...The key character in the poem Beowulf, is a heroic and a legendary character whose actions are embodied to the Anglo-Saxon culture. As a hero he has the accepted and the most ideal characteristics that are accepted in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The tale revolves around these characteristics to make up an epic tale. Beowulf is moulded to possess the virtues, traits and beliefs that were highly respected and requires in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Therefore, is displayed to have these virtues in his own actions and words during different circumstances in the tale. Reading Beowulf brings out lots of similarities with many pieces of literature from the Ancient Greek and the Modern literature. The Beowulf carries is similar to many Greek dramas that focused on a protagonist who was turned out to be a tragic hero. There was an element of belief in the gods who had super- human powers and had unique and ultimate special skills of their own, and overcame unsurmountable problems. However, in Beowulf, there is no Greek or Roman gods, but there are other supernatural beings defined as monsters that exist and are difficult to win over. Beowulf is extra-ordinarily strong, agile, and super intelligent. He is portrayed as one who overcomes many obstacles and was able to kill Grendel and his mother and the others in the sea. In addition, the wide character list and meaningful names is similar to those of other types of literature of the early eras. The story of Paradise lost opens in hell. Satan...
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...The Makings of an Epic Hero A true hero does not fear death, but instead risks all he has for what he believes to be right and honorable. Epic heroes are, above all, defined by their action and valor. The anonymous Anglo-Saxon poem “Beowulf” chronicles the legendary tale of an epic hero and his brushes with monsters and demons. Facing foes that are beyond mere human strength, and beyond the power of the Danish warriors, Beowulf uses his extraordinary might to conquer the beasts. Beowulf displays the attributes of an epic hero through his displays of intense courage, strength, and generosity. Courage is the foundation of the warrior culture that Beowulf is a part of. It is necessary for Beowulf to be indifferent to death and meet every challenge with a courage and fearlessness that surmounts any warrior before him. “So warriors earn/ Their fame, and wealth is shaped with a sword” (24-25). Anglo-Saxons awarded and highly valued courage in their warriors. Through courageous deeds, warriors could achieve greatness in society. Beowulf’s ultimate goal is to win glory and immortality in each battle. “And for the first time in his life that famous prince/ Fought with fate against him, with glory/ Denied him. He knew it” (2572-73). Even though Beowulf perishes, he reaches the ultimate level of courage by facing death and battling the dragon. Strength is a constant obsession in the world of Anglo- Saxon warriors. Beowulf is always willing to go to extreme lengths to prove his physical...
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...Something worth fighting for: (Motivations of Beowulf in the epic poem, Beowulf) Heroes fight for something. From classic literature to new releases in the cinema, conflict is explained, and the protagonist fights for something. It can be for personal honor, a duty, or even to protect a girl or his family. Sometimes the motivation of the hero aren’t so honorable. Pride, revenge, and other things can drive a character to fight. Regardless, motivation exists for a conflict in any story. From a psychological aspect, one could argue that there isn’t a single motivation for any action. The beauty of literature and art, however, is the clarification of elements such as motive, where they are often boiled down to one or two prime influences on action....
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...Taylor Armendariz Mr. Ryan English 4 9/20/17 Beowulf The epic Beowulf is by an unknown author. It is an epic about a warrior named Beowulf, who helps king Hrothgar defend his land against an ogre named Grendel. Another story by an unknown author is the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It is a romance about a green knight who goes to a dinner party and desires to play a game. Both Beowulf and sir Gawain show bravery, courage, and strength in all that they do. Beowulf’s bravery is certainly not in question throughout this epic. From his victory over Breca in a swimming contest, to his final fall as a glorious king defending his kingdom, we see that bravery is an important aspect of his life. We see some of this bravery when...
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...Beowulf and Heroism When the word hero is spoken or read the understanding is one of bravery and admiration. However, when one speaks of an epic hero, the definition is just a little different. An epic hero is legendary, may be of noble or divine lineage, is usually superhuman in strength, and intelligence. This is the hero of Homer and Ovid, and many ancient poets. This hero is also the image of the main character in the epic poem Beowulf. While Beowulf is of the epic hero of the poem, he is not the only hero for the term hero in early English had many values. Heroes could be kings, noblemen, or commoners, and could be male or female. The hero was one who had the virtues needed to be admired and adored. The main virtues of all heroes are strength, courage and loyalty, but add the superhuman strength and lineage and you get the epic hero. Beowulf, from the very beginning of the poem, is seen to be super human, and is known by Hrothgar, the King of the Danes, and the man Beowulf has come to help (Helterman 2; Sharma 251). It is understood that Beowulf is of noble lineage, and his father Ecgtheow had come to the aid and sworn allegiance to Hrothgar when Beowulf was but a child (Beowulf 372-373). It is because of this allegiance that Beowulf has come to lend his own warriors to the protection of Hrothgar. It is in this same point that the strength of Beowulf is said to be “the strength of thirty/ in the grip of each hand” (Beowulf 380-381). While this beginning shows...
