...Beowulf Essay Before the integration of written text, stories were transmitted exclusively through word of mouth, and, consequently had a short lifespan. Beowulf is a striking departure from these faltering stories, even as such it did not reach us unaltered. Beowulf edited by M.A Roberts, as a modern text, has obtained many attributes from the people who relayed the story, possibly so much it barely conveys the original authors intent. These unoriginal attributes are present throughout Beowulf’s epic hero journey, manifesting themselves within his resurrection, restitution and hubris. In the location and time where this story emanated from, Christians were oppressing and attempting to convert pagans, who were, in the Christian mind, a great evil, sometimes even thought to be a manifestation of the devil himself. Enter Beowulf’s conquering of an apparent evil, the dragon. Beowulf willingly sacrificed his life to spare and avenge humanity from the damage afflicted by this wretched worm who was aggravated by a sinful peasant. This Relates to Jesus dying on the cross freeing all people from their sins. As Beowulf dies he instills the dragons hoard upon Wiglaf. “’Now go quickly and gaze upon the hoard beneath the white rocks, beloved Wiglaf, now that the worm lies low in sleep’”(Roberts 86). This is Beowulf’s resurrection, reaching his low point when his liegemen abandoned...
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...leave a lasting imprint on the reader. Various stories of heroes, like Beowulf, are very similar and they all have the same basic elements: personal connection, cultural connection, and universal connection. The universality of heroes and myths are demonstrated through different story elements. To the modern reader, heroes...
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...In Beowulf there are many symbols and elements. The symbols of Herot hall and Grendel represented all that was good, and all that was evil in the story. There are also many Christian elements in this pagan story. These aspects of the poem are important, but not relevant to today's society. In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf is an epic hero. The poem gives the idea of what a hero really is. Many of these ideas have been carried into modern society, and one person fallows these traits of Beowulf. That is the modern hero of Michael Jordan. Beowulf and Michael Jordan had a surprisingly similar journey. The similarities between Beowulf and Michael start with their fathers. Beowulf's father was a great warrior who had earned a reputation as being strong and courageous; however, Beowulf's father was killed and never saw his son do great things. All of these traits of Beowulf's father are similar to that of Michael's dad. Michael's father, James Jordan, was a great professional baseball player who had earned a reputation as a hustle player and a good lead off man. James was killed later in life, and was never able to see his son do great things. Just like Beowulf's father. It is know that both Beowulf and Michael earned reputations when they were young. Beowulf earned his reputation by killing nine sea monsters, all while competing in a swimming race. Beowulf did go on to lose the race, but earned a great deal of respect in his homeland when his people heard the story. Michael earned his...
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...Lakiethian Colbert Comparison and Contrast: Hero’s Eng 106 Professor Nikki Moorman History has proven that literature will always find a hero. In any culture and any time period there will be Epic Hero’s that will exemplify strength, courage, chivalry and family. These heroes portray a number of comparable attributes as well as a number of notable differences. Beowulf is a pillar in old English literature. He can be compared to the hero Achilles from the Iliad based on warrior strength and compared to Aeneas he went on a journey. Although many years separated these heroes and their journeys, there proved to be a comparison between them all that shows how the earlier hero inspired the later. The glories of a hero is something that is shown when comparing Beowolf an Achilles. Beowulf’s society held fame and glory at a high standard. He knew he would receive praise from the kingdom he went to help, but this shows how he also cares about others. Achilles does not like the Greeks. He went to war for the fame and glory, more than the cause. Achilles was a little more vain than Beowulf, but both of them enjoyed the glories of fighting. Beowulf and Achilles both have enemies that they face off against. Beowulf has numerous epic battles with creatures. The story revolves around his epic battle with Grendel. He then goes on to fight with Grendel’s mother. The ending is rounded off with at battle of him and a dragon. Achilles has to fight with Hector and the Trojan army. ...
