...archetypes but the most dominant ones including the hero, the shadow, and the herald. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the author uses archetypes to develop the plot. The main character Beowulf, displays a superior archetype in the epic poem by being the hero within the story. A hero is defined as one who gets praised for brave acts and Beowulf does exactly that. Beowulf displays this archetype in various ways...
Words: 659 - Pages: 3
...Hero’s Never Forgotten Today in the 21st century anybody can be considered a hero, but back the days you had to earn to become a hero. The past few weeks I learned what it really meant to be a hero and how to become a hero. Hero’s can be different in so many ways, but they can also be similar in so many ways as well. Hero’s are often the strongest, smartest, and most looked up to people in their village or country. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting two great warriors who have earned to become a hero. Beowulf, and the character from the 13th warrior are two amazing hero’s that have a lot of courage and strength for their people and their own soul. Beowulf came to be considered a hero when he hears the tragic story of king Hrothgar. Afterwards he sailed to Denmark to help out the helpless king Hrothgar and his army who have been attacked many times by the cruel Grendel. Grendel in the story is considered to be a horrible demon that lives in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel attacked the warriors because of the noise they made when they were in Heorot. Therefore Grendel terrorized the warriors every night, killing them and defeating their efforts to fight back. Beowulf who at the time was inspired by the story he heard went with some of his closest companions, and asks the great king Hrothgar if he could fight the mean devil Grendel, and without a doubt the helpless king accepts the offer. At last Grendel arrives, to a feast the king held for Beowulf...
Words: 1181 - Pages: 5
...2015 Comparison of Much Ado about Nothing and Twelfth Night Shakespeare often employed a usage of posturing, or misleading, within his comedies that attribute to the confusion that serves as driving forces within the plays. I found this especially true in his play Twelfth Night, a plot dictated by multiple deceptions. After viewing the play Twelfth Night, I immediately considered the similarities found between that play and Much Ado about Nothing, which also contained numerous deceptions and guises. The presence of deception in both plays contribute to the conflicts caused by what appear to be, more so than actual physical disguise, and functions as a preeminent theme. In regards to...
Words: 917 - Pages: 4
...middle of his career. The play was included in the First Folio, published in 1623. Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare's best comedies, because it combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honor, shame, and court politics. Like As You Like It and Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, though interspersed with darker concerns, is a joyful comedy that ends with multiple marriages and no deaths. This story happened in a beautiful village. As the play begins, Leonato prepares to welcome some friends home from a war. The friends include Don Pedro, a prince who is a close friend of Leonato, and two fellow soldiers: Claudio, a well-respected young nobleman, and Benedick, a clever man who constantly makes witty jokes, often at the expense of his friends. Don John, Don Pedro's illegitimate brother, is part of the crowd as well. Don John is sullen and bitter, and makes trouble for the others. When the soldiers arrive at Leonato's home, Claudio quickly falls in love with Hero. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice resume the war of witty insults that they have carried on with each other in the past. Claudio and Hero pledge their love to one another and decide to be married. To pass the time in the week before the wedding, the lovers and their friends decide to play a game. They want to get Beatrice and Benedick, who are clearly meant for each other, to stop arguing and fall in love. Their tricks prove successful, and Beatrice...
Words: 746 - Pages: 3
...The Las Vegas shooting was the most deadly mass shootings in America history. Many people were wounded and many people died. We have seen many mass shootings in our country but we have never seen this much devastation on a night that should have been perfectly normal. People were giving a valuable effort to help one another during the attack but it was too chaotic for most people to focus. There were a few people that stood out but one individual hero in my eyes stood out the most. This person fits my definition of a hero because of his courageous actions. The man’s name is Taylor Winston and he is a hero during the Las Vegas mass shooting. Taylor Winston is a Marine Veteran who has served 2 tours in Iraq. He says his experience in Iraq helped him keep his head straight during the mayhem. He was an average person going to Las Vegas to enjoy a country...
Words: 739 - Pages: 3
...Beowulf Essay The ideal hero, thats funny to think about, because they seem to always let you down in the end. The true meaning of a hero is someone that you can follow, not a ‘“don’t do what I do but do as I say” kind of man. A hero/heroine refers to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice that is, heroism for some greater good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence. Roma Chatterji has suggested that the hero or more generally protagonist is first and foremost a symbolic representation of the person who is experiencing the story while reading, listening or watching, thus the relevance of the hero to the individual relies a great deal on how much similarity there is between the two. One reason for the hero-as-self interpretation of stories and myths is the human inability to view the world from any perspective but a personal one. The word hero/heroine is sometimes used simply to describe the protagonist of a story, or the love interest, a usage which can conflict with the superhuman expectations of heroism. The larger-than-life hero is a more common feature of fantasy (particularly sword, wizards and epic fantasy) than more realist works. Christianity traditionally has emphasized humility as its main form of heroics. To illustrate that no virtue can possibly be perfectly acquired or continue...