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...hands. Beowulf, a classic heroic epic story from the Anglo-Saxons about a Geatish warrior who defeated three creatures: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon, was almost destroyed. Only one manuscript survived during that era, which was nearly burned. Thankfully, numerous translations and adaptations of this story have been created to make this influential epic a widely spread influence that has impacted future pieces of literature. Seamus Heaney made a translation of the original Old English poem into literature that is accessible to the contemporary English reader. The most recent adaptation was director Robert Zemeckis’s Beowulf, which starred actors such as Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie. Using “performance capture technology”, the movie uses digitally enhanced live action to make a world that looked animated. The movie stays faithful to the old story with the characters and events, but there are many differences that separate the film from the book. King Hrothgar is depicted not as a noble king, but a miserly man full of guilt. Rather than being portrayed as a noble hero, the Beowulf in the movie is a flawed character who succumbs to his desires. Grendel’s mother is a seductress who tempts Beowulf with promised wealth in Zemeckis’s version, and was originally a ferocious creature akin to Grendel. Compared to Seamus’s literature version, director Robert Zemeckis’s film Beowulf introduced humanistic flaws of sin and guilt through his portrayal of Hrothgar, Beowulf, and...
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...A person becomes a hero when they put other people's well being before their own. In the epic poem, Beowulf, Beowulf states that he wants to rid evil from wherever it lurks, not just to protect himself or his people. Beowulf travels to Denmark to help Hrothgar and the Danes rid their country of an evil monster, despite the fact that Beowulf was under no obligation to do so. When Beowulf and his men get to Hrothgar's country, Beowulf delivers a speech to Hrothgar in which he tells Hrothgar to take care of the men who have journeyed with him and to send his belongings to King Higlac if he dies trying to defeat Grendel. Beowulf made two requests to Hrothgar in his speech, Hrothgar is to take care of Beowulf's men if he is to die and Hrothgar shall send Beowulf's belongings to Higlac, neither request demands Beowulf gain any acknowledgment or recognition. Beowulf is a distinguished hero because he is selfless, brave, and...
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...Prologue-10 1. Who are Shild and Beo? Shild was the first mighty warrior-king of Denmark, who conquered many lands, and who the Danes loved and honored. Beo is Shild's son, the prince, "whose power and fame soon spread through the world." He was just as honored as his father. 2. Describe Shild's funeral. When the Dane's beloved king died, they placed his body on a ship, and filled it with treasures and jeweled weapons from around the world. Then with a shining banner waving overhead, they set him adrift out into the ocean. 3. What did King Hrothgar build and why? King Hrothgar built a great and beautiful mead-hall called Herot for his warriors to live, and so he may divide the riches that they acquired in battle among his soldiers. He built Herot,...
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...Heroic literary characters are often an idealistic representation of what is valued in a civilization. These characters allow insight on the standards of the time in which the works were written. By exploring such roles, one is able to reach a deeper understanding of what heroism meant to those in the past. Beowulf, a medieval epic, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a poem emerging from the mid to late 14th century, exhibit protagonists that mirror the idealistic persona of their respective ages. Beowulf, in his namesake epic, steps up to face every challenge he is presented and performs a flawless display bravery and strength. Sir Gawain is a flawed, more human character, yet continues to strive for glory and the greater good. As a reflection of the ideal hero of their periods, Beowulf and Sir Gawain differ in their values, noble qualities, and the motivations behind their achievements. Beowulf establishes a clear-cut vision of the Anglo-Saxon heroic ideals- devotion to bloodlines, demonstrating one’s valor in battle, and accepting the spoils of war with...
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...In the Anglo Saxon poem Beowulf, by an unknown author, “wergild,"(man price) is used throughout the story to illustrate the battles and deaths that take place. Commonly in the story, after a death, a wergild is demanded by a family member or friend of someone who was killed. The man price is owed by the one who caused the death. Wergild is crucial part of the Beowulf, allowing the story to progress on with it’s victories and loses of the epic hero himself, Beowulf. One of the first wergilds in the story is owed after Edgetheo killed a member of the Wulfing tribe. He would have had to face retribution if he did not pay his wergild. Edgetheo had to give something that was valuable enough to compensate for the man’s death. However, he did...