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...archetypal hero has some “…form of journey (the hero's journey archetype); these needn't be physical journeys like Homer's epics, but also spiritual journey(s)…” In the Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf slays dragons and monsters, as well as becomes king, and sails across vast oceans—however, Beowulf’s ultimate purpose to his journey is to be remembered for what a renowned hero he once was, as well as gain recognition from others for his heroic battles. Beowulf can be considered an archetypal hero because he possesses attributes that would be considered heroic, and also goes on a physical as well as spiritual journey. In the story of Beowulf, Beowulf has an ultimate journey that involves a call to adventure, followed by a refusal of the call, as well as reward (seizing the...
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...English 2210-006 1 March 2011-Revised Beowulf as an Epic The Anglo-Saxon tale Beowulf was most likely written by a single poet from a Christian background. The poem as a whole exhibits the poet’s empathy for epic heroes like Beowulf, and for how they lived and died without the hope and consolation of the Christian faith (“Beowulf” 30-31). Beowulf is an epic poem that describes various characters and events from the sixth century, in particular the story of a brave warrior named Beowulf, his many heroic adventures, and his ultimate death. This poem originated from both legends and myths from other cultures that originally were passed down orally from generation to generation and then eventually recorded. By definition, an epic poem is a “long narrative poem in an elevated style that celebrates heroic achievement and treats themes of historical, national, religious, or legendary significance.” Some common characteristics of an epic that are obviously evident in Beowulf are the use of specific types of figurative language, the fighting of heroic battles against supernatural creatures, the unusual behavior of god-like heroes, and the array of geographical settings which are often included in a long journey (“Epic”). One characteristic of epic poems is the use of certain types of figurative language. One type of this elevated language is an epic simile, “an extended simile often running to several lines used typically in epic poetry to intensify the heroic stature of...
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...A “hero is a person” who is appreciated or idealized for bravery or outstanding success. A “hero displays traits,” a hero “saves others”, and a hero “is culture.” Beowulf displays a hero trait by either showing all his strengths and powers, but hero’s traits can also show weakness. Hero’s usually show a positive trait, because not everyone wants to show their weakness. Beowulf is an act of a time and place so that’s why he is considered a hero in culture. Every hero has a journey to follow so they can be able to get to the title “hero.” The hero’s journey was recognized by Joseph Campbell and it tells is the typical adventure of the archetype which is known the hero. In Beowulf, the call to adventure was when Beowulf hears about the monster and how his is attacking Herot’s people. Beowulf is to go and save the land from Grendel who is the monster....
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...Characteristics of the Epic Hero The form of the poem suggests that the material dealt with should be "events which have a certain grandeur and importance, and come from a life of action, especially of violent action such as war" (see C. M. Bowra, From Virgil to Milton, p. 1). 1. The hero is not only a warrior and a leader, but also a polished speaker who can address councils of chieftains or elders with eloquence and confidence. (Beowulf, 258-259) 2. The hero possesses distinctive weapons of great size and power, often heirlooms or presents from the gods. (Grendel, 102-125) 3. The hero must undertake a long, perilous journey, often involving a descent into the Underworld (Greek, "Neukeia"), which tests his endurance, courage, and cunning. (Beowulf, 539-541) 4. Although his fellows may be great warriors (like Achilles and Beowulf, he may have a comitatus, or group of noble followers with whom he grew up), he undertakes a task that no one else dare attempt. (Beowulf’s fellows 206-209) 5. Whatever virtues his race most prizes, these the epic hero as a cultural exemplar possesses in abundance. (Beowulf, 415-418) 6. The concept of arete (Greek for "bringing virtue to perfection") is crucial to understanding the epic protagonist. (Beowulf 340-347) 7. The hero establishes his nobility through single combat. A hero gains little honour by slaying a lesser mortal, but only by challenging heroes like himself or adversaries of superhuman power. (Beowulf removing his armor...
