...Beowulf, “The Wife of Bath’s prologue and Tale”, and Macbeth reveal the role of women in a similar way. In these three texts, women are typically seen as vulnerable, wicked, or inferior under the male dominance. In regards to the time period of Beowulf, we must keep in mind that societal outlooks for both female and male were different compared to today. The presence of women in Beowulf is limited and played a minor role. The women in Beowulf either are shown submissive or wicked. This is evident in the character role— both the queens, Wealhtheow and Hygd serve the role of a servant, and Grendel’s mother and Thyrth play the wicked role. To clarify the role of a queen during Beowulf time, they were hostesses who receive people in the hall...
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...song states, “He was adventurer most famous, far and wide through the nations, for deed of courage – he had prospered from that before, the protector of warriors – after the war-making of Heremod had come to an end, his strength and his courage” (38). The final piece which comprises the Anglo-Saxon hero is the notion of fame. The only after life a warrior could ever aspire to have was immortality through fame. One again this is explained by the introduction to the story, “Beowulf’s chief reward is pagan immortality the memory in the minds of later generations of a hero’s heroic actions” (24-25). By understanding what defines a hero it is a simple matter to comprehend why Beowulf is considered by some to be the greatest of all. He posses unfaltering loyalty to his king and allies, and save for his final battle his thanes show the same devotion to him. His strength is unparalleled, as he is able to defeat each of his opponents and perform feats of unmatched endurance. Beowulf’s courage, though motivated primarily by his own notion of fate, is, none the less, unwavering. And as a hero he achieved his desire for immortality through the poem itself. Each of the four heroic traits can be identified within the three battles in which Beowulf participates: His battle with Grendel, his undersea struggle with the Grendel’s Mother, and...
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...Archetype Hero essay Within the tale of “Beowulf” four character traits can be found which define the Anglo Saxon Hero. The first is loyalty, as demonstrated by the relationship between Lord and thane. According to page 23 of the “Beowulf” introduction, “a relationship based less on subordination of one man’s will to another than on mutual trust and respect.” The second and third characteristics are strength and courage. The importance of these specific traits to the Anglo-Saxon people is clearly presented during the reciting of Sigemund’s tale within Heorot. As the song states, “He was adventurer most famous, far and wide through the nations, for deed of courage – he had prospered from that before, the protector of warriors – after the war-making of Heremod had come to an end, his strength and his courage” (38). The final piece which comprises the Anglo-Saxon hero is the notion of fame. The only afterlife a warrior could ever aspire to have was immortality through fame. One again this is explained by the introduction to the story, “Beowulf’s chief reward is pagan immortality the memory in the minds of later generations of a hero’s heroic actions” (24-25). By understanding what defines a hero it is a simple matter to comprehend why Beowulf is considered by some to be the greatest of all. He posses unfaltering loyalty to his king and allies, and save for his final battle his thanes show the same devotion to him. His strength is unparalleled, as he is able to defeat each of...
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...every elder and experienced councilman among my people supported my resolve to come here to you, King Hrothgar, because all knew of my awesome strength.” (415-418) Not only does he boast of his strength, but he also shows Hrothgar just how strong he truly is. In his battle against Grendel, Beowulf renounced the use of weapons and instead resorted to hand to hand combat. While his men were attacking the beast, Beowulf essentially rips Grendel’s arm straight out of its socket with his bare hands: “Hygelac’s kinsman kept him helplessly locked in a handgrip. As long as either lived, he was hateful to the other. The monster’s whole body was in pain, a tremendous wound appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone-lapping burst.” (812-817) This quote is just saying that Beowulf was able to hold Grendel with his bare hands, an ogre who was easily quadruple his size. Even Beowulf’s men, with all their weapons and armor were amazed at this feat: “Clear proof of this could be seen in the hand of the hero displayed high up near the roof: the whole of Grendel’s shoulder and arm, (in) his awesome grasp.” Beowulf’s strength and bravery are never questioned throughout this epic tale. In conclusion, Beowulf has all of the traits you would desire in a hero. From his exploits in defeating Grendel, to his final breath defending his kingdom, Beowulf shows...
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...“The nation needs heroes because in a time of war, leadership itself is so critical” (Cannon). Over the years heroes have evolved from true heroes to pseudo heroes. They have some similar characteristics, but pseudo heroes are corruptive and distorted. As the most valued, strongest, ablest warrior around Beowulf is looked up upon. He is a Geatish warrior who fights not only the monster Grendel, but also Grendel’s mom and a fire breathing dragon. Achilles was an important hero in The Iliad. As a regnant warrior, he leads soldiers from his hometown to seek revenge towards Agamemnon. Beowulf and Achilles were both superior warriors in similar and different ways. Beowulf and Achilles are two well-known heroes who fought agelong and hard. Beowulf...
