By definition, a hero a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities (Merriam Webster). Different qualities like courage, honor and selflessness is what makes a hero and creates their reputation. However, a hero cannot be admired by the people it protects without exhibiting these three qualities. These three men show what a hero should really be. Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney and Sir Gawain from “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” translated by Brian Stone and Burton Raffel demonstrate heroic qualities like courage, honor, and selflessness, but Christy Mahon form Playboy of the Western World; and the Riders to the Sea written by J.M. Synge explains what a hero should not do by his actions. …show more content…
This act is seen as courageous by the Danes because to do this Beowulf had “Came ... from the depths, droves of sea-beasts. Who attacked with tusks and tore at his chain-mail” (Heaney 1510-1511). Not only did he leave the and and forced himself into an uncomfortable situation by having to defeat a monster in the water with other sea monsters attacking him, but he killed a beast that was considered to be extremely powerful. Additionally, a hero must be willing to risk their life to protect the community. Beowulf did this by knowing that fate will not be on his side with his battle against the dragon, but risking his life because no other person has a better chance of defeating the dragon. He knew that “No one else could do what [he] mean to, here, no man but [him] could hope to defeat this monster” (Heaney 2531-2534). This shows his courage because as the king of Geatland, he puts himself in harm's way to give his people the best chance of surviving, even if that means he will not be able to celebrate the victory with them. As well as Beowulf, Sir Gawain demonstrates courage because he goes
Beowulf was not the only one who showed bravery. Wiglaf did as well and he ultimately saved and helped Beowulf slay the dragons while all the other danes left him and ran away like cowards. . All the outcast sought vengeance and ended up being destroyed by the infamous
What is a hero? A hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. There are many people who meet the characteristics of a hero, but Chris McCandless is not one of them. There are many reasons that prove why McCandless does not meet the characteristics of a hero and there is many other people who do meet the criteria of a hero. My idea of a hero is a someone who takes on large tasks and shows great bravery in his/her character.
Not only have we seen brute strength, honorable courage, and admirable loyalty shine through beowulf, Beowulf also possess a great trait not many others have; his will to fight to the death, or self sacrifice. Not once throughout the story did Beowulf ever turn down a battle. Not once did he fear or flee his enemy. Not once did he ever give up even if death had him by the throat causing his mind to flood nothing but fearful thoughts and feelings throughout his body. Every battle Beowulf fought, he fought as if it was his last and that is what truly makes him the great warrior he is.
Yes, Beowulf is brave, but not because he wants to do the right thing, he wants gold and glory. Beowulf is known as a great hero and on the surface he is. He seems to be brave and just but underneath that, Beowulf is extremely arrogant and egotistical. Beowulf does not just do things for they are the right thing to do, he does them seeing that great deeds will bring him honor and boost his reputation. He fights Grendel for bragging rights like the swimming contest Unferth brought up and he refuses to use a sword when fighting Grendel because it will just add to his bravery.
Beowulf showed courage when he decided to fight Grendel with his bare hands, and stated that god would decide who the victor would be. Beowulf said this by saying “ That I alone with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall. …….. god must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip. Sir Gawain showed courage by following through with the challenge with the Green knight .
Beowulf definitely displays multiple examples of courage, such as fighting Grendel barehanded and going to fight a dragon alone, but the most pronounced example is when Beowulf goes to fight Grendel’s mother, his second trial. Her home is a disgusting, murky lake that’s “infested with… sea-dragons / and monsters” (1425) and so deep that “the mere bottom has never been sounded by the sons of men” (1367-1368). Even the creatures that live around it would rather die than dive under the water’s surface. Beowulf makes a big deal out of how terrifying her home is, expressing how the warriors who arrived at her home were “not man enough / to face the turmoil of a fight under water / and the risk to [their] life” (1468-1470). But Beowulf is willing to.
Beowulf embodies many universal societal heroic values that are signified in the modern world like courage, bravery, and strength. In the poem, Beowulf displays courage. “Now, I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat” (Heaney 425-426). This quote shows courage because he’s telling them that he can fight Grendel and wants to weather he wins or loses.
Hero: A person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities; however, heroism is not synonymous with perfection. Man can be a hero in spite of having some flaws. This is apparent in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, a story about the Salem Witch Trials in which Abigail Williams accuses dozens of innocent people of witchcraft. Despite being flawed, John Proctor, Reverend Hale, and Elizabeth Proctor can demonstrate their heroism in The Crucible. John Proctor is shown to be both a hero and a flawed man in regards to his lechery.
The hero was not scared he just wanted the treasure and to be the epic hero he’s always wanted to be. He had many attempts to kill the dragon, but the dragon was stronger than he thought. He stabs the dragon with the sword and it snaps and breaks. He does not give up though! This shows the strength and bravery of Beowulf.
’s arm off with his bare hands knowing he could die while trying to do this. As stated by Axel Lazno “Everything Beowulf does is a direct link to courage. Beowulf is a perfect example of an
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.
The definition of a true hero is very subjective as people have their own opinions on what makes someone a hero. Some people might consider someone who does the right thing a hero, for some it may be people who fight for their country. The characteristics of a hero might vary, but in the epic “Beowulf,” Beowulf is sought out to be the hero because of three main traits; his noble cause, code of honor, and his strength and courage. Each of these traits makes up the hero he is portrayed to be. One of the first qualities described in the epic is the act of a noble cause.
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.
The definition of heroism is great bravery. Bravery is what Beowulf displays when he makes the decision to battle the monsters. Beowulf's courage is exposed multiple times during the battles for example, "The dragon burns Beowulf's hall with fiery breath, and the old king sets out to fight him unaided" (Hanning 9). This detail displays that although the dragon is evil and might, Beowulf shows no fear whatsoever when battling them. Beowulf ignores the possibility of there being an adverse outcome during every battle he continues to fight.
A hero is someone who puts their life on the line for others expecting nothing in return. A hero has characteristics they show and three of these are bravery and courage, wisdom, and the ability to keep going no matter what challenges they face. The movies Jack Reacher and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol contain two main characters that are great examples of a hero. Jack Reacher and Ethan Hunt both portray heroic characteristics.