Beowulf As A Hero Essay - 614 Words (2023)

analytical

Beowulf displayed great courage and honor throughout his journeys and battles; he was an epic hero. An epic hero is a person who is viewed as larger than life and possesses values of a certain society. From the time of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel to his brawl against the dragon, he has showed everyone what being an honorable hero looks like. His heroism is revealed through both youth as a young warrior and wisdom as a reliable king. He never backed down and didn’t give up when situations were tough. Beowulf had obligations to fulfill and went about every aspect of his life with courage and strength. He cared for his people and was willing to take on anyone that threatened them or his kingdom. He sincerely was the hero of his time.

Beowulf, an Archetypal Hero An epic hero is defined as someone who seems larger than life, that exemplifies the cultural values of that time period. A piece of literature that revolves around the archetypal hero is the poem Beowulf. Beowulf is the oldest surviving piece of literature in the English language. Although the poem has historical elements woven into it, it is a complete work of fiction.

Beowulf and the Hero MythBeowulf contains a myriad of different heroic ethical and socialvalues. Most of these values are ingeniously rooted within, or made evidentby the opposing forces of the poem. The initial opposing force arrives inthe form of Grendel, a vile creature who's rampages mirror that of a modernserial killer. As the poem draws toward the conclusion, it focuses on thedragon, a creature developed by the poet to solidify the rise and fall ofthe archetypal hero. After Adolf Hitler failed in his artistic studies at Vienna, hebegan to develop what would become a reign of terror on those who were notlike him.

A true hero is someone who stands up for an idea that has admirable intentions. In the book “Beowulf,” men were considered heroes based on the way they followed the warrior’s code. The warrior’s code included duty, honor, and chivalry. At the beginning of the book, Beowulf seems to have the characteristics of a warrior, but as the story develops Beowulf starts having a different perspective on what a true warrior is.

Throughout the course of history, there have been many heroes and stories about said heroes. Beowulf is one that is included among these heroes as he exhibits many qualities of a hero, such as honor, bravery, and strength. These qualities are all shown several times throughout the story of the hero Beowulf.

All epic heroes tend to be in a way super human and use their “power” to battle evil to save people. An epic hero comes in during strenuous circumstances. Many epic heroes have a god-like complex to them which can make them seem arrogant. Their inhuman abilities allow them to battle with monster no one man could. Beowulf’s extraordinary characteristics make him well known, yet in the end, his need for fame becomes his terrible downfall.

This thesis statement studies religious conflicts in this poem called Beowulf, as which it takes place in a pagan surrounding, however it’s written by a poet, who was encouraged by a Christian society. The poem brings about the central conflict of Beowulf that is imbued with the religious convictions of the Middle Ages. There is good versus evil and religious allegories with Beowulf, and along with the notions of good versus evil in the figures of Grendel and Beowulf.

The story of the epic hero, Beowulf, has been translated by many authors throughout the years. Among the many authors is Burton Raffel. Burton Raffel tried to instill or incorporate and project an emphasis on the importance of the qualities that a hero should posses. Burton Raffel translated Beowulf in 1963 after 44 other translations of Beowulf. As a translator, Burton Raffel faced what many other translators had to capture – the ideas of the author.

Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem of Old English and also the earliest vernacular English literature. The epic poem has an unknown author and also has parts of the poem missing. Beowulf, Grendel and King Hrogthar are some of the most influential characters in this epic poem. Grendel, a troll like monster, is aggrieved by the noise that comes from the dining hall in King Hrogthar’s kingdom and terrorizes it every time there is a social gathering there. Beowulf’s heroic character appears when the terrorizing of the meat hall, Heorot, is unbearable. All three characters interact and affect the poem in different but major ways. Beowulf is steeped in a pagan tradition that depicts nature as hostile and forces of death as uncontrollable. Blind fate picks random victims and man is never reconciled with the world.

A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.