on the human condition in ways which make it eternal. It is, however, something of a historical enigma.…
The epic poem Beowulf is one of the oldest epics in English literature. Beowulf is a great Anglo-Saxon warrior. He has super human abilities that set him apart from other men. He is a servant to Hrothgar and eventually becomes a beloved king. Beowulf is a true hero in this epic because of his accomplishments in battle. Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon throughout this poem. The three battles Beowulf engages in differ by his attitude, preparation, and physical ability.…