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...amoodie15 A Hero of Epic Proportions A true hero does not fear death itself, but will risk everything for what he believes to be right, moral and just. Epic heroes are defined as a person who has superhuman qualities and embodies the values of a society. Epic heroes possess a strong love for their community, fearless of death, and they are loyal to an individual or a cause. The epic poem Beowulf, written by Burton Raffel, depicts the life of Beowulf, the most heroic person during Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is fearful of no monster and seems to conquer every obstacle as if he were immortal. He possess many of the characteristics that make up an epic hero including: courage,physical strength, loyalty,confidence, and wisdom. During Anglo-Saxon times, tales were often told about epic heroes who put their own lives in danger for the greater good. These stories about fearless and honorable warriors provided the common people with a sense of security and provided lessons to young men that they should display honor in every act. Beowulf willingly put himself in danger when he accepted the challenge of fighting the monster, Grendel. He did this only to help the Geats and out of loyalty to the Danes. His actions defined his life and are recounted throughout the epic poem. Beowulf was never afraid of death. Before every battle he would explain his death wishes and request that his assets be delivered to his people. "And if death does take me, send the hammered mail of my armor...
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...is some type of creature. The Anglo-Saxons epic Beowulf, scribed sometime in the 9th century A.D.,presents the heroic journey of the titular hero. Beowulf serves as the only epic written in Old English and severed a porthole into the values of Anglo-Saxons culture anonymous author utilizes Beowulf as an epic hero to presents Anglo-Saxons values, but he also uses the monster to show that which this culture valued. Whereas Beowulf, like all epic heroes, such as Odysseus and Achilles from the Homeric epics, serves as the epitome a=of his culture values, the monster serve as the outcasts of that society and culture. Through the portrayals of the epic here and the three monster the author reveals the Anglo- Saxons valued super human qualities. The author presents Beowulf as a superman of the 9th century. As the story begins, Beowulf is telling King Hrothgar that he is the best of the best and that he will save his town from this creature they call Grendel. But the big kicker is is when he says if it(Grendel) “is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will. After that was said everyone begins to party and give their great praise to Beowulf for coming to the rescue. As Beowulf comes forth, the Danes feel that they will now be able to live in peace for now on. Grendel has haunted the moors for the last twelve years and that will all come to an end when Beowulf shows up. The royal battle between Grendel and Beowulf. Beowulf began to show cases his super human capability...
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...Trails of heroic fate of Beowulf Introduction The narrative of epic poem Beowulf consists of three episodes in which the hero is engaged in the peculiar mission of fighting with three fabulous monsters (Fisher 1958, p.173). The first monster Grendel is quickly defeated; the second, Grendel’s dam is depicted with greater elaboration but also ends in demise at the hands of Beowulf; and the eventual dragon, distanced from the previous two in a span of fifty years, brings the heroic career of aging Beowulf to an end. The unity of Beowulf’s three fights from ease to death, perceived by some researchers like Klaeber (1950), holds the epic together. Others see the epic poem more than a collection of three different fights in a hero’s life, but it is united and intertwined by two parts—the fights with Grendel and his dam and the final dragon fight—signaling “the opposition of hero and king, youth and age, the beginning and ending of a life achievement” (Tolkien 1936). On the basis of this premise, Fisher (1958) conceives the theme of the epic as the “doom of Beowulf”, the integration of “redemption and judgment treated in a way which skillfully blends the Germanic hero with the Christian saint” (p.171). Wrenn (1958) states the similar notion, arguing Beowulf, a Germanic hero, shows his greatest splendor “ not alone in winning glory by victory, but rather by finding his supremely noble qualities especially in the moment of death in battle”. The essay aims to analyze the three fights...
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...one who does not fear death. Beowulf, set in the Anglo-Saxon time period, was an epic that told the story of a legendary hero, who seized all obstacles as if he were immortal. Up until the end of Beowulf's life, he constantly wanted to be the hero. However, his mortality was exposed by his death. Beowulf in many ways exhibited all the qualities and characteristics needed to be a true hero. Heroes, whether from the Anglo-Saxon time period or present day, all share the characteristic of their willingness to die, in an effort to accomplish a true act of heroism. Several critics argue that through Beowulf’s superhuman strength, generosity, loyalty, bravery, and...
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...Moore Professor Graham EN 231 July 27, 2016 Beowulf the Legend The action packed, fantasy film Beowulf, released in 2007 is an animated 3D film inspired by the fictional old English epic poem Beowulf. The film was directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis, and contains an all-star cast including, Anthony Hopkins, Angelina Jolie, Ray Winstone, Jon Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brenden Gleeson, Crispin Glover and Alison Lohman. The film is a loose adaption of the epic poem Beowulf, and the screenwriters, Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary have weaved various tidbits of differences throughout the film, adding a touch of “Hollywood” to the story. Avary is a Hollywood screenwriter, and Gaiman is a well-accomplished author across a huge number of...
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