Virtue and Community in Beowulf Ramisha Jones ENG 493 January 12, 2015 Michael Angelo Virtue and Community in Beowulf The story of Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that was written in the language of the Anglo-Saxons. It is a fictional story about a heroic hero that was known for his strength and love for the people all around him. He died fighting for his people which are what many of the Anglo-Saxons people viewed as their idea of a hero, Beowulf. Individual virtue and its relationship to the community is very important and much of that is seen in the story of Beowulf. What it means to be good in the world of Beowulf, the relationship between individual prowess or ability and ethical value, the meaning of being a member of the community, the role of the monster in defining virtue and community and the role of language are the importance of individual virtue and its relationship to community are all the many characteristics that can be read in the story of Beowulf.
This epic poem illustrates the journey and hardship of one Anglo-Saxon warrior named Beowulf, who because of his journey became known as one of the respected heroes of the Anglo-Saxon times. Throughout his journey, Beowulf stumbled upon endless battles with ferocious monster trying to terrorize his king and kingdom. Beowulf was one to never give up on anything or anyone no matter the circumstances. Beowulf is an authentic hero according to the code of Anglo-Saxon times because he is courageous, loyal, and determined.
The Iliad is the first great book, and the first great book about the suffering and loss of war. Homer, for reasons of his own, suppressed the truth about the Trojan war- in reality, the Greeks lost. Homer once said, “Men learn with difficulty… But they are deceived only too readily”. In The Iliad, two characters have the narrative urge, and something approaching a synoptic view of the scenes surging around them. Achilles sings stories of heroes' deeds in battle, and Helen embroiders scenes of fighting on an elaborate textile.
During my military career, I have come to learn that you are never truly alone and there is always somebody watching you, even if you don’t see them. Integrity is being able to admit that you have made a mistake. It also consists of being trustworthy and reliable even when the right thing isn’t exactly the easiest or most common thing to do. Integrity tells a lot about who you are and what kind of soldier you will be. Every soldier should be persistent in keeping their integrity impeccable and unblemished.
A leader sternly follows his ethics and principles in all odd situations and never gives up. Consistency and perfection are two main leadership traits. Honesty a person can learn and improve only when he accepts his shortcomings. A leader is well aware of his own strengths and limitations, and he constantly tries to improve and polish his skills. He is honest to himself and to his followers as well.
“The intermingling of the great themes of life, death, family, warfare, duty, and power give the Mahabharata continuing universal appeal”. (Spodek, Chapter 8) Arjuna, the descendant of Bharata, was a great and noble warrior who throughout this text did a lot of soul searching trying to find his way to peace and righteousness; the supreme path. As Krishna's disciple and friend he asks him for help when he has to fight his own family in order to take command of a kingdom that is rightfully his brother Yudhishthira's. At first Arjuna is weak hearted, unsure how he can fight his own family over a kingdom; Krishna shows him that fighting and ruling is his cosmic duty. Krishna is a narcissistic god, for throughout the book he repeatedly states how he is the beginning, the middle, and the end of all man kind.
A quest myth is format for a story, in which a man, many times accompanied by an assistant, goes on a dangerous journey to fight for a trophy. This trophy is something that they bring back, such as gold, swords, armor, or many times safety for the people. The prize is not just for the hero’s own personal gain or glory, but also for other people around them. The structure of a quest myth is underlying in all stories from the earliest, Beowulf, to the more recent. In Beowulf, the protagonist must go through several challenges in order to complete the story.
Every single person on this earth has a clear idea about war and some of us already have a personal experience with the tragedies and suffering of war In this simple thesis we will talk about war poetry and its major poet, Wilfred Owen. The first part of these papers is concerned with war poetry in genera, it begins with a historical background of war poetry traced back to the time of Homer. Followed by the major characteristics of this school of poetry which has no standard criteria. After that, we shed light on the major poets of this school: Siegfried Sassoon , Rupert Chawner Brooke, and Isaac Rosenberg. The Second part is concerned with the great war poet, Wilfred Owen.
Beowulf Summary Beowulf is an epic, a long narrative poem written about a hero or heroine and their journeys and accomplishments. Beowulf is an esteemed warrior and leader in the Geat nation. In the beginning of the story, Beowulf travels with several other Geat warriors to the Denmark. The Danish nation is in distress, because a creature named Grendel has been terrorizing the famous Heorot hall, built as a symbol of strength by King Hrothgar. Beowulf and his men spend a night in the hall, awaiting Grendel’s attack.
From the characters impressive introduction, it is clear that this man is the most valued and honorable traveler among the group. This perfect gentleman holds a love of ideals that are often not displayed by people. First and foremost, he believes in the ideals of chivalry, and always stays true to its principles. He also feels that one should be honest, truthful and faithful, which many people are not all of these ideals. The knight thinks one should only do what is right, and what will gain him honor and reputation.