Hrothgar and Beowulf
The epic, Beowulf, written by an unknown author tells a story of heroism, good versus evil, and defeat. The story starts out with a monster Grendel, whom is said to be the decadence of Cain, awaking. This devilish monster goes on a rampage of pure evil killing everything in its sight which leaves the once great leader, Hrothgar, hopeless. Beowulf hears of this terrible monster and comes to the king’s rescue. Beowulf ends up defeating the monsters threatening the land and then the two great leaders form an alliance and become appreciative friends. These leaders, Beowulf and Hrothgar, are very similar yet very different, they are both heroic, christen, and lastly they both experienced a very different yet similar demise.
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The two character, Hrothgar and Beowulf are heavily praised when they are first introduced to the readers rapidly demonstrating that they are great, well known, chivalrous heroes. In the epic, Hrothgar is introduced first, “Then Hrothgar, taking the throne, led the Danes to such glory that comrades and kinsmen swore by his sword” (Line 64 – 66). Unlike Beowulf Hrothgar is king right away in the story. Yet Hrothgar is not the hero this story because he allowed Grendel to become a marauder of many men. If he had found a way, either by himself or someone else, to get rid of Grendel, only then he would he have been labeled as an epic hero. But that does not happen. The honor of being the epic hero goes to Beowulf, “Beowulf, Higlac’s follower and the strongest of the Geats---greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (Line 195 – 196). Beowulf does not start of as a king in the story but rather an accomplish to the king of the Geats. In addition, an epic hero is someone who performs heroic deeds which means Beowulf is the obvious hero of the story. Beowulf killed Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon, which are all heroic deeds that no one was willing to commit but himself. Although Hrothgar was not the hero of the story he was a hero to his people before the reign of Grendel, therefore, both Hrothgar and Beowulf are
When most people think of a hero, they picture a typically strong man with courageous actions and noble qualities. As people read Beowulf, they will begin to realize that Beowulf is the exact figure of what a hero should be. From defeating Grendel to helping the kingdom, Beowulf continues to show his heroic acts. If it weren’t for him, Grendel would have destroyed the kingdom. Beowulf’s strength, courage, and nobility proves that he is a hero.
Imagine that if you have a sword that can hold rights, but it can backslide something to you in return. A true epic hero will not use the sword. In Robert Nye’s Beowulf, Beowulf meets all standards of an epic hero. Beowulf proves to be an epic hero by demonstrating superhuman strength, risking death for good,and being a reasonable leader.
An epic hero is someone who has to preform heroic deeds. The King of Geatland at the beginning of the poem was Hrothgar, Beowulf is just a Geatish Warrior, once Beowulf finds out about Grendel attacking he steps in to help the tribe. Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon in this poem. The battles Beowulf fought were beyond human strength and capabilities. Beowulf’s first battle was with Grendel, whose arm was ripped off with a pair of bare hands, this became his first heroic achievement.
The hero in the epic poem Beowulf is the main character, Beowulf. He demonstrates heroic qualities as soon as the readers are introduced to his character. Beowulf proves himself to be courageous and brave by voluntarily fighting the “undefeatable” monster, Grendel. He is greatly admired by both the Danes and Geats for his courageous acts. Although his motivation is altered to only benefit himself with the title of the greatest warrior, his plan to save the Danes is greatly appreciated by all in the land.
Beowulf is an arrogant man who constantly tries to surpass all other men. The hero is fueled by his greed for power, and boasts of his greatness before battling Grendel. “‘My people… have seen my strength for themselves,/
In the epic poem “Beowulf” the character Beowulf is the foundation for all of our modern heroes, but was he really a great hero? A hero is classified as a person who is admired for their bravery, achievements, or nobility. Although Beowulf displays all these qualities, there are several reasons he is not a hero, mainly him being egotistical and arrogant. This is why Beowulf is not a heroic person. Beowulf is often caught bragging about himself and his great accomplishments.
He would overcome many obstacles of evil and bring good to the Geats. It was a miracle that Beowulf could fight this evil and actually trounce it. In remembrance of the heroic king and his miraculous triumph, Hrothgar and his men built a tower in Beowulf’s honor. Many elements of good and evil bring the “epic” element to an epic poem. Beowulf became an epic hero because of all of the great achievements he accomplished for his
Both Beowulf and modern day heroes risk their life for the good of others and are held to a high regard. " Nor have I seen a mightier man-at-arms on this earth than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken, is truly noble. This is no mere hanger-on in a hero's armor”. Beowulf was a considered an epic hero because he did great deeds and was of high importance. While heroes today aren’t usually princes or royalty, they are usually held to high respect like
Madisyn Ortolano Mr. Richards English IV January 31, 2023 Beowulf Paper Beowulf is an epic hero in many ways. He fights monsters and dragons, but he believes in a fair fight, he is a demi-god, he has to fight alone, he has a magical weapon, and he is introduced in the middle of turmoil. Beowulf possesses all the characteristics and more which makes him an epic hero. Now let's dive into reason one.
The authors use of the hero tradition is contradicted when we get a glimpse of Beowulf’s arrogance. During the final battle as Beowulf said his goodbyes to his followers, he humbly reassured them, “fate decides which of [them] wins,” showing now sound of arrogance (666-667). Beowulf is living up to the “hero” expectation in the citizens’ eyes; he is being selfless for this kingdom. However this role is not applicable for him just yet. His humility, that the other characterized for him, is overlooked as he states, “this dragon’s treasure, his gold and everything hidden in that tower will be mine,” showing his true intentions.
Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be
Given this evidence, it is clear that Beowulf deserves to be labeled as an epic hero. He consistently and evidently displayed multiple characteristics of an epic hero. Beowulf was always on a quest, continously risked his life for glory and the greater good of society, and had superior intelligence, strength, and courage which were the three most crucial reasons that created him to be
3. Grendel certainly believed he was going to defeat Beowulf because he had no weapons. However, Grendel had no idea Beowulf had superhuman strength with his hands. B. Beowulf’s leadership, advice and cunning tactics is another reason why he earns the title of “epic hero.” 1.
Beowulf Essay An epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. Also, epic heroes are characters that do extraordinary objectives that a normal human could never do. In the poem, Beowulf, the main character does superhuman jobs when he battles monsters, swims underwater for hours, and is also a great leader, which also makes him an epic hero. By analyzing the character Beowulf, he is classified as an epic hero.
The epic poem Beowulf is a classic tale of good versus evil. Good, as shown in the story, is any action that fights evil and defends the community and the people of it. The evil intent of Grendel, the story’s antagonist and cannibalistic murderer, who is depicted as a “fiend out of hell” (99), is strongly countered by the heroic actions of the stories main protagonist, Beowulf. The noble King Hrothgar is a role model for young Beowulf at the beginning of the epic, displaying acts of charity and wisdom throughout his life.