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| The first way he shows Anglo-Saxon beliefs is through his bravery. This is one of the most valued characteristics in Anglo-Saxon society. Bravery is valued highly in Anglo-Saxon society and those who do show bravery are more honored then others. This shows Beowulf's bravery in a dangerous situation. Beowulf shows this characteristic most of the time, making him an excellent example of an Anglo-Saxon epic hero. The next way that he shows the beliefs of Anglo-Saxon society is through loyalty. Loyalty is the most respected characteristic in Anglo-Saxon society. Here Beowulf is showing loyalty to Hrothgar because of family ties. Since the leader had control of just about everything and has the loyalty of everyone, being loyal was important to staying alive. Since Beowulf showed as much loyalty as he did he stands up to yet another characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon beliefs. Another belief that Beowulf portrays is friendship. Friendship is important because it shows another aspect of loyalty. The virtue of friendship is valued among Anglo-Saxons, even though it isn't valued so highly as loyalty. In this passage Horthgar is greeting Beowulf after his long journey to come and help his friends, and the friends of his father. By showing friendship Beowulf shows another virtue of an Anglo-Saxon hero. Beowulf also shared the Anglo-Saxon belief of an afterlife. The Anglo-Saxons believed that the only afterlife consisted of being remembered in songs or stories. Anglo-Saxons didn't believe in an afterlife because of their religion. In this quote Beowulf is trying to make a story for himself, to battle against a monster with only his hands would surely let him live on forever in tales and songs. Beowulf wanted to name the tower after himself so people would remember him forever. In being remembered forever Beowulf would live on, thus proving his ties to Anglo-Saxon society. Beowulf is an epic hero of the Anglo-Saxon time period because he showed friendship, loyalty, bravery, and shared a common belief about the afterlife. He showed friendship by coming to aid his kin and long time friend of his father's. Loyalty because he honored the friendship his father had with Horthgar. Bravery was shown through his actions of battling Grendel with his bare hands. The common belief about the afterlife is that there is none except in song or tale, and Beowulf shared that belief. Beowulf did battle monsters, but he also epitomised the beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon society and proved that you don't have to save a damsel in distress to be an epic hero.
Huntington Fletcher, Robert. 'Beowulf', from . Books & Literature Classics. Web. 29 Sept. 2011. < >. Leeming, David A. "The Anglo-Saxons - Anglo-Saxon Life: The Warm Hall, the Cold World." with World Classics. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2000. Print. Raffel, Burton, trans. "From Beowulf." with World Classics. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 2000. 23. Print.
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 The Poem “Beowulf”: Character Analysis Essay (Critical Writing)
Beowulf presents one of the most important pieces of English literature from the Anglo-Saxon period because of its epic nature and historic value. The poem depicts the heroic deeds of the warrior Beowulf and captures the Anglo-Saxon culture of the medieval period. The poem is divided into three parts for each of Beowulf’s heroic battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. In each part of the poem, Beowulf demonstrates different heroic traits, ultimately creating his image of an epic hero. Firstly, Beowulf’s story in the poem starts when he offers to help King Hrothgar defeat the monster known as Grendel. The character proves the seriousness of his intentions by boasting about his previous victories in battle with nine sea monsters, demonstrating his courage. In the poem, Grendel is depicted as a monster that appears “bigger than any man” and stronger than the main character (Heaney, 2008, p.93). During his fight with Grendel, Beowulf demonstrates bravery by fighting the monster bare-handed to gain great fame and honor. Next, in the part of the poem which depicts Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother, the character demonstrates his commitment to duty and King Hrothgar by killing Grendel’s mother. Furthermore, Beowulf demonstrates his intelligence when he discovers that his sword cannot hurt Grendel’s mother and finds a magic sword inside her cave. Thus, in addition to bravery and courage often associated with epic heroes, Beowulf possesses such heroic qualities as loyalty and intelligence. Lastly, Beowulf enters the fight with the last monster as the king of Geats. During his last battle, Beowulf demonstrates care for his soldiers, contrary to his actions in the first parts of the poem. He also shows the will to self-sacrifice, which resonates with one of his loyal soldiers. Together, they kill the dragon, and Beowulf dies not only as a famous hero but also as a responsible leader and ruler. In conclusion, this essay explored heroic traits in the character of Beowulf. The essay defines how each chapter of the poem captures different heroic traits exhibited by Beowulf, such as bravery and courage, loyalty and intelligence, wisdom and self-sacrificing. Thus, the paper explains how the combination of different heroic traits creates the image of Beowulf as an epic hero and captures the character’s progression from a brave warrior to a wise and responsible ruler. Heaney, S. (2008). Beowulf: An illustrated edition. W.W. Norton & Company.