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...While Grendel was in his labyrinth, he was contemplating the pain and suffering that has been going on due to quarrel he had with a nearby kingdom, he said "So it begins the twelfth year of my idiotic war. The pain of-of! The stupidity” (Gardner 5). This indicated how he truly felt about societies fighting against him over something that was not worth fighting for. As expressed Grendel was tired with the clashes between himself and the kingdom, when in reality he saw himself as the one being the true victim. Furthermore, while Grendel was looking for his purpose in life he spoke to a dragon that gave him some advice on how to overcome the loneliness in his heart, the dragon said "Alter the future! Make it a better place for you to live" (Gardener 143). This elaborated on the fact that Grendel tried to escape the grasp of solitude by doing what he thought was right, which was destruction on a surreal level. Grendel wasn't a true monster until...
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...The Many Discoveries of Beowulf Although this poem isn’t of love or lust, it is filled with epic fights that lead to a great amount of bloodshed and celebrations for the hero. Beowulf’s writer created a great deal of complications when writing this poem. He used many themes and symbols the portray his tragic poem. The characters are very unclear but each have their reasoning for being in the poem, one being revenge on something or someone. Kathryn Hume stated, “ If a good man and the abstraction “ troublemaking” are given heroic shapes and matched in contest, we expect the good man to win, for troublemaking is not a sin likely to overcome him” (10). “ The early history of every nation is full of legend and myth. In literature, people try to record and describe the early history and to honor their heros in poems, epics, and folklores” (Wang 52). Beowulf is the main character throughout the poem, however the author tells us nothing about Beowulf’s past life other than his father was a great warrior as well as Beowulf himself. However, a young age Beowulf was considered cowardly. “ Were the poem centered on Beowulf himself, we would expect to learn something about him as a person” (Hume 2). The little we do know about Beowulf is still a great amount on his courage. He fights three battles and with each one he portrays a little bit of heroism. “Though he was little-known when coming to the Danes, he is full of courage and energy. Though he decreases in his strength in his old...
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...Marlene Zinnah December 11, 2013 ENG 205 Prof: Tara Lesko Heroes have been dominant characters who sacrifice themselves for others in order to teach a lesson. The major theme is the triumph of goodness over evil. Beowulf and King Arthur, the epic heroes of grand tales, stand out for all that is good, brave and proper, while the villains stand for evil. However during the course of the stories the two heroes die tragically in a triumphant battle over vice and evil the course of the tale. The characters only perish after the evil is vanquished and destroyed. Sir Thomas Mallory brings forth a courageous character King Arthur, utilizing weaponry and leadership, to enlighten the kingdom of the unique characteristics of a true hero While Beowulf depicts the Anglo-Saxon era to tell a story of one who fights to better society. It is a known fact that heroes over time and overseas all heroes have something in common; which is true in the case of King Arthur and Beowulf. It is obvious that they are similar in the fact that they are both heroes, but what makes them an idol of their time and in their culture are poles apart. There are many things that are different about Beowulf and King Arthur, but the ones that stand out the most are what kind of hero they are and what actions they did to make them heroic. Both heroes possess qualities that others do not have, but it is what they do with those abilities that prompts someone to write a story about them and idolize them in time. ...
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...In other to be a King, one needs to be brave and have serve his town for some time including participating in war. A villain is someone who's always known for the bad things in a movie, in other words, he opposes the hero in a movie or a story. A person who is also greedy, dangerous, violent, evildoer, profligate, and rascal is also classified as villain. Grendel, who was a very troublesome character in the Beowulf is an example of a villain. Grendel did all sort of bad things from killing Danish warriors, attacking King Hrothgar's wealthy mead-hall and the worst part of it all eating the Danish warriors after killing them. “Grendel attacks the sleeping heroes, He drags off thirty of them, and devours them.” Grendel's mother was also villain because she came back to take revenge for his son's death by attacking them at the party which was being thrown for Beowulf after killing Grendel. She can be called a hero for standing out for her son by facing Beowulf but since she was supporting evil, I will classify her a villain as...
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...and making people scared. Quote 2: “Beowulf heard how Grendel filled night with horror and quickly commanded a boat.” After the battle lines 357-358 say “Beowulf … hung … the monster’s arm, claw and shoulder and all.” Analysis of Quote 2: This is why Beowulf wants to fight Grendel and be the hero that destroyed the villain. Quote 3: lines 114-116 say “Proclaiming that he’d … sail across the sea to Hrothgar, now that help was needed.” Analysis of Quote 3: Beowulf knew he would be the only one able to defeat Grendel and was certain others would praise him. Concluding sentence: Grendel is the beast devouring the men and Beowulf comes to stop him. Body 2: motive for fighting is it makes them feel vindicated Topic sentence: Beowulf and Grendel’s motive for fighting is it makes them feel satisfied and fills their hunger for killing others. Quote 1: For instance line 40 says “To his lair, delighted with his night’s slaughter." Analysis of Quote 1: Grendel is pleased with himself after slaughtering trip up Herot hall. Quote 2: Analysis of Quote 2: Quote 3: lines 347-349 say “He who had come to them from across the sea … had driven off affliction … was happy.” Analysis of Quote 3: The previously state quote indicates that Beowulf felt pleased after the duel to the death with Grendel. Concluding sentence: They both have a void they need to fill which is murdering someone or something. Body 3: accept their death Topic sentence: When Beowulf and Grendel die they both accept their...
