Hero In Beowulf

Courage is one of many characteristics of Beowulf’s complex personality. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf demonstrates courage by not fearing his enemies even if he knew pain or death awaited him. In his last battle,

A hero; is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. - Christopher Wilde. There are many ways a hero can be described, but the two most popular traits are honor and strength. Throughout the different stories in this collection of books, one thing has stayed constant; the display of honor and strength. Not only did the protagonist, Beowulf, carry these characteristics but also the antagonists such as, Grendel, and Grendel’s mother.

A hero is a distinguished person of outstanding qualities and abilities, who is admired for not only having these specific characteristics but also admired by his people for his noble acts and bravery. More specifically to this story would be to look at the aspects of an Anglo-Saxon hero. An Anglo-Saxon hero is a person who is a great leader, is open to and able to protect his people and give them a sense of safety, and is also willing to put himself in harms to protect these people. These heroes were usually someone of high standing or someone with great accomplishments because they distinguished themselves by doing things for the greater good. In the epic poem Beowulf, the unknown author portrays Beowulf as a hero in order to show how being a hero requires a specific set of

Beowulf is a well known, mighty warrior in his youthful days showing nothing but courage and strength. “The

Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”

Every heroic hero acquires undeniable brave characteristics. The exciting poem called Beowulf explains the most heroic man of all throughout the poem is a hero. He displays being a great warrior by determination, self-respect, and loyalty making him an outstanding hero. He is significant and needed to all those he’s come across and is known for his strong appeal, bold and a caring person. He proves all of the assets and behaviors that a real leader possesses.

Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.

Heroes are men who differentiate courage or ability, they are venerated for their deeds and honorable characteristics. Heroes are the people who will be confident enough to show bravery and determination in times of trouble. Ordinary people like me for example, should be inspired to do so. Beowulf is a hero, Achilles is a hero, and Hamlet is a hero and there are many more. Reflecting back on these heroes reminds me that our world could do better.

What is a hero? To some it is someone who has a supernatural ability and fights crime. To others a hero would be someone who is courageous and compassionate, just like Beowulf. Beowulf fought the dragon knowing the expense of his own life and he is always caring for his soldiers as well as his people. But the question asked by so many is “why do civilizations desire to have a hero?”

In today’s society, anybody can be considered a hero. A hero is a selfless person who is admired for their courageous achievements. A mother, celebrity, or even a mailman can be a hero to someone. In Beowulf, the epic poem translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is recognized as a hero who craves too much glory. In today’s world, Beowulf is viewed as an irrelevant hero since he displays poor qualities of arrogance and selfishness.

Beowulf came across three insurmountable tasks and conquered all three. Beowulf embodies and demonstrates the characteristics of a hero emphasizing leadership, bravery, and strength. According to Joseph Campbell a hero must give his or her life to something greater than themselves and must perform a courageous act either physically or spiritually. In Beowulf,

As we know, a hero is an individual that meets a monomyth. This involves the hero going on an adventure, in a decisive crisis that leads to a victory, and then comes home transformed. Even though Beowulf seems to meet the criteria of being a heroic figure, he willingly went to Heorot without being called by Hrothgar, the king of Heorot. The attitude towards the challenges he faces does not match the ideal persona of a hero. After defeating a problematic monster named Grendel, he only made the situation worse.

In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero, however in today 's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior. That’s because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments.

A hero does not fight for fame and glory but for the greater good. A hero is someone who goes through adversity to help others in desperate times. A hero fights evil, and defends people. Beowulf should be considered a hero because he is a strong, brave warrior who defended his people and slayed evil monsters. Beowulf proves himself to be a strong, brave warrior by killing Grendel the monster.

What qualifies a person to be called a hero? Officially a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Most people think of a superhero, like Batman or Spiderman, or someone closer to them such as their mother or their life-saving doctor. Heroes tend to be the main character in a story. Beowulf and Odysseus are two famous epic heroes in the texts Beowulf and The Odyssey.