Loyalty Through the noble deeds performed in Anglo-Saxon originated epic, the ideal of loyalty is portrayed through the main character, Beowulf. Since he is the ideal thane, the failure of other knights to be as extraordinary as Beowulf makes him seem even more faithful and noble. Beowulf was loyal to all of his kin, kingdom, king, country, and his subjects. With this and courage he was a model thane, as well as king, for he was portrayed through the epic as the perfect warrior, and the most idealistic knight of his time. As described in the story, Beowulf is fiercely loyal; he has allegiance with all that are not enemies.
Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys. The greatest value of Beowulf is his bravery, some may say bravado. There is no doubt that he is a great warrior. Beowulf's heroism belongs to a different time than that of King Arthur or Sir Gawain.
Beowulf was strong, intelligent, humble, and kind and in the eyes of society this was their view of being good. He showed compassion and he was very understanding which is the characteristics of someone that is good. These are the values that Beowulf portrayed throughout this story. Beowulf understood his place in the world as he was dedicated to illustrating his heroic strength and loyalty to all people. He was considered a “larger than life” hero and the writer of the story did a great job portraying the good characteristics of Beowulf and how he was able to conquer all.
Honest Iago,” (Act 1, scene 3, 293) The authority of his command reflects not only supreme confidence in his military prowess but also a great self-control and rationality. He is articulate and confident in himself and of his role in society. Othello defends his marriage in a sophisticated approach, speaking in an ardent manner to defend his position. His faith is absolute and he is prepared to stake his life upon his certain knowledge of Desdemona’s love. Nevertheless despite his self-control and his noble image, Othello
Beowulf possesses many of the traits of an archetypal epic hero; he is strong, humble, and willing to fight to death if necessary. One of the most obvious heroic traits of Beowulf’s is his strength, which is a vital feature in Anglo-Saxon heroes. Beowulf had the strength of thirty men and is blessed with strength beyond that of an ordinary man. Although strength is a key characteristic in defining an epic hero, it alone is not enough to define an epic hero (Greenfield 3). Along with strength, one must have other distinguishing traits to be considered an epic hero.
Although Othello is wildly respected because of his hard work to become general, Iago uses Othello’s skin color to try and destroy his reputation. Othello is portrayed as a passionate and noble hero. He is represented as an honest man and holds a high rank as general in the Venician Army. Although Othello is portrayed as a great man, he is also treated as an outsider because he is a Moor. For example Brabantio says to Othello “You’re something to fear, not to love.
In Beowulf, the hero Beowulf demonstrates all these values and more. Beowulf was someone that was easily identifiable with, a role model. The values previously mentioned can be read throughout the poem, for example when Beowulf defends the soldiers alone. This shows a great amount of courage that should be replicated by each warrior. The description of Beowulf as he was buried; “Grieved for Beowulf, great among kings, / mild in his mien, most gentle of men, / kindest to kinfolk and keenest for fame.” (Anonymous, ll 37-40) is the man every warrior should strive to be.
One of the best examples that I can think of is when Beowulf fought Grendel and won. He stood bravely infront of the monster Grendel, and fought gallantly to victory. Without that time of terror, Beowulf’s true colors of Heroism would not have shown. To sum up everything that I just said, I think that Emerson would consider Beowulf a hero due to all of the battles that he fought gallantly and won. Not once in the story did Beowulf show a sign of weakness, even without any armor, he still fought bravely and
He was a leader of character, presence and intellect, the values he held as his own, duty, service and country have been indoctrinated into the Non-Commissioned Officers daily life and embodied in our creeds and values. Gen. Schwarzkopf believed that competence and character were among the highest attributes a leader should have to be successful and is also part of our current leadership doctrine. His character, presence and intellect are what made him an extremely successful and effective leader. His character during his career created an environment that made Soldiers want to follow him into combat, no matter the possible outcome. He always believed that character required a sense of duty, ethics, and morality but was not always a measure of competence.
The knight thinks one should only do what is right, and what will gain him honor and reputation. This character also believes in freedom and generosity towards all, and displays this ideal repeatedly throughout the novel. And lastly, the knight also strongly feels that any proper person should display courtesy and elegance at all times. Another aspect of this character's life which makes him seem too prestigious to be truthful is his impressive military career. He fought in the