Beowulf; an Egotistical Hero Beowulf, a brave man of the Anglo-Saxon era, is held to the standard of being a hero. Taking away numerous unwanted lives; did Beowulf do this as a heroic action due to his dedication to the king or for self-righteousness and bragging rights? As a reader of the twenty-first century, judging Beowulf's actions and dialogue on modern Christian values proves him to be selfish, proud, and egotistical. Through Beowulf's thoughts, it can be seen that this character did anything to succeed, leading him to become egotistical. In the poem, Beowulf travels to Denmark without an invitation to reveal his destiny as “the mightiest man on earth, / highborn and powerful” (Lines 197-198).
In this unimaginable position of sorrow there is nothing Creon can do to fix anything at all. Creon’s major flaw of stubbornness leads to pointless actions, which causes a series of suicides, and finally a tragic downfall. The tragic hero’s regrettable path and destination of sorrow without a doubt prove Antigone to be a Shakespearean Tragedy. But the fact that Creon displayed inability by refusing to face his mistakes and in return received true inability that forever disables him from escaping his guilt and ever becoming the king he once aspired to
As any Christian would agree, guidance through faith in God is a must in all aspects of leadership and should never be ignored, especially for presidency. Also, in a political system warred by two opposing parties, the Republicans vs. Democrats, it is good to note that Tony Blair, a staunch democrat, was quoted in saying that out of all the political leaders, George W. Bush carried the most integrity in and out of his presidency. This speaks volumes into Bush’s credibility in the aspects of his integrity, which should never go unnoticed in terms of positions of leadership. By using President Bush as a figure of integrity and high ethics, one can learn that leadership without
A place in which, “no one knows its bottom, no wisdom reaches such depths” (lines 553-554). Beowulf travels such lengths to rid Herot once again of evil. He risks no one else life but his own, traveling alone to the unknown depths of Grendel’s Mother’s lair, to ensure the safety of the Danes. Most enemies of archetypical heroes are very ugly and evil. Grendel and Grendel’s mother are both very ugly and very
Powerful Imagery and Themes in The Killer Angels In The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara fictionally illustrates the historical facts of the battle at Gettysburg. Shaara gives action and words to characters of another time, and then places these players on the stage of this great battle. Through the use of powerful biblical and non-biblical imagery and themes the epic nature of the battle at Gettysburg and its characters are enhanced. Such imagery and themes, combined with Shaara's fictionalization, help to contribute to why this single battle holds such monumental significance and influence upon the lives of Americans over a century removed from its occurrence. In the Foreword, before the battle begins, Shaara starts with a list of the principle players in the upcoming tragic drama of the battle at Gettysburg.
I think that in the movie Little Big Man, General Custer is the most selfish character and his ignorance results in the ruining of many lives. At first, Custer’s grand behavior seems appealing and admirable to Jack. Custer continues to state that he is always right and is angered by those who disagree. Only a self-centered man could have such an outlook on life. It is either Custer’s way or the highway.
Change in Pride, Change of Side “The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance.” --Samuel Butler. Even Samuel Butler can recognize the fatal flaws that plague King Creon while he himself cannot comprehend them. According to Butler, Creon is a true character of ignorance for possessing all of these traits, but not recognizing them throughout the course of his entire life. In Antigone, Sophocles projects King Creon as a tragic hero who is cursed with the tragic flaws of hubris and ignorance and illustrates the recognition of his pride. In his rule over Thebes and ideals of a King, Creon suffers from the incessant flaws of arrogance and pride.
Billy Pilgrim is traumatized, stressed and seems to be a very pathetic individual. He is neither likeable nor sympathetic. He portrays an aura of weakness and uselessness that gives off the sense of failure. He appears to have given up on himself, the world around him, who he was, and who he could be. Vonnegut partially explained why he chose the name “Billy.” He probably wanted the character to be more likeable and for readers to sympathize with him.
It is his lack of reason and judgment that leads him to death. When introducing the origination of Gatsby’s name, Fitzgerald writes: “The true was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his platonic conception of himself. He was a Son of God–a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty”. (Fitzgerald, 2001:131) This sets the tone of Gatsby’s tragic life. He has not been aware of the different social statuses between his and Tom’s.
A.P. English 11 May 27, 2014 What is a true war story? One that tells of death and gloom, or one that defends the peaceful front? The Things They Carried written by Tim O’Brien explains to the world of readers what a true war story is. O’Brien tells these stories with different tones depending on which recollection; it is light and hopeful during “Love” or dark and hopeless within “The Man I Killed.” To create these works he uses imagination and invention to describe the true difficulties of a true war story.