Words: 1002 - Pages: 5
...Lindbergh Kidnapping It was considered the “Crime of the Century” that is still captivating people. What truly happened on the night of March 1, 1932 in Hopewell, New Jersey is still being talked about decades later. Even though one man was tried and convicted for this crime, there are still many conspiracy theories that surround this case. Was it an inside job that had been carefully planned? Was it the result of skillful fabrication done by investigators and police to wrongfully accuse one man? Or was the verdict correct and it was all done by one man alone? The question still remains, who kidnapped the Lindbergh baby? Due to the considerable evidence against Bruno Hauptmann, it is believed that Mr. Hauptmann was the one to kidnap...
Words: 1667 - Pages: 7
...TAHARQA It was dark and rainy night when my grandfather shouted “story time”, I ran into his room and I sat down wondering “what is the story will about in this scary night”. That was the beginning of every night scenario with my grandfather, almost all my childhood. And it was obvious he is serious this time, because he sat down on the floor in front of me for the first time. I felt the excitement running in my blood, and exit through my eyes as a look of a child waiting for his biggest treat. In unusual event he started by asking me a question “what do you know about king Taharqa?” I did not say a word until he finished the story. When I grew up, I forget most of the details and the characters in every story, but there is one story I would never forget. The story of the greatest king, Taharqa, one of the most influencing leaders in the history, he dominated the largest empire in African Ancient times. In fact Taharqa’s story didn’t leave my mind, because he is the epitome of my tribe (Nubian). According to Wikipedia.com, there were several events that led Taharqa to be the greatest Nubian pharaoh in the history. First, he ruled Egypt and Sudan as one empire. In fact Taharqa took control of Palestine too. Second, Taharqa saved Palestine and the Hebrew society from the Assyrians. For that he had been called “Jerusalem Savior” and mentioned in the Bible. And there nothing has higher greatness than mentioning my hero’s name in the Holy Bible. In addition, Taharqa’s victory over...
Words: 1003 - Pages: 5
...Hero A hero is one who places himself or herself at great risk while performing acts of courage. Not only is Beowulf a hero because of his physical strength, but rather than basking in the resulting glory, he gives the glory to God. Beowulf is the ultimate hero who put his life on the line for an entire kingdom. Beowulf's heroism can be seen when he takes 14 of the bravest in his land to go help Hrothgar. Hrothgar was Beowulf's father's close friend who had been plagued by attacks for twelve years that threatened an entire kingdom. Beowulf did not have to offer Hrothgar's kingdom help, but does so because he wants to uses his God given strength to the best of his ability. As soon as Beowulf heard of the troubles in this land he set sail immediately. Beowulf continues to show his thankfulness by thanking God for giving them safe travel across the sea. Beowulf is lead to Hrothgar and offers him is services. Beowulf is asked by the warriors to tell of his past defeats while eating in Hrothgar's palace. Beowulf is already a hero to the people of this land for he is about to rid them of their enemy. As an ultimate hero, Beowulf decides, to be far, he will not use weapons in his battle against Grendel since Grendel reputedly does not use them. "I do not consider myself a lesser fighter than Grendel does himself; therefore I will not kill him with a sword, and deprive him of life in that way.... No, this night we two will abstain from swords..." That night...
Words: 1233 - Pages: 5
...The characteristics of a hero likely vary from person to person, however, there are some universal qualities that a hero should have. Some of the features that come to mind when thinking of a hero include: superhuman abilities, courage, and selflessness. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf displays all of these heroic traits. While some could argue that Beowulf is not a hero due to his desire for glory, his heroic qualities outweigh this one fault. Overall, Beowulf’s effectiveness as a hero can be seen through his courage and selflessness to take on extraordinary monsters and his superhuman ability to take on these creatures. The story begins by introducing a community and a monstrous creature that plagues the citizens. The creature, Grendel, is exceptionally power as he is able to kill thirty warriors with little effort: “He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies” (4). This would surely scare most men but not Beowulf. Beowulf welcomes the challenge and prepares to fight him as soon as he hears about the creature: “In his far-off home Beowulf, … heard how Grendel filled nights with horror and quickly commanded a boat fitted out” (6). Beowulf’s readiness to fight Grendel exemplifies his courage and selflessness. The fact that Beowulf lives in a far-off land further...
