“Then Wiglaf went back, anxious to return while Beowulf was alive, to bring him treasure they’d won together. “ (45) 791. Even when Beowulf died, he still got treasure for the victory over the dragon, and another reward he got for his achievement was a holy ritual (funeral). An epic hero doesn’t have to be a superpower hero. But most heroes tactics, weapons, and courage to become heroes.
In Beowulf, an epic poem, Beowulf is the superior character who depicts the true meaning of loyalty. Beowulf feels in a sense he owes Hrothgar, King of the Danes, a favor because the great king had assisted Beowulf's father years back. Although Beowulf is the epic hero of the poem, he is not the only character that demonstrates the characteristic of loyalty. Wiglaf is a Geat warrior who exhibits bravery and courage while helping Beowulf fight and slay the dragon. Even though the epic poem had a devastating ending, it would not have been the same without the characters displaying their loyal sides.
One of the best examples that I can think of is when Beowulf fought Grendel and won. He stood bravely infront of the monster Grendel, and fought gallantly to victory. Without that time of terror, Beowulf’s true colors of Heroism would not have shown. To sum up everything that I just said, I think that Emerson would consider Beowulf a hero due to all of the battles that he fought gallantly and won. Not once in the story did Beowulf show a sign of weakness, even without any armor, he still fought bravely and
Again, he has no logical reason to want or need to fight the dragon, but he does it simply to be a hero and to keep his reputation of a warrior. He even states, “I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still” (Raffel 101). Beowulf only wants to fight to prove himself as a hero yet again. However this time, the risk is too great and he ends up getting killed in the fight. But, he died a hero so he had no regrets.
A Knight’s loyalty to his leader was generally based on a legal contract rather than moral obligation, like a Samurai has. Document E shows that a Samurai devotes his entire life to his duty, while a Knight does not. If a Samurai should break their code, they will be punished or killed, while breaking the code of honor for a Knight will have them disgraced and rarely killed (unless it’s a
The author also puts a lot of emphasis on Napoleon’s mistakes or “blunders.” He had many victories because he never stopped attacking his enemies by using the ignorance of his enemy’s commanders. Napoleon Bonaparte was a hard-working man who never allowed himself or his subordinates to sleep on a campaign. He was very demanding of his officers and a
The examples above showed that there are different things motivated Beowulf to fight, depends on his maturity and the situation. At first, he fights because he is a powerful young man that not many people knew. He finds the challenges to make him more famous, to get more fame. After he got much enough fame, he becomes the king and fight for his people, who praised and honored him. What motivates him to fight?
However, that doesn’t represent a hero so Beowulf knowing he might not make it back, knows he must fight and he “feels no shame, with shield and sword” (101, 2517-2520). This shows he isn’t even fighting for glory; he is fighting because he knows he must end this dragon’s life before his is ended. He fights for his people, for what is right, and nothing else. Beowulf is an epic hero because he represents himself with the characteristics of supernatural strength, courage and the will to fight for what’s right. There is no possible way Beowulf will be forgotten and his legacy will carry on throughout time and his tale will live on
He has fought dragons, monsters, and demons to protect a kingdom that didn't even belong to him. Beowulf possess all of these qualities and much more. He is the ultimate hero with the ultimate sacrifice. Beowulf is a brave man with a desire to look for a quest. He is not scared to fight anyone nor anything.
Mayra Vargas Period 3 Can’t Be Replaced Monster’s that can’t be harmed by a mortal’s weapon, or a battle against a fire breathing dragon; can you handle this alone? With your bare hands? Beowulf in many words is the archetypal epic hero in 4 characteristics. Beowulf is one of the very lucky, not only by being prince of the Geats but his story is being told from generations. A hero in a quest to fight for glory and the greater good of society.