Real Hero: Beowulf vs. Grendel The story of the famous battle between Beowulf and Grendel are told in two stories in The story of Beowulf by an unknown author and Grendel by John Gardner. The story of Beowulf is told in 3rd person by someone recounting the events and Grendel is told in a 1st person view of Grendel himself. There is lots of controversy whether which of the two is the real hero, so here is the gist of both stories for you to decide: There is a small town full of people that is being
Words: 1418 - Pages: 6
Beowulf in Relation to Anglo-Saxton Beliefs and Values In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are many references of Anglo-Saxton beliefs and values and the effects they have on the characters and the outcome of the story. As the setting of the story takes place in Anglo-Saxton times, these beliefs and values were well represented and well valued by the many characters of the story, such as Beowulf, Hygelac, Hrothgar, and Wiglaf. The Anglo-Saxton values consisted of generosity, friendship, loyalty, and
Words: 923 - Pages: 4
In the anonymously written epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf’s meaningful status as a hero and his ability to display honor in what he does is due to the fact that he is heroically able to exhibit the virtues of loyalty, courage, and friendship. The exceptional loyalty and faithfulness of Beowulf is shown through his allegiance to Hrothgar, king Hygelac, Wiglaf, and to the Geats. In fact, Beowulf is heroically willing to sacrifice himself if it means that he “[proves himself] / [...] and [fulfills] his
Words: 547 - Pages: 3
Sheep” (An Analysis of the Motivation of the Epic Hero Beowulf) What drives the heroes to commit acts of upright morality rather than making decisions that would lead them down the road of infamy? If you were in the place of the hero would uphold the “right” instead of enveloping yourself in the “wrong”? Why would you ever want to be a hero? The great Anglo Saxon epic Beowulf seeks to provide us with the answers to these questions. Beowulf is clearly motivated by a lust for something, why else
Words: 643 - Pages: 3
Beowulf sails back to Geatland and over the course of time is made king and eventually reaches his end in a final confrontation with a dragon. The first element of the return is the "Road Back." In this part of the story, the hero is “driven to complete the adventure by leaving” the Unknown World to be “sure the treasure is brought home.” In Beowulf, the “Road Back” is represented in Beowulf’s final words to Hrothgar: “We crossed the sea to come here; it is time to return, to go back to our beloved
Words: 601 - Pages: 3
In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf himself, an Anglo-Viking, displays many heroic characteristics. Such characteristics include kinship, fate, and fame. Kinship is someone who is loyal and would never betray their men. Beowulf is just that, he was willing to fight to the death for his warriors, who were like family to him, always thinking positive, and never let them down. Kinship is shown in lines 41-44 when it says, “At daybreak, with the sun's light, the saw/ How well he had worked, and in that
Words: 593 - Pages: 3
In today`s society it is difficult to find a person who is true to their word, unlike in medieval times. In medieval times a person who possessed these characteristics was a knight, who followed the code of chivalry. In The Wife of Bath`s Tale by Chaucer, the knight is a character that follows numerous aspects of the code of chivalry including staying true to his word numerous times even though he does not want to, and in the end he is rewarded for doing so. The knight first shows that he is
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
In the provided article Beowulf and the Teaching of Leadership written by John loughman and John Finley. The two authors state the epic poem Beowulf can give you timely insight and direction into leadership (P. 155). Although the story of Beowulf presents to us a very common leader I would have to disagree that the epic poem doesn’t really present to us how impactful and present his leadership skills. The two authors also compares and contrast the similarities beowulf has to culture movies you see
Words: 463 - Pages: 2
A hero is an individual who alters a society in a progressive way and becomes irrelevant when the society is changed due to a lack of purpose due to the new culture’s different needs for advancement; Grendel, in Grendel, written by John Gardner, is an excellent example of this ideology by showing the replacements of role models in society. When the hero is unaware of their status, they make rash decisions affecting the society they are shaping. This time period, in a sense, is the beginning of Joseph
Words: 921 - Pages: 4
Or why is a hero a hero? The characters in the books Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Knight's Tale all show the attributes of a hero. Beowulf takes place in what would now be modern day Denmark and Sweden while Sir Gawain and the Green Knight takes place in what is now Great Britain. Finally, The Knight's Tale is an ancient legend that comes from Greece. In one story Beowulf slays the dragon Grendel. Then the young Prince Beowulf slays Grendel's mother. Similarly, Gawain goes on a
Words: 619 - Pages: 3
