The succeeds, and becomes extremely famous. In the poem Beowulf, heroism is clearly portrayed. The poem was written in pre-medieval times- a time where heroes and warriors were greatly honoured and respected. A hero is someone who selflessly puts his or her own needs aside to do what is best for others. Beowulf shows many of these heroic qualities such as: selflessness, tenacity, and fortitude.
Lines 115-116 quotes “Would sail across the sea to Hrothgar/ now when help was needed.” This explains thoroughly how Beowulf is daring and noble. Honest men fear neither the light nor the dark. Beowulf is willing to risk his life in order to earn fame by killing Grendel. Lines 357-358 quote, “From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it was the monsters/ arm, claw and shoulder and all.” Beowulf feels like a dynamic figure in the town. He has accomplished what no one could ever do!
People looked up to him and strived to be like him. Everyone knew his name and who he was because he boasted after every victory. Beowulf was cocky and arrogant, but when it was time to do business, he could get the job done. He was the brute force of the Geat army and never backed down from a fight. Image was very important to the Anglo-Saxons and they cared about being seen as courageous and tough.
Nina Ybarra Mr. Butler English 12CP 1-27-2015 Beowulf the Epic Hero A true hero does not fear death and will risk all that he is to protect people from great danger. Beowulf is an epic hero and tells a great story about a legend who overcomes all difficulties; almost as if he was immortal. All heroes share their characteristics of their preparedness to die, this is what marks their actions heroic. Throughout the epic Beowulf exhibits various characteristics that makes him an epic hero. One of the characteristics Beowulf demonstrations is his capability of deeds of great strength and courage.
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.
Beowulf – An epic hero? After reading Burton Raffel’s translation of Beowulf, it is portrayed that the lead character was an incredible epic hero. Even though Beowulf is known for his great strength, he has other traits that make him so fantastic. Our character did many good things and many bad things. Some of which were acts of bravery.
With all this in mind, Beowulf boards his ship along with fourteen other men and sets sail for Denmark, hoping to purge Grendel from Herot. For the duration of Beowulf's journey he doesn't once steer his ship, rather believes that his faith in God will deliver him safely to his destination. Upon arrival, Beowulf nobly requests that Hrothgar allow him the honor of slaying the beast, Grendel. Hrothgar willingly accepts his proposal, but is soon challenged by one of Hrothgar's courtiers, Unferth, questioning his ability to defeat a monster, when he himself, wasn't able to beat Brecca, a childhood friend of Beowulf's, in a swimming match long ago. Beowulf responds reassuringly, telling of how he had killed nine sea monsters and had swum faster than Brecca did from the beginning.
Whenever the topic of Greek epic is mentioned, Odysseus most often come to mind as one of the greatest heroes. Through Homer’s narrative poem, the Odyssey, about Odysseus’ adventures and obstacles, every reader is able to identify him as a courageous and intelligent leader. He was able to use his intelligence, bravery, and strength to control his fate as best as he can. Odysseus was called a hero for many reasons, but mainly due to the fact that he was able to overcome many of the dangerous adventures that were thrust upon him. In the Trojan war, Odysseus’ idea of the Trojan horse brought the victory of the Achaeans.
Beowulf eventually becomes king and dies defending his people from a fire dragon. Beowulf accomplishes his hero cycle through heroic deeds, encounter with numinous phenomenon, and his death, proving he is an ideal hero. To begin, Beowulf starts off the hero cycle strong by performing heroic deeds leading up to his challenge. He says, “A monster seized me, drew me swiftly toward the bottom, swimming with its claws tight in my flesh, but fate let me find its heart with my sword, hack myself free; I fought that beast’s last battle, left it floating lifeless in the sea” (Beowulf 273-278). Once in a swimming race Beowulf had been attacked by a sea monster and had to save himself.
Beowulf is a hero who embodies the ideal characteristics in the Anglo-Saxon culture; these characteristics all come together to make up an epic tale. He possesses the traits and beliefs that were respected in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf displays these traits in his own actions and words during different circumstances throughout the tale. Beowulf is shown to be the strongest among the strong. Physical strength was very much embraced by the Anglo-Saxon culture.