IvyPanda. (2024, April 19). The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/ "The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." IvyPanda , 19 Apr. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/. IvyPanda . (2024) 'The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis'. 19 April. IvyPanda . 2024. "The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." April 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/. 1. IvyPanda . "The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." April 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/. Bibliography IvyPanda . "The Poem "Beowulf": Character Analysis." April 19, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-poem-beowulf-character-analysis/. Beowulf Epic Hero This essay will examine the character of Beowulf in the Old English epic poem, highlighting his status as an archetypal epic hero. It will discuss Beowulf’s heroic traits, such as his strength, bravery, and sense of duty, and how these qualities align with the traditional standards of an epic hero. The piece will also explore the poem’s themes of heroism, mortality, and the struggle between good and evil, considering the historical and cultural context of the Anglo-Saxon period. At PapersOwl, you’ll also come across free essay samples that pertain to Beowulf. How it works A hero can be defined in many different ways. Some of the characteristics heroes often possess include bravery, strength, persistence, and loyalty. In the poem Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, is a Scandinavian prince who embodies many of these heroic qualities. Beowulf is a poem that was written anonymously between the 8th and the early 11th centuries; this was a time when the Anglo-Saxons ruled most of Northern Europe. Beowulf is about a man who sails to Denmark to fight Grendel, a monster who has been slaughtering the people of Denmark for many years. Throughout the poem, Beowulf demonstrates many of the true characteristics of an epic hero. He displays bravery, loyalty, and persistence as he takes on many battles. One of the heroic qualities Beowulf possess displays throughout the poem is bravery. Beowulf demonstrates bravery at the very beginning of the poem when he sails to Denmark to fight Grendel,; a monster he knows very little about. All Beowulf knows about his opponent, Grendel, is that there have been many people who have attempted to defeat him, yet. However, none have succeeded. In an attempt to prove his bravery to the people of Denmark, Beowulf decides to go up against Grendel unarmed. He believes that “[His] hands alone shall fight, [struggling] for life against the monster” (lines 172-174). Beowulf is not only the first man brave enough to fight Grendel, but he is also the first to fight him unarmed. Beowulf is confident he is strong enough to defeat Grendel, andas he never questions his abilities. Fifty years later, Beowulf displays bravery again when he goes into battle with a dragon. At the end of the poem, a thief steals the dragon’s treasure, and in return, the dragon destroys Getland. This makes Beowulf angry, so he sets out to defeat this monster. Although Beowulf has aged over time, this does not steer him away from wanting to fight. Before Beowulf fights the dragon, he tells his people he will “Not run from the shooting flames, [or] stand still, until? fate decides which of us wins” (lines 675-677). No matter the circumstances, Beowulf was not going to back down, even if that meant dying. When Beowulf finally fights the monster, all his men cower away in fear, leaving Beowulf standing alone. Even though Beowulf’s men sheepishly ruan away, he still continues to fight. Beowulf is not like the average man, he shows bravery in everything he does. Another heroic quality Beowulf portrays is loyalty to his people. Beowulf’s loyalty is made extremely apparent whenever he courageously follows Hrothgar’s orders, not once, but twice, to go after Grendel and then Grendel’s mother. Beowulf also demonstrates loyalty at the end of the poem when he is in battle with a dragon. During the battle “None of his comrades came to him, helped him, his brave and noble fellers; they ran for their lives, fled deep into the woods” (lines 746-749). Even though his men abandoned him, he stayed loyal to them and continued to fight for their protection. Beowulf knew he could die in battle, but he was willing to fight for the protection of his people no matter the outcome. Another time Beowulf shows loyalty to his people is when he is lying on his deathbed, facing the fact that he might not come back. Despite the fact that he is about to die, his main concern is still his men. As Beowulf is lying on the ground in pain, he asks Wiglaf to “lead his people, help them” (lines 808-809). Beowulf was on his last leg, and his only concern was the future of GeatlandDenmark. Once again, Beowulf differs from the average man, foras he sticks by his men untiltill the end, even though they abandoned him when he needed them the most. Lastly, Beowulf