All people’s moral judgments stemmed from the framework of the heroic code and heroic ideals; individual actions could be judged in a clear-cut manner as either conforming to or violating the code. In this way, the code was an important source of stability for a people whose very society was perpetually in a precarious state, constantly threatened by outside invading forces. The text of Beowulf exhibits several instances that support the idea of a heroic code. Beowulf himself can be seen as the archetypal hero. For example, Beowulf demonstrates the heroic virtue of fairness by refusing to bring weapons with him to a fight with Grendel, as Grendel is
He is able to get his message about faith across without uttering a word. This is exactly how the Vatican II council wanted its laity to act. Tebow acts in the here and now, which is the nature of faith. He focuses on his actions that are going on now in the hopes of positively effecting others. Believe it or not, winning games as an underdog makes a lot of people happy.
He has superior physical strength, he is ethical, and he risks his life to save others whose lives are in danger. He also possesses the characteristics of the Anglo-Saxons. He loves law and liberty, has a great sense of fair play, loves adventures, is athletic and brave, is devoted to duty, believes in death before dishonor, and believes that loyalty is the most important virtue. Beowulf is essentially the good character because the poet makes references of him speaking about Christian beliefs. God would never be on the side of evil.
Beowulf was known “…as the helmet and shield of his people.”(Greenblatt, 28). Beowulf was looked to as the protector, the one who would come running as soon as needed. Beowulf let a lot of things get to his head; he did a lot just for the fame and power. Jesus is also viewed as the Christian faith’s protector. Jesus is an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
It seems as if the decision to fight the terrorizer of the Danes wasn’t a difficult one to make- he simply embarked on the journey without much ado. He fearlessly arrives at Heorot and selflessly fights the great monster Grendel. Despite Beowulf’s lack of personal connections with Heorot, he still bravely defended the people and the great hall of Hrothgar. Grendel’s attacks were not Beowulf’s problem, but he willingly came to demolish the monster. The King of the Danes was dejected until Beowulf arrived, (Line 18) showing that Beowulf selflessly gave himself as a symbol of hope to the King and the people.
This is similar to Jesus’ crucifixion, in which he gave up his life in order to save mankind. So Beowulf risking his life for the Danes is a direct comparison with Jesus sacrificing himself for all of mankind. The Christian value of self-sacrifice is a very important to the religion because without it Christianity would not have existed. Another Christian value that was quite evident throughout the story was the value of loyalty. When Beowulf traveled into the dragon’s lair to fight the beast he took a group of soldiers with him who he thought would be helpful.
Character Traits of Beowulf In the tale of Beowulf, three character traits can be found. His loyalty, strength and bravery make him heroic. Beowulf is a true heroic character because he is willing to risk his life for his ideals. He is reluctant to back down from battle, just so he can be there for the people who are in great need to be saved. Once he makes a vow, he stands by his word, no matter the cost.
However, Constantine demonstrated a desire to bring Christianity to the forefront of modern Rome and made changes to improve the lives of Christians (Roldanus 60). Because of this vision, and the policies brought forward, Eusebius saw Constantine as a “messiah” figure. Feeling that God was indeed leading Constantine in all of his military and political endeavors, “Eusebius is careful not to say so directly, the application of the Moses typology to Constantine stands indirect comparison to its earlier use by Eusebius in relation to Christ.” (Cameron 193) Constantine was indeed a careful, thoughtful leader, who never lost a war, even though he was greatly outnumbered in most situations. He survived many assassination plans and attempts on his life. Eusebius saw all of these events as being divinely
After reading and analyzing both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I received multiple perspectives of a “hero” and what that word meant during these time periods. Therefore, in both stories, it was evident that in order to be considered a hero during this time one had to be selfless and loyal to the king/crown by sacrificing oneself to maintain the tranquility within their kingdom. Nonetheless, in terms of Beowulf, I considered both the protagonist, Beowulf, and one of his warriors, Wiglaf, to be heroic individuals who portrayed all the necessary characteristics one must acquire to be considered a hero during this century. This was because Beowulf numerously sacrificed himself to protect King Hrothgar’s kingdom, when he battled
Beowulf’s character is certainly one to do this and thus is the reason he may be dubbed a hero. Beowulf makes a significant impact upon his followers, in particular the soldiers he had chosen to be with him. Wiglaf makes a emotional speech among his fellow soldiers as Beowulf has gone off to fight without their aide. In this speech Wiglaf declares, “ –Now the day has come when this lord we serve needs sound men to give them their support…As God is my witness, I would rather my body were robed in the same burning blaze as my gold-giver’s body than go home bearing arms.”(lines 2646-2653) This kind of comment makes one question how much of an impact they can truly have on their peers. To have such awe inspiring powers so as to gain the trust and respect of your men to the extent that they would indeed take greater pleasure in their deaths than that of their leaders is truly incredible.