Beowulf The Selfless Hero Essay examples - 722 Words

Beowulf: The Selfless Hero Beowulf is an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it. The poem starts with a journey across the sea to defeat an enemy that has plagued the land of Herot for twelve years. The poem ends with Beowulf’s final deed of defeating a dragon that was plaguing his own land, but with the defeat of the dragon also comes the death of Beowulf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem of bravery by one of King Arthur’s knights. Sir Gawain takes up the deed of playing a Christmas game with the challenging Green Knight. The Green Knight takes a blow from an ax at the hand of Sir Gawain, and in one year and one day, the Green Knight is to reciprocate the action to Sir†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"If this combat kills me, take care /of my young company, my comrades in arms. /And be sure also, my beloved Hrothgar, /to send Hygelac the treasures I have received.† (lns. 1480-1483) This quote shows that Beowulf thinks first of his people, then of his possessions. The quote starts with Beowulf facing the fact that he may not come back from this fight alive, revealing that although he has superhuman strength, he is still human and can die. The very next thing Beowulf says of Hrothgar is a request to keep the young men that came to fight with him safe should he not survive. This shows Beowulf’s compassion towards his fellow warriors and that they are his main concern. Lastly he makes sure that Hrothgar knows what to do with Beowulf’s earthly possessions. By requesting that his possessions be given to his king Beowulf shows his selflessness and loyalty to his people. Beowulf was a hero not only because of his physical strength, but also for his concern for other people. â€Å"The hero must move beyond human limits in order to have the capacity to combat the monstrous forces that threaten the social order;† (Sharma 264) Beowulf has been deemed by most to have superhuman strength, but his superhuman strength alone does not make Beowulf any more a hero than Grendel’s strength makes him a hero. Beowulf rises above the limits of a regular human beingShow MoreRelatedIs Beowulf A Hero, Brave, Or Selfless?721 Words   |  3 Pagesthat you are the hero of a village. You are the person that everyone looks up to- you have all the fame and fortune you could possibly want. But, this doesn’t just come to you on a silver platter. There are risks to take, challenges to overcome, and lives to be put at stake. You must defeat creatures of all sizes and strengths to gain this honorary title. This is Beowulf’s reality as he must conquer unbelievable tasks that nobody else would dare to face. Because of this, Beowulf is recognized asRead MoreThe Similarities Of An Epic Hero In Beowulf And Iron Man1183 Words   |  5 PagesPeople believe being a hero means saving the world, but that is not always true. In Beowulf and Iron Man, the use of theme and qualities of an epic hero are used to portray that they are similar and different. Three qualities that an epic hero must have are to be courageous, to have superhuman strength, and to be selfless. The theme in Beowulf and Iron Man is triumph because they both overcome challenging obstacles. The theme helps the reader in real life because that person will have to overcomeRead MoreDefinition Of A Modern Hero In Beowulf744 Words   |  3 Pagestheir definition of a hero the same as our own? A good example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf, he travelled to Denmark with a group of warriors to fight a monster named Grendel that was terrorizing a city, he also killed Grendelâ €™s mother and a dragon to save the people in the city. He may seem like a modern hero, he’s saving the people in danger, he shows leadership, and has the bravery to do so, but there are distinct differences between the Anglo-Saxon hero and a modern hero and those differencesRead More Heroism in Beowulf Essay531 Words   |  3 PagesHeroism in Beowulf A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to uphold others. A hero is humble, philanthropic, magnanimous and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unprecedented epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake exemplifies every characteristic befitting an Anglo-Saxon hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the affray with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably endedRead MoreBeowulf : The Battles Of Beowulf1216 Words   |  5 PagesThe Battles of Beowulf The story of Beowulf is one of a great hero. Beowulf is a very generous person who is always willing to help out when people are in need. Over the course of the story, Beowulf ends up in three major battles: the battle with Grendel, with Grendel’s mother, and with the dragon. All of these battles were different in their style and the way Beowulf approached them was different. Beowulf also had different reasons to participate in each of the battles. The first major battleRead MoreCompare And Contrast Beowulf And King Arthur901 Words   |  4 Pagespossess influence their own lives and those of the people around them, specifically like the heroes in the epic â€Å"Beowulf† and the novel The Once and Future King. Each trait that Arthur and Beowulf possessed impacted major events in their lives, such as defeating Grendel in â€Å"Beowulf† or removing Excalibur from the stone in The Once and Future King. In both literary pieces, Arthur and Beowulf embark on quests in order to save their people. For both heroes, the effects of their actions differed, as wellRead MoreThe True Hero : Exploring Heroic Code1308 Words   |  6 PagesThe True Hero: Exploring Heroic Code in Germanic Society In the great epic Beowulf, the reader is able to delve into the Anglo-Saxon world and grow familiar with the heroic code. As a story passed from mouth to mouth as generations came and went, Beowulf still stands as one of the greatest heroic epics. The story teaches the reader a great deal about the time when it was written. In a world so heavily influenced by the perfect hero, the Anglo-Saxon people were able to look onto Beowulf as a sourceRead MoreModern Definition Of Hero In Beowulf714 Words   |  3 PagesDictionary, the modern definition of â€Å"hero† is â€Å"a person admired for achievements and noble qualities† or â€Å"one who shows great courage.† Over centuries peoples views of what they consider a hero has transformed. Alfred de Vigny’s claim that â€Å"there are no heroes and no monsters in this world† makes it clear that he defines â€Å"hero† in a different way. Despite de Vigny’s claim that there are no heroes or mons ters today, I believe there are, due to the selfless acts made by various people everyday andRead MoreCompare And Contrast Sir Gawain And Beowulf930 Words   |  4 Pagessuch as brave, noble, or selfless in the eyes of the people that are around them. All heroes have done something that has helped out for the good of another person, even if they are doing it for their own personal benefit. Heroes are those who have the strength and courage to solve a problem when it could or was not done by anyone else. Sir Gawain and Beowulf are heroes in literature who have done something important and have come to the rescue of others. Sir Gawain and Beowulf from these differentRead MoreLiterary Works Based On War And Heroism1003 Words   |  5 PagesInstructor Lovoy English 271 June 22, 2015 In reading The Iliad and Beowulf, one can conclude they are both literary works based on war and heroism. The hero in the Iliad is Achilles, who is from Greece and is the Archaen army’s greatest warrior in the battle of the Trojan war. Beowulf, a Geatish warrior has come to help the Danes in their long fight against Grendel, showing his heroism. Both characters Achilles and Beowulf share some similar traits such as their thirst for glory, their abnormal