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...Beowulf Beowulf is an epic poem from the Anglo-Saxon time period and is roughly 4,000 lines long (The History Behind Beowulf). An epic poem is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as “a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation” (Definition of Epic in English). Many television shows and movies have been made based on the poem but one of the most recent is a movie from 2007 that shares the same name. Even though this movie version follows the majority of the original plot line of the poem, it does deviate on a couple key points which change the scope of the movie and make the journey of Beowulf markedly different from the poem. In both the poem and the movie Beowulf assumes kingship after the passing of King Hrothgar, kills Grendel and the dragon, and dies from wounds sustained from the battle with the dragon. However there are clear artistic liberties that were taken when making the film to make it more marketable as a film. For instance in the movie Beowulf sires the dragon with Grendel’s mother instead of killing her which leads to the dragon seeking out Beowulf for retribution. One of the greatest changes from the poem to the story is the slaying of Grendel’s mother. In the poem Beowulf engages in a heroic fight against Grendel’s mother ending with her death: He grasped then the sword-hilt, knight of the Scyldings, Bold and battle-grim, brandished his ring-sword...
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...Beowulf dates back to the 8th and early 11th century, being the oldest surviving epic poem in Angelo-Saxton literature. The existence of this poem has made a big impression for quite some time now. In the poem Beowulf showed qualities of heroism, pride, strength and boastfulness, when fighting the monsters and running his great kingdom of the Danes. Did Beowulf have the characteristics and qualities of a true epic hero? Beowulfs character traits did in fact represent what a true epic hero really is. One Beowulf’s qualities he did best were brag, he would brag to people about great accomplishments he made on his scary and dangerous journeys. People of his time thought that bragging was a trait that showed his true heroism. Beowulf would boast to Unferth about his great swimming competition with Breca, where they swam out to see and stayed there for five nights. He would brag about the nine, one-eyed, sea monsters that he slayed. When Beowulf killed Grendal and his mother he would boast to king Hygelac and the people of the Danes about how he did it and how challenging it was. When Beowulf was king he would brag about how no other kingdom or man would ever try and kill him or fight him. It was normal in Anglo- Saxton time for great hero’s to brag about their accomplishments, it showed a great amount of pride and success. Beowulf showed no sign of fear even when he was about to do something that was extremely dangerous. Beowulf was always the bravest man since he thought that...
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...The difference between tragic and epic heroes Tragic heroes and Epic heroes; to the average person, they may think there is no difference. The main characteristic of a tragic hero is that he or she must have a tragic flaw, which leads to their downfall. A tragic hero, unlike an epic hero, usually does not have a successful conclusion and does not have to be neither good nor evil. While with an epic hero, he may have to deal with supernatural beings and is said to often perform unheard of, sometimes super human quest. The differences between the two can be hard to find but when you really look into the text, you can snoop out the differences. “Epic heroes somehow always get off easier than tragic heroes do.” “Epic heroes get win and at the end of the day are still thought of as noble birth and great to all humanity. In the play Beowulf, Beowulf, the main character is the exact image of an epic hero As for tragic heroes, it is the complete opposite; they come out on the bottom, with a tragic downfall that they will probably not ever get out of. Epic hero is the central figure of an epic poem whereas a tragic hero is the central figure in a tragic play.” The Circumstances of the Hero’s birth are unusual. At birth, he is said to be the son of a god. At the birth of the Hero, there is often an attempt to kill him. He may be kidnapped or sent away for his protection, foster parents often save him. Though the tragic hero is undoubtedly great, he is not perfect. Combined with his...
