Beowulf risks losing everything, including his own life to ensure that the people of Herot are safe three times in the epic. Once, when he defeats Grendel with only his bare hands. Another, when he almost fell weak, but managed to behead Grendel’s ferocious mother. Lastly, when Beowulf and his men attack the dragon in its den. Beowulf shows his fellow supporters that he is capable of being a strong and powerful leader.
Beowulf originated in the Anglo Saxon era, is three thousand one hundred and eighty-two lines long, and is the most important of Old English Heroic Poems. An archetype is a very typical example of a certain person or thing. Beowulf has traits of archetypical heros and warriors. He has inhumane skills and strengths and has God sent supernatural abilities in order to complete his heroic tasks. Characteristics of the Anglo-Saxons are endless in the story of Beowulf that interest the mind but so few that change lives when internalized.
His strength and courage are incomparable, and he is way more humble and honorable than many of the bad warriors around him. Beowulf displays his great strength again and again. Whether he was fighting sea monsters, Grendel's mother, or a horrible fire-breathing dragon, Beowulf showed that his courage and strength should be an inspiration to all warriors. Strength and physical appearance are substantial to the Anglo-Saxon warrior. Beowulf is described as having the strength of "thirty men" in just one arm, and when he first arrives in the land of the Danes, the watchmen sees the mighty warrior and says, "I have never seen a mightier warrior on earth than is one of you, a man in battle-dress" (Beowulf, 7).
In Beowulf, an epic poem, Beowulf is the superior character who depicts the true meaning of loyalty. Beowulf feels in a sense he owes Hrothgar, King of the Danes, a favor because the great king had assisted Beowulf's father years back. Although Beowulf is the epic hero of the poem, he is not the only character that demonstrates the characteristic of loyalty. Wiglaf is a Geat warrior who exhibits bravery and courage while helping Beowulf fight and slay the dragon. Even though the epic poem had a devastating ending, it would not have been the same without the characters displaying their loyal sides.
The stories and legends surrounding the character of King Arthur are among the best known of all stories about kings and knights. He is the greatest of British literary heroes. The book tells us everything from the birth of the Arthur to his dead. We know that Sir Ector took care of him and rose as his foster child. We also know how Arthur became a leader and how he pulled the sword out of the stone.
Siegfried also fought against a dragon, with amazing results! "The great hero slew a dragon and bathed in its blood, which made him invincible against all weapons. No mortal can defeat him in combat.”(Ashliman). Siegfried was a shrewd ally when he secretly helped Gunther woo Brunhild. Like Achilles, Siegfried was made immortal by a magical bath, and like Achilles, Siegfried still had to have courage in the battles he fought.
Beowulf[->0] is summoned in the beginning of the story to kill Grendel who has been terrorizing king Hrothgar[->1]'s village. Beowulf, eager for adventure, quickly accepts the task and brings his men to kill the great monster. "Death is my errand and the fate they had earned. Now Grendel and I are called together, and I've come"(Beowulf 253-255). Beowulf's motivation[->2] quickly turns to survival after he is siezed by Grendel's mother.
When Beowulf hears about the evil monster, Grendel, terrorizing King Hrothgar's people, he agrees to fight Grendel without hesitation. Beowulf fights the monster without any weapons, when he comes face to face with Grendel. And with his bear hands, Beowulf rips the arm off Grendel. By doing this, we see that Beowulf lacks no bravery. Towards the battle one last time, Beowulf who is being old and tired fights a dragon that has been frightening all his people.
No one can compare to him or his strength. Which hero you know that can rip a monster, named Grendel, arm off with their bare hands. Kill the monsters’ mother by cutting her head off. And that’s not even all. They were underwater at that when he cut her head off with a sword made by giants.
The quote explains the condition of Beowulf before he is about to die in order for a new hero to arrive. “Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons.” (Beo 513-515) This quote is an example of the archetype Magic Weapon, since Beowulf is the only person in the world able to use this weapon to kill Grendel’s