Comparison of Modern Day Heroes and Beowulf
Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the main character of the epic, shows certain characteristics such as bravery, loyalty, and generosity, which portray him as a hero. It is interesting how modern day heroes show the much of the same qualities as Beowulf.
Bravery is a trait that
…show more content…
Loyalty is defined in Merriam Webster dictionary as “faithful in allegiance to one's lawful sovereign or government”. Also known as comitatus, Beowulf declares But if battle should claim me, send this most excellent coat of mail to Hygelac, this best of corslets that protects my breast; it once belonged to Hrethal. the work of Weland. Fate goes ever as it must!
In this passage Beowulf is saying that what ever may happen to his body, send his coat of mail to his leader, for that is where his loyalty belongs. United States soldiers are often thought of as heroes, and travel to parts of the world where they might face death, and instead of burying their body in foreign lands they choose to be brought back to their homeland to be buried, showing their loyalty to their country.
Generosity another trait of a hero is depicted by Beowulf on many occasions in the epic. When hearing of Grendel terrorizing Herot, Beowulf ventures off to see if his assistance was needed. He does this out of generosity, and when much treasure was rewarded, he gave it to his kingdom rather then keeping it for personal profit. After the September 11th tragedy occurred people came form far and wide to help out or donate money. Generosity is also displayed every year at Christmas when people go out of their way to help needy families
Heroes bring a hope to people whom they protect. Heroes bring people joy and bring a sense of relaxation to the people of their society because they play such an important role in lives everywhere. Heroes are complex rather than unembellished because they can fight dragons to defend their kingdom, or create a non-profit foundation to enhance the quality of life for more than 2,000 underprivileged kids. Heroes in our present day can be very complex because a person’s viewpoint on a hero’s life can be a completely different than the way another person looks at that same hero. Thomas Davis Sr. can be extremely comparable to Beowulf but they also have major differences.
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. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.
Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is the hero. He shows that he is a great man by always putting other things before his own needs. He is important and needed by his people and is known by many as a strong, courageous and a helpful person. He shows all of the qualities and traits that a true hero possesses.
In the epic poem Beowulf, it portrays a heroine, a mighty warrior who fights to the death with Grendel, a nefarious beast. Most people think heroes are like this mythical creature that only exists in fairy tales; however they are more common than you might think. A hero is someone that possesses noble qualities and exceptional achievements. Heroes aren’t always wearing a cape, flying high; sometimes they are one of the people in the background-- never hearing a “thank you”. We encounter heroes everyday from teachers to parents to doctors, they help to better us in our everyday lives.
prove myself with a proud deed / or meet my death here in the mead-hall." (636-638), he uses diction related to proving his valiance and keeping promises. Here, Beowulf shows that he is not fighting for himself, rather he is fighting for the people
Beowulf himself is a prime example of a hero. He Stands up for what he believes in. His his personal beliefs characterize what a hero stands for in todays society. Some valuable traits Beowulf carries are manhood, and bravery. Some ways that Beowulf shows us how his bravery stands as a big part in his life is by killing Grendel. Killing Grendel caused a lot of problems including when Beowulf took Grendel's talon and Grendel's mother comes back to retrieve it. Bravery showed when Beowulf stood up to Grendel's mother, and when he saved the Danes from the monster.
Beowulf displays his altruism when he first meets Hrothgar and says, “This one favor you should not refuse me- that I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall”(line 165). Beowulf wants to fight Grendel solely because he wants to rid Herot of evil and save its people. Beowulf is abandoned by his people when he goes to fight the dragon, and still doesn’t blame them for his death. He displays this altruism all throughout the story and even dies for the good of the people.
Beowulf is an Epic hero, because he has a special gift of tremendous strength, has courageous qualities, receives divine intervention from God, and is able to defeat the massive demons that have been terrorizing Herot. Beowulf is actually the most stereotypical character to be the hero in the Epic, rather than a modern take where a normal character becomes an unlikely hero. Beowulf was born with the strength of thirty men in one hand, and becomes the destined one to defeat Grendel along with attaining all of the glory. The plot of the Epic is also identical to what Beowulf is foreshadowed to be, because of Beowulf having a special trait that no other man has, traveling through other worldly elements, supernatural forces, and poetical writing. A legacy is made throughout the story based on these events of bravery and glory, which is why Beowulf is an Epic hero.
At the end of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel and Grendel’s Mother he gains his honor and return home to Geatland. After his final battle with the dragon he is then buried with all of his honor and
The old-english epic poem called Beowulf is about… a man that left his the hometown to go fight monsters for a king in Geatland. Beowulf believes in a fair fight and loyalty which are characteristics of being a hero. Beowulf saves a kingdom from the anger of the destructive, bloodthirsty monster known as Grendel. People in the Anglo-Saxon society consider him as hero because he goes on quests, he leads others responsibly, and he gets rewards for his victories. In order to be a hero you have to go on quests and missions to save people.
The story of Beowulf takes place hundreds of years ago in a society that emphasized heros who were strong and brave instead of one’s that protected or helped others. We can see this in Beowulf because most of the emphasis of the story is on his fights, not his charity.
Heroes possess qualities that most normal people lack and wish to be like. Heroes like Beowulf often battle for good, or accomplish a set of tasks to complete an important goal. For example, he has an epic battle with Grendel which shows how great he truly is because he defeated the monster with his bare hands without help from any regular man.
In present day's society a hero can be seen as someone who risk their own safety or well-being to help someone else either individually or to help the community. Today's requirement to be a hero can be anyone as long as they make sacrifices for others, in which they can be seen as selfless and caring. Many traits that are portrayed of heroes currently were once used to determine a hero in Anglo-Saxon times. In the epic poem Beowulf, by an unknown author, the protagonist Beowulf is visioned to be the archetype of an Anglo-Saxon hero. Some of these attributing qualities that make a hero today were a few of the biggest qualities in Anglo-Saxon times; Beowulf's heroism is personified by his brute strength, his courage to engage in certain
Beowulf is an Old English poem in which a hero gains fame and riches through defeating monsters.Beowulf the hero, is form a clan known as the geats. In the poem he is said to be one of the bravest and strongest men on earth. Beowulf begins his journey by slaying a monster known as Grendel, that has been terrorizing the Danes. Once Grendel is killed he boasts about his brute strength and earns kinship from King Hrothgar. Beowulf then proceeded to fight in two more battles with the third one ending in a deadly defeat for Beowulf. So why is Beowulf considered the perfect hero by his society?
In Beowulf, our hero, Beowulf, is described as being courageous, blessed with inhuman strength, and being exceptionally intelligent. Beowulf did not only display these characteristics but many more that made him a hero. King Hrothgar knew “that [Beowulf had] thirty men’s grapple in his hand” and that he was “the hero-in-battle” (Hall Pt.7, Line 9-10). Although he exemplified the traits that we perceive as super-hero traits, the qualities that truly defined him were gratitude, honor, and faith. Beowulf expressed his gratitude through many different actions. He was not only willing to defend a village in which the people were not his own, but he was willing to put his life on the line for their protection. Even though Beowulf’s gratitude was shown through the defeat of Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, his gratitude was not entirely shown through his battles. The most prominent action in which Beowulf’s gratitude was