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...Beowulf is a story about a village that has been getting disturbed and messed with by a monster named Grendel. The tales of Grendel had been told and spreaded by word of mouth, mostly by monks. The tales eventually were heard by a man named Beowulf fourteen winters since the terror started. When beowulf heard the news him and some of his men rode to herot and he was set on ending the terror and killing the monster Grendel. Beowulf will eventually defeat the monster in battle and be Herot’s courageous hero. Throughout the story Beowulf shows many qualities of being a hero. One of the qualities he posessed was being courageous. Beowulf was very brave and would risk his life to fight battles others wouldn’t. One quote from the story that showed his courage is “ Stand till fate decides which of us wins”(line 621). He knew that he might not make it out alive and he didn’t let that bring him down or scare him and he still fought. He was a very courageous man which made him in my eyes very heroic. Another quality of a hero displayed by Beowulf is his strength, it was unnatural. He could do things other men could not. One quote from the story is “ I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of that race from the earth” (153). Beowulf’s strength was a very important attribute to him, without he may not have been able to accomplish what he did. Strength is an important part of being a hero and a fighter like Beowulf. Beowulf was a very brave and committed fighter. He performed...
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...“A true hero steps up when everyone else backs down.” -Anonymous The epic story of Beowulf, a fierce soldier in the Anglo-Saxon society, is filled with adventures and depictions of what a true hero looks like. Beowulf exhibits countless examples of characteristics of a hero including, but not limited to, courage, loyalty, and strength. Beowulf illustrates courage in several different parts of the story. Courage is portrayed when Beowulf arrives to fight Grendel in the beginning all the way to the end of the poem when Beowulf fights his final battle with the dragon. Beowulf would have never agreed to try and save the Danes and Geats from these vicious monsters if he lacked courage. Beowulf shows a lot of courage throughout different parts of the poem, especially when he states, “...my hands / Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life / Against the monster” (Beowulf 172-174). Perhaps a king or another soldier would have tried to defeat Grendel, but they most likely would have used a sword or weapon of some kind, while Beowulf was determined to fight with his bare hands. Another crucial element of an epic hero that is shown through the poem is loyalty. Loyalty is being faithful to the people you care about and it is exhibited in the poem not only by Beowulf, but by other characters as well. Beowulf is consistently loyal to the Danes and the Geats, but an undeniable example of loyalty in the poem is that of Wiglaf’s when Beowulf needs help fighting the dragon. Not only does...
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...escape and as this is happening Beowulf grabs his arm and rips it off. Grendel's mother is now angry at Beowulf and wants revenge. She kills one of Hrothgar's men and then goes back to her underwater lair. Beowulf swims down there and fights her....
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...beginning Beowulf tells his people and Hrothgar that he wants to battle and kill Grendel with his owns hands. This part shows his over confident ego because he thinks he is so mighty and strong. While Grendel made his way to attack Herot, Beowulf pretended that he was asleep just as Grendel would see. As it says in lines (739-746) Grendel snatched at the first Geat… (Line745) He then stepped to another still body, clutched at Beowulf with his claws. Beowulf suddenly leaned up against Grendel’s arm attempting to get back at him. Grendel was very fearful and at that very moment he didn’t even want to kill, he wanted to get away. Grendel struggled until he was free, but he ran free without his arm. Beowulf ego once again ties into this because he claims that it was “fate” that he got away and was not his fault. On the other hand, Beowulf went out of his way to protect Hrothgar and his people when no one else would stand up. The second instance where Beowulf finds himself in another situation is when Grendel’s Mother demands to avenge the death of her son. She then decides to kill one of Hrothgars men, who so happens to be Esher, his dearest advisor. After finding out that he...
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...Hero A hero is one who places himself or herself at great risk while performing acts of courage. Not only is Beowulf a hero because of his physical strength, but rather than basking in the resulting glory, he gives the glory to God. Beowulf is the ultimate hero who put his life on the line for an entire kingdom. Beowulf's heroism can be seen when he takes 14 of the bravest in his land to go help Hrothgar. Hrothgar was Beowulf's father's close friend who had been plagued by attacks for twelve years that threatened an entire kingdom. Beowulf did not have to offer Hrothgar's kingdom help, but does so because he wants to uses his God given strength to the best of his ability. As soon as Beowulf heard of the troubles in this land he set sail immediately. Beowulf continues to show his thankfulness by thanking God for giving them safe travel across the sea. Beowulf is lead to Hrothgar and offers him is services. Beowulf is asked by the warriors to tell of his past defeats while eating in Hrothgar's palace. Beowulf is already a hero to the people of this land for he is about to rid them of their enemy. As an ultimate hero, Beowulf decides, to be far, he will not use weapons in his battle against Grendel since Grendel reputedly does not use them. "I do not consider myself a lesser fighter than Grendel does himself; therefore I will not kill him with a sword, and deprive him of life in that way.... No, this night we two will abstain from swords..." That night...
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