portrays the qualities of an epic hero by the way he displays persistence throughout the poem. Beowulf’s’ persistence is the reason why he is so successful in his battles. Beowulf demonstrates this when he battles Grendel’s mom. In the battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf brings a man-made sword that was supposed to be unstoppable. Beowulf later figures out that the sword was of no use when he attempts to strike Grendel’s mom, and the sword phases her in no way. It was at the point that Beowulf realized that he had nothing but his hands to fight, but that did not stop him from him giving his all. “Beowulf [who] longed only for fame, leaped back into battle” and defeated the bloodthirsty monster (lines 606-607). From the beginning, Beowulf had one focus:, to protect the Geats and the Danes. Beowulf never eased up. Even at the end, when he is old and aged, he maintained his point of convergence to protect the people. In order to shield his people from the beasts, Beowulf took charge of his emotional distress; he never displayed any signs of fear or lack of self-confidence. Beowulf was perpetually confident, so much so that he believed he could alter fate through courage. Another way Beowulf displays persistence is the way in which he battles Grendel. At the beginning of the poem, before Beowulf fights Grendel, many people start to question whether he will really be able to defeat Grendel. However, this doesn’t affect Beowulf in any way. He knew that his purpose “was to win the goodwill of [the] people or die in battle, pressed / In Grendel’s fierce grip” (lines 366-368). Beowulf knew that death was a possibilityit was a possibility he could die, but he was willing to fight to his death if that’s what it took. Beowulf demonstrates persistence in every battle he fights in, and without it, he would have never been a true epic hero. Beowulf embodies a true epic hero throughout the entirety of the poem. This is made clear as he continues to demonstrate heroic qualities, despite the adversities he faces. He performed many acts of bravery and was persistent with every battle he faced, while also remaining loyal to his people. Normal men and women do not have the attributes that Anglo-Saxon heroes do, so they must rely on heroes, like Beowulf, to fight off oppression. Beowulf was willing to do anything for his men, and that’s what made him stand out amongst the others. Beowulf died for his people, and that does not only make him a hero in the Anglo-Saxon time period, but also today.  Cite this pageBeowulf Epic Hero. (2021, Apr 15). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/beowulf-epic-hero/ "Beowulf Epic Hero." PapersOwl.com , 15 Apr 2021, https://papersowl.com/examples/beowulf-epic-hero/ PapersOwl.com. (2021). Beowulf Epic Hero . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/beowulf-epic-hero/ [Accessed: 15 Aug. 2024] "Beowulf Epic Hero." PapersOwl.com, Apr 15, 2021. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/beowulf-epic-hero/ "Beowulf Epic Hero," PapersOwl.com , 15-Apr-2021. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/beowulf-epic-hero/. [Accessed: 15-Aug-2024] PapersOwl.com. (2021). Beowulf Epic Hero . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/beowulf-epic-hero/ [Accessed: 15-Aug-2024] Don't let plagiarism ruin your gradeHire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.  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Beowulfs Traits of an Epic Hero. With his larger-than-life strength, unwavering courage, and noble deeds, Beowulf stands as a quintessential example of an epic hero in literature. The epic poem Beowulf, written by an unknown author between the 8th and 11th centuries, portrays the legendary hero's exploits as he battles monsters and defends his ...
Beowulf, the legendary hero of the Old English epic poem bearing his name, is considered one of the greatest epic heroes in literature. His bravery, strength, and noble qualities have cemented his place as an archetypal hero in the literary world. In this essay, we will explore what makes Beowulf an epic hero, from his origins to his lasting impact on literature and culture.
A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others.
An epic hero being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. Beowulf was a hero to his ...
An epic hero is one who portrays the beliefs of the society in which the tale is depicted. A good example is Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxons. Beowulf is a prime example of an Anglo-Saxon epic hero because he showed bravery, loyalty, friendship, and the Anglo-Saxon idea of afterlife. The first way he shows Anglo-Saxon beliefs is through his ...
Beowulf's ability to protect his people without any care of losing his own life made him a true hero and also gave him the qualities of a great leader. Beowulf's warriors praise him after his death as being a hero and a gracious and kind king who always defended his people with honor and minimal pride. This is an especially difficult thing to ...
