Matt Eisenschmid Mr. Bloh English 3, Period 8 February 3, 2014 Beowulf: A True Epic Hero Throughout the history of literature many heroes have been created and observed in epic quests and stories. Many of the greatest stories about heroes are told in poems such as The Odyssey, The Iliad, and Beowulf. The heroes in these poems are defined “epic” by their valiant actions and the massive scale of their quests. An epic hero is more than just any typical brave soul; this type of hero does much more than saving a princess. The true definition of an epic hero is a character that will take on any challenge even it risks death, posses’ godly strength and ability, and finally will valiantly sacrifice themselves for the good of their people and ideals.
Reminding that Ahmed wasn’t trained to be a warrior but fits the ideal warrior best. In Beowulf, originally an oral story transferred to a epic, he demonstrates the character of the Anglos hero throughout. One of the similar pieces between Beowulf and The 13th Warrior are the location of the first battle. Both groups in each epic are fighting an evil woman underground. Buliwyf, a character and leader in 13th Warrior, fights off the tribe mother and kills her even though he is poisoned and dying.
Yet, he faces his fears head on, as the Trojans are in a battle to stay alive during a violent storm caused by the jealous goddess Juno. She has her reasons for not wanting Aeneas’ journey to be one of ease, but Aeneas demonstrates his leadership and proves that his priority is the well-being of his group. Once the ships safely land on the shore new Carthage, he provides food by “shooting and shooting til he won the hunt by laying seven carcasses on the ground” (Damrosch, Pike, p.691). Aeneas finds love with Queen Dido in Carthage, and although he could stay with her and fill the role of husband to the queen. He exhibits his obedience to the gods, “Duty-bound, Aeneas, though he struggled with desire to calm and comfort her pain… yet took the course
Pride is good to have, but in Odysseus’s case, it’s a little too much. On the other hand, he does things that make him a great hero. When Circe turned his crew into animals, he climbed straight up a mountain, risking his life just to save his crew “Sweet milk and honey, then sweet wine, and last clear water; and I scattered barely down” ( line 553-554). He will do anything to get back to Ithaca and see his wife and son, no matter how crazy it is. He even goes into the underworld to speak to a prophet about how to get back to Ithaca.
43). This quote displays us that not only did Beowulf defeat Grendel, but he defeated Grendel with just his bare hands. This example confirms the characteristic of how Beowulf is an epic hero by completing a great deed with great strength and courage. Another characteristic someone may see in Beowulf, is him being a great warrior. Before a hero completes a journey in his epic, he must establishes his name another way.
With little struggle, the protagonist rises as a victor in a symbolic fight against the disintegration of his society. Grendel and his quarrel with Beowulf represent the first corruptions against the values the epic hero represents. The cause of this conflict is the survival of a society, a great cause for a battle, but as the poem progresses, this is no more. The subsequent menace to the Anglo-Saxon existence is Grendel's mother, who found reprisal after his son's violent death. She is by far a more challenging and threatening than her offspring, with darker qualities and
Man betrays his upbringing and become civilized to protect their way of life. "When he sees her beckoning he will embrace her and then the wild beasts will reject him." (20) Gilgamesh is a womanizing ruler this is represented by him saying, "Take with you this harlot, a child of pleasure" (20) to the trapper so that they could save the existence of the community. Gilgamesh bears the secret that if he is ever conquered it will be by a woman. By sending the Harlot he has revealed his own weakness.
That is a step on which I must fall down, or else oerleap for in my way it lies. Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires.” When Lady Macbeth receives the letter from her husband about the witches prediction she also realises that Duncan must killed. She thinks that Macbeth deserves to be great but also believes he is too noble to do such a thing. “Yet do I fear thy nature It is too full othe milk of human-kindness to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” This shows that Lady Macbeth simply brings out the murderous butcher within Macbeth which was always subconsciously there with his ambition for glory.
Once a hero, always a hero “Taken warriors in their strength and led them.” - Rosie the Riveter or the one and only Beowulf? Line eight hundred and twenty six demonstrates the common ground between the hero of the Geats and lantern of American women, one invincible and highly destructive, the other lighting the way into the courageous positions the characters of the 1940's sought. Annihilation, destruction, and bloodshed, oh my! The Anglo-Saxon society thrived on warfare. Battles were on top of the list to determine one's character and will power.
However, after analyzing the full text, Mari Sandoz’s representation of Crazy Horse is more than just the basic story about the government pushing the Indians from their homeland and confining them to designating areas. There is a direct parallel to our current governmental situation, as elected officials push their way into areas they should not go and do not deserve to be. Furthermore, we have a greater problem in that there really is a lack of a Crazy Horse in our times to fight back. As I think more, though, I laugh because maybe our Peace Studies class will create some Crazy Horses. This novel is quite fitting to end the semester, because it seeks to teach us that to make an impact and to make a change, we must fight the norm and not accept the status quo, just as we have been trying to