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...The archetypal layout of an exemplary story is composed of the Twelve Stages. The Twelve Stages of a hero’s journey are the steps every person must take in order to prove one’s self as a hero. Mythical heroes such as Theseus, Sigurd, and Beowulf clearly demonstrate the archetypal qualities of a hero. A typical hero is seen as a morally just individual, with a noticeably ethical intent. An archetypal quality of a hero is moral goodness. The hero is always opposing evil and wrong-doing, while attempting his best to halt it. The hero is selfless always willing to give his life in place of another. A villain, or monster, is the opposed force of the hero, whose intent is solely based around a malicious and self-centered motive. The shadow-self of a character is often portrayed as the villain, or monster, but it has a much greater importance. The shadow-self illustrates the two extremes of a personality. Since the shadow-self is the complete opposite of a character, the good and bad qualities of that character are shown, the shadow self of a character can have both good and bad aspects. When someone is able to control the good aspects of both characters, the individual is able to grow and learn from themselves. The shadow-self is often used in literature, because it is seen as the perfect challenge for the protagonist. An example in literature would be Beowulf and Grendel. Beowulf is a great hero driven by good morals and intentions, while Grendel is a soulless monster living only...
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...Throughout the history of human existence, scholars have wondered what characteristics found in ancient literature exemplified in their corresponding ancient societies and how these classical works influenced said cultures. One way to answer these questions is to look at famous literary works and the epic heroes that comprise them. Characteristics of epic heroes such as those found in Beowulf, Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and the Odyssey often reflected traits that were seen as favorable within the societies in which they were written, which, in turn, led to these archetypal heroes greatly impacting surrounding societies. When comparing and contrasting epic heroes such as Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Hector, Achilles, and Odysseus, it becomes evident that...
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...Wisdom as a Warrior Beowulf, an epic tale from the Anglo-Saxon era, depicts a hero that goes by the name Beowulf. Beowulf is a Geatish warrior who lives to later on becomes a king. On this journey from a young warrior of the Geatish nation, to a king amongst the people, Beowulf experienced many battles and ended up victorious to his last breath. Out of the many battles Beowulf had, three specific battles stand out to show how Beowulf evolved as a warrior. These battles are; the battle with Grendel, the battle with Grendel’s mother, and the battle with a dragon. The progress achieved in each battle proved to be constructive to his wisdom as a warrior. The first battle took place in the land of the Danes with, “This grim spirit called Grendel, / mighty stalker of the marches,” (Beowulf 103-104). Grendel terrorized the mead hall named “Heorot.” This terrorizing of the mead hall, by Grendel, took place for twelve long winters in the Danish land. Word of this terrorizing reached the ears of Beowulf which caused him and his army to travel to land of the Danes. Grendel’s terror consisted of sneaking upon sleeping soldiers in the mead hall and fulfilling his bloodlust and hatred by slaying the Danish soldiers. As said before this slaying took place for twelve winters. At this point, Beowulf is a young and naïve soldier. This is shown by his battle with the monster Grendel. Instead of going into battle with armor, weapons, and anything else that would give Beowulf the upper hand on Grendel...
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...and Odysseus were two heroes from two completely different time periods that were both in search of the meaning of life, or what could be done in a lifetime. Gilgamesh and the Odyssey are both categorized as hero myths. This is because both hero's go through growth and change throughout out their conquests. The epics that the two characters are featured in Gilgamesh, was developed from early Mesopotamia and the Odyssey in early Greece. Gilgamesh was a very popular and it was very valuable to the historian of Mesopotamian culture because it reveals much about the religious world, such as their attitudes toward the gods, how a hero was defined and regarded, views about death and friendship. The Odyssey was also very popular in its era. It was set in ancient Greece where in its culture; mythology was the heart of everyday life. Gilgamesh, the hero from the epic Gilgamesh, was the historical king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the river Euphrates. He lived about 2700B.C. Odysseus, the hero from the epic the Odysseus, was the ruler of the island kingdom of Ithaca. He was one of the most prominent Greek leaders of the Trojan War. Both of these men were granted certain strengths, Gilgamesh had physical, while Odysseus had mental strengths. The journeys of Gilgamesh and Odysseus are two incredible stories written long ago; these two heroes have many similarities, but also many differences. The differences are between these two great heroes are slim, but significant. Gilgamesh was a very self-confident...
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