The epic poem "Beowulf" has captured the imagination of readers for centuries, and at the heart of this ancient tale lies the towering figure of Beowulf himself, the archetypal epic hero. In this essay, we will embark on a journey into the world of Beowulf, analyzing his character and actions to understand what makes him an epic hero.
In conclusion, this essay explored heroic traits in the character of Beowulf. The essay defines how each chapter of the poem captures different heroic traits exhibited by Beowulf, such as bravery and courage, loyalty and intelligence, wisdom and self-sacrificing. Thus, the paper explains how the combination of different heroic traits creates the image of Beowulf as an epic hero and captures ...
A hero should always be a Epic Hero one who is larger than life, and who knows good values in life. In Beowulf especially, it speaks much about strength, but not only strength in his arms, but the strength to stay strong and love people. In the poem we learn about how Beowulf who is the hero during Anglo Saxton times.
Beowulf embodies several traits that make him a textbook epic hero. Some of these traits include his larger-than-life physical strength, his courage in the face of extreme danger, and his loyalty ...
Commonly epic heroes have superior strength, have strong love for their people, are fearless of death, and are very ethical people. The epic poem Beowulf describes a heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is almost invincible person with all the unseeming traits required of an epic hero. Beowulf is a perfect example of an epic ...
Understanding Beowulf as an epic hero means examining the text carefully and comparing Beowulf's traits to those of other recognized epic heroes in literature.
Is Beowulf A Epic Hero English Literature Essay. In his epic story, the main character, Beowulf is a warrior king who has proven to possess the battle-hardened personality of an epic conqueror. Yet, through acts of lethal skill and incredible bravery he has maintained a durable reputation and his sense of royal duty.
The best way to understand the Anglo-Saxon hero is to read the epic poem, Beowulf, and study the title character, as he is the epitome of epic heroism. Beowulf 's tale begins when the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his citizens are being terrorized by a monster, Grendel.
Beowulf, an epic poem written in old English, reflects many of the Anglo- Saxon societies ideals that we have seen. Many of these Anglo- Saxon ideals include: admiration for outstanding courage, belief in the importance of loyalty to a leader and to the tribe, value of fierce personal valor, receipt of persons of rank with grave courtesy, the ruler was expected to be generous to those who were ...
In both life and death, the life and accomplishments of Beowulf were always celebrated with the Save to read later on your computer Save to a Studylist Document continues below Writing30380 18Documents 39 Essay On Global Warming 100% (3) 3 story writing essay 100% (2) 3 The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics Writing100% (2) 39 Drug Abuse Essays Writing100% (2) 39 Essay On Bravery Writing100% (2) 11 ...
An epic hero is the central figure who has superior qualities and risks personal danger to pursue a grand quest. Beowulf is a great epic hero because he performs many brave deeds such as risking his life for the greater good of society, and is significant and glorified by all people. Beowulf displays all of these heroic characteristics in many situations throughout the poem. Beowulf boasts and ...
Essay 1: Rough Draft alous of the supernatural capabilities Beowulf had. The epic hero has to be unique, filled with compassion and must be loyal to the organization or group in which he belongs. I will examine how Beowulf defeats Grendel, Grendel's mother, and finally defeats the dragon and how all of these elements contribute to Beowulf 's being an epic hero. In each of the fights: I ...
Beowulf Epic Hero Essay. Beowulf fights dragon and saves in damsel in distress an epic hero is one who portrays the society in which the tale is depicted a good example is Beowulf from the Anglo Saxon Beowulf is a prime example of an epic hero because he showed bravery, loyalty, and friendship. Beowulf is being known for the characteristics ...
Throughout the poem, Beowulf demonstrates many of the true characteristics of an epic hero. He displays bravery, loyalty, and persistence as he takes on many battles. One of the heroic qualities Beowulf possess displays throughout the poem is bravery. Beowulf demonstrates bravery at the very beginning of the poem when he sails to Denmark to ...
Beowulf is considered to be an epic hero. A character such as himself can even be considered in the same class as different DC Comic heroes such Superman, Batman, Green Lantern or The Flash. It is acceptable to list Beowulf with these heroes due to all of his heroic efforts defeating various monsters and enemies and the fact that he has a DC Comic made about him. Beowulf is a hero that defies ...
Explore the character of Beowulf from the epic poem Beowulf. Discover the qualities of a hero, and examine Beowulf's characteristics, traits, and...