In the epic poem, Beowulf fights the monster Grendel, saves his mother and loses his life while fighting the dragon. Next, Beowulf decides to fight Grendel with his bare hands.
He could have easily obtained some kind of weapon to fight with. Beowulf was the first warrior ever to have enough sheer bravery to go up against such a monster with neither help nor weapon or shield to aid him. To many, reputation is everything. In the epic poem Beowulf, the epic hero is notably known throughout the world. He is known for one, for being one of the Greats.
On top of all of that, Beowulf is the greatest and strongest of all of the Greats, therefore, he automatically has a reputation to follow. Hrothgar, presented in the beginning, is the first and oldest, his heroic exploits are mentioned briefly.
However the result of his exploits, his troop of men and Herot, are an overwhelming testament to his power; they are still present after 12 years of torture. These battles are a testament to his strength and competence as a warrior. With a massive army at his hand, Alexander started his conquest to capture the Persian Empire, and "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea.
He was known for his skills in battle, and his intelligent battle methods. Although he only lived 33 years, he left a legacy of heroism, and bravery behind. Many war commanders after him strived to fight as he did, but none can compare to the legendary Alexander the Great. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Beowulf was a great warrior who fought in many battles. Certainly, but it was reckless as well. At this point in time, Beowulf acts, thinks and functions as a warrior, looking for glory and the spoils of battle.
Later when Beowulf takes on the role of king back in his own homeland, he gains a sense of responsibility. He enters the fight with the earth dragon with a much different approach.
He takes a shield into battle with him, now acting with far more caution than seen before. Later, this is revealed to be an act of a true king in that Beowulf wanted to see the wealth of which he had brought to his people. At this point, Beowulf becomes far more self-sacrificing in order to fulfill his responsibility to his kingdom.
Beowulf, as a king, had the ability to use his reputation as a heroic warrior to protect his people, by discouraging any other warring kingdoms from attacking a kingdom with Beowulf as its leader. Even early on we see that Beowulf possesses many characteristics that make up a natural leader.
His physical form has no comparison as he is strong, undeniably brave, and able to endure much fighting. People also tend to follow and listen to Beowulf because of his innate ability to lead.
However, at this point in the book, Beowulf tends to utilize his abilities towards more individualistic goals. Glory, honor, and the lure of battle are what drives him. These rewards do drive many men, and I would agree that Beowulf has fallen under the spell. Throughout the poem, we see a shift as Beowulf understands that being a hero means fighting for something bigger than yourself.
As Beowulf transitions from valiant warrior into kingly ruler, he learns that it is a reward to protect his people. He is loyal to his people and still has the same ambition that he did as a valiant warrior. At first, as a valiant warrior, we see some of the same traits as every other young man in Beowulf. He wants to achieve nobility and glory by winning his battles. Beowulf is aware of the danger that awaits, but cannot find it within himself to fear for his life.
His bravery is spurred on by his pride, the warrior within him takes control and encourages him to take on a dragon whom no warrior has encountered.
His mind was so set on fame and legacy that he disregarded the other key factor of Anglo-Saxon culture, community. He could either be a great king or a great warrior, but not both. Within, Beowulf had to make this decision.
He struggled with how can I leave a name, how can I be talked about for years to come. He had to decide would the best way to leave a legacy be to fight the dragon or be a good leader to his people. Beowulf shows great amounts of bravery when it comes to his many fights. Without this bravery, his loyalty would not be noticed as much because he would just be another stereotyped king. He does not mention once going into battle to save his people. His main motivation for his final battle is to seek fame and fortune so when he dies his name will be honored.
Beowulf's motivation from start to end are two completely different motives as evidence by his first boast he goes into battle to save the people, his second battle he goes for the fame, and his final battle is all for the fame and treasure. Beowulf is portrayed as being a great king who took care of and protected his people. This was seen numerous times in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where both characters frequently prayed and followed the Code of Chivalry.
In contrast, a hero today would portray few— or none— cultural or religious elements. Usually, present-day heroes would acquire the label by depicting some sort of supernatural, phenomenal, or superhuman trait that a normal person would not obtain. These are most of the great traits of a great.
Iron Man has a lot of courage because he defends his country without any obligations. He fights with his intelligence, not his muscles. They are considered as heroes because they are so courageous. They do not need an army to fight off the enemy.
The early English warriors held a certain set of virtues. Throughout Beowulf, these Anglo-Saxon virtues are clearly displayed by the protagonist. Beowulf most exemplifies the values of bravery, prowess in battle, and boasting at the table. One of the most dominate virtues Beowulf has is bravery. Beowulf claims before each battle that he will either win or die trying. An Anglo-Saxon hero is perfectly portrayed by Beowulf who contains values of Anglo-Saxons like bravery, loyalty, honor and the willingness to risk his life for the greater good of his people.
The latter is primarily why he gains the trust of his people which is why he claims the title of King and therefore gets hold of power. While Beowulf is the symbol and representation of heroes in Anglo Saxons, we have multiple personalities who we consider as heroes. People who work, people who dream, people who act. Today, what we people believe in is that if you have money, you have everything.
They are many ways to define an a epic hero.
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