Words: 650 - Pages: 3
...Many legends and stories have been told, with a hero being the main character, and each time the story seems to be following some sort of a pattern, a pattern that guides all the stories ever told. Essentially, there is just one hero story, with many variations of it – different characters and different problems but basically the same plot. Joseph Campbell discovered this, and gave the pattern a name, the 12 Stages of a Hero’s Journey. Many stories fit into these 12 stages, like The Emperor’s New Groove, for example. Kuzco is the hero in this case, and successfully goes through all 12 stages of a hero’s Journey. Stage 1 At the very start of the hero’s grand journey, he is initially introduced in his usual, common, everyday life - there is nothing out of the ordinary for the hero. Then he...
Words: 852 - Pages: 4
...I never knew two dogs can be so similar even though one Seaman is a real dog and Hally is a fictional dog. For example the books Dog Breath and Canine Hero the two dogs have a few similarities, like they are loving and heros toward their owners. For example in the book Dog breath on page 15 the author states,¨The next morning the Tosis family woke up with two burgerlears passed out on the cold floor.¨ This means Hally Tosis saved the family from getting robbed. She was a hero to the Tosiss they could of got robbed that night, but Hally became a hero. Another example is In the book Canine Hero the author says,” One night, a buffalo bull wandered into the expedition's camp. Passing within inches of the sleeping men, it crushed guns and almost...
Words: 404 - Pages: 2
...Odyssey, Penelope is the true hero. She is the true hero because, she waits 20 years for Odysseus, she tricks her suitors into thinking she’s doing a blanket for about two months, and she makes a challenge to string a bow and arrow, and shoot it through 12 axes. One of the reasons I think Penelope is a hero is because for 20 years she waits for Odysseus dealing with intense sadness and depression, my reasoning behind this is that from the book Eumaeus the Swineherd said, “Always with her the wretched nights and days also waste her away with her weeping.” Another example that she deals with sadness and depression is that after her father left, her own son, Telemachos, sea sets sail to find his father without telling her. For a while she lost both the men she loves so dearly. The last example of her going through her depression is that at one point she prayed to the god Artemis, asking him why he just doesn’t take her life right now. That is one of the reasons I think she a hero....
Words: 654 - Pages: 3
...Who is your hero? By today's standard, a modern hero would be a rock star or a fictional person on TV, but this was not always the case. Heroes have been recorded in literature since the beginning of written language. The first indication of an epic hero was found in the literary piece “Beowulf”. An epic hero is defined as a larger - than - life figure, who pits his courage, skill, and virtue against opposing, often evil forces. Beowulf is clearly the epic hero in “Beowulf” because he displays bravery and strength, as well as demonstrates that he is a smart Anglo-Saxon leader. The first trait that Beowulf showcases that makes him an epic hero is bravery. Driven by honor, Beowulf confronts Hrothgar with a proposition to fight the monster...
Words: 741 - Pages: 3
...In many accounts the archetypical hero has been used time and time again. The heroic character has traits that are collectively inherited and admired by many. In Silence of The Lambs and the mythological story of Theseus an archetypical hero is used. The reason why mankind has steadfastly composed the archetypical hero is because it is found relatable. The hero is relatable because they are intriguing, impressive and inspirational. The archetypical hero is intriguing as he comes from an obscure or mysterious origin and he is also spiritually alone. Theseus is intriguing as his father is unknown. Theseus’ mother slept with two different men the night of his conception. These men were Poseidon, a god and Aegeus, a king. So Theseus could either be a demigod or the son of a king. Theseus begins his journey by collecting flying sandals and a sword from under a rock from (his could be father) Aegeus. By himself, Theseus set off to find his father as well as his maturity. In Silence of the Lambs, Clarice is an outsider in her field of work for the FBI, since she is a female in a man’s world. Her father dying when she was only 10 and her mother already deceased created an even more captivating past. Despite her difficult beginnings she prospered as the head of her class. She was then chosen for an important case even though she was still training in the academy. Clarice is an introvert to society and remains spiritually isolated, haunted by her past. After her father died she lived with...
Words: 841 - Pages: 4
