In Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, to be a warrior was to be a hero. A warrior was to be strong, intelligent, and courageous. Warriors had to be willing to face against any opponent, and fight to the death for their glory and people. The Anglo-Saxon warrior was able to be all of these, as well as be humble and kind to their people. In literature Beowulf is a perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon warrior.
I.) Introduction Knights believed in the code of chivalry. They promised to defend the weak, be courteous to all women, be loyal to their king, and serve God at all times. Knights were expected to be humble before others, especially their superiors. They were also expected to not "talk to talk too much”.
During these time periods, a hero was usually a great a warrior who sacrificed oneself to protect their king and kingdom. In addition, culture, religion, chivalry, and traditions played a vital role in the work of these early heroes. This was seen numerous times in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where both characters frequently prayed and followed the Code of Chivalry. In contrast, a hero today would portray few— or none— cultural or religious elements. Usually, present-day heroes would acquire the label by depicting some sort of supernatural, phenomenal, or superhuman trait that a normal person would not obtain.
This brings about the first comment on male masculinity in Chaucer’s work which closely follows that of courtly love and knighthood. The ideal knight (and ideal man) in courtly life follows the principals of the strong defending the weak, maintaining honor, and waging war upon evil. These qualities Theseus does possess, however he also often strays from his heroic masculine code. While on the one hand he wins wars and conquers, on the other it’s against the women Amazonians where it is hinted that he forces the hand of Ypolita and the obediance of Emelye. On one hand Thesus is compassionate to the widows he encounters on the road and vows to avenge them, on the other he razes Thebes to the ground and strips many citizens of their homes and lives.
For example, at Baba’s funeral, Amir was greeted with many reminders of Baba’s acts of kindness, “…helped me build the house in Taimani…”, “…no one else to turn to and he lent me…”, “…found me a job…barely knew me…” (page 174). Although Baba was a man who gave charity, he was much too proud to except it; he was always willing and ready to work for everything that would find a place in his life. This is evident in his response to the offer of food stamps, “I work always. In Afghanistan I work, in America I work. Thank you very much, Mrs. Dobbins, but I don’t like it free money.” (page 130).
King first uses the rhetoric technique of ethos to establish his credibility as a clergymen, as well as a knowledgeable, educated human being. Second, King uses the technique of pathos to drive home the emotional side of his struggle for justice for people of all races. Lastly, King uses the technique of logos to appeal to the logical side of his reader’s minds as human beings, not as a people of separate races. Martin Luther King Jr. uses the rhetoric techniques of ethos, pathos, and finally logos extremely efficiently to appeal to all the readers of his “Letter from Birmingham.” First, Martin Luther King Jr. employs the technique of ethos in his letter to not only respond to the clergymen’s statement entitled “A Call For Unity,” but to also to appeal to all the readers who would eventually read this letter. Ethos is the credibility that an author establishes to a reader about themselves, and King uses this technique to show the world that he was not just any average man, but a man of intelligence and aptitude.
Democracy is appealing to the masses because it allows everyone’s voice to be heard in any situation and a solution is often reached that appeases a majority of the people. Based on this logic, most individuals argue that Ralph is the superior leader because he takes into account the other children’s opinions and makes a decision based off of the discussions. However, these individuals overlook the boys’ true situation; they are children and cannot possibly be expected to understand the severity of the situation. Therefore, their youthful nature prohibits their ability to make wise choices in a democratic society. In an environment with a lack of structured government involved in a chaotic situation, the most efficient leadership approach would be an autarch that enforces a tyrannical regime.
Tristan is a hero, in-the-making throughout the story. In the end, his ultimate loyalty is to his lady, and with respect to courtly love, he shows all the heroic characteristics of a chivalric knight. He faces danger without fear, and always places the welfare of his lord and his lady above his own. Once active in society, he exhibits strength, valor, courtesy, and compassion. And it is from this point that the temptations and failings of the hero-in-the-making come to light.
Beowulf, the True Hero To label one as a hero, he or she must acquire heroic qualities such as courage, certainty, determination, tolerance, sympathy, management and most important, strength. A well-respected, grateful leader is a person that everyone tries hard to be. It is a type of person that everyone can look up to, try to follow, and look to in times of agony. Although everyone is different in their own ways, there are characteristics common to most great leaders that can be seen. The story Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf reveals all of those traits and makes use of them to defeat his enemies, Grendel, Grendel’s mother and lastly a Dragon.
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.