Beowulf is extraordinary. The name sake and hero archetype of the epic poem Beowulf, transcends what it means to be a king reaching the title of hero and champion of the people. When he first is described in line 196 of the epic, the writer says,“There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful.” Beowulf will always be the time’s mightiest hero, whether he is king or not. However when pondering if Beowulf himself, would rather be a hero or a king, the answer would be the former. Beowulf would rather be the legend of the people than a leader who has power over them. Being a man of action, he would rather save people then rule them. Beowulf’s primary focus in the epic is obtaining glory …show more content…
In lines 2369-2376, upon the death of king Hygelac, Beowulf is offered the throne, but the poem says, “ …there was no way the weakened nation could get Beowulf to give in and agree to be elevated over Heardred as his lord or to take office of his kingship.” Instead Beowulf continued to support the Crown without carrying the responsibilities that comes with it. When Heardred dies, Beowulf is forced to step into the role of a heroic king, rather than a warrior. His transition from warrior to king, and, in particular, his final battle with the dragon, kings show the contrast between the duties of a heroic warrior and those of a heroic king. While Beowulf is a great and respected king, he is questionably too much of a hero. As a king, Beowulf must learn not only to think in the now but to plan for the extensive future for not just himself but for his entire race. In the eyes of several of the Geats, Beowulf’s dauntless encounter with the dragon is morally questionable because it dooms them to a kingless state in which they remain vulnerable to attack by their enemies. He throws consequence out the door and reverts to being the hero. But since all of these kings were great warriors in their youth, the tension between these two important roles seems inevitable and ultimately irreconcilable. Fame was worth the …show more content…
The greatest thing one could accomplish is to live forever on the backs of their own reputation. Instead of living by the modern motto for fame, “any publicity is good publicity”, the heroes in the epic strive for total excellence. Instead of striving for dignity, the focus of the modern world is unquestionably money. The dragon does a great job of representing the vanity of human wishes today as well as the mutability of time. The dragon's barrow holds wealth in abundance, yet the wealth is of no use to anyone. Just as the dead warriors cannot use the treasure, neither can the dragon. He devotes his life to guarding a treasure that he frankly has no use for. The treasure, in the end, is of no consequence. It is buried with the dead
Within this paper, there are two different pieces writing that will be compared. Those writings are The Epic Poem of Beowulf and A Hero’s Journey Archetype. This paper will be discussing this question: How does Beowulf follow the Hero’s Journey Archetypes? According to Hero’s Journey Archetype, the characteristics of a hero is that, the hero is male.
Beowulf were happy successful kings for many years and the people loved him he were his peoples protectors they relied on him when the winters nights were cold he would recall his adventures once he said I was a young warrior who could defeat anyone imagines me then a strong athletic arrogant heroes these was the stories he would tell the killing of the sea monster the battle with the Grendel the fight with Grendel’s mother he loved to tell tales those were his glory day as he got older his people began to forget his many youthful exploit they saw him as an old man few peoples could imagine that he were ever a mighty fighter he seemed so frail then one day a terrible event took place from nowhere a dragon appeared the dragon 's breath was fire
Beowulf had more than one character archetype, the second one being a mentor. His ability to be valued, and showing his men what to accomplish to become somewhat like him is shown throughout the whole poem, as written “ The Geats stayed, sat sadly, watching, imagining they saw their lord but not believing they would ever see him again” ( L. 559-561). His men have been mentored by Beowulf for a long time, typically they’ve grown to think like him. Knowing how their leader is, they don’t give up on him nor put themselves into the situation of believing that Beowulf could have perished. Of course, Beowulf mentored them well into thinking and letting them know that the fight never is over.
Beowulf’s integrity, like many “heroes” of the modern world, depends solely on his socalled bravery and willingness to risk himself for the sake of others. His quick response to the
Despite this, the idea of being noble at the time of Beowulf is different from what we think of now. The warriors' idea of heroism is that they should brag and show off what they have accomplished. For example, when Beowulf is talking to Unferth, he says “Lurking and stalking, but I lashed out,
Beowulf attempted to comfort Hrothgar and the warriors by exclaiming, “Let your sorrow end! It is better for us all to avenge our friends, not mourn them forever”. He then aims to convince Hrothgar that “for the glory of his name, fame after death is the noblest of goals”. Beowulf believes it is worth dying for a good
In the epic poem “Beowulf” the character Beowulf is the foundation for all of our modern heroes, but was he really a great hero? A hero is classified as a person who is admired for their bravery, achievements, or nobility. Although Beowulf displays all these qualities, there are several reasons he is not a hero, mainly him being egotistical and arrogant. This is why Beowulf is not a heroic person. Beowulf is often caught bragging about himself and his great accomplishments.
Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”
After Beowulf got back from the Danes from killing Grendel’s mom, he became the king of the Geats. “Defending the folk against many a tribe with a spear point and word in the surges of battle till not one was hostile “neath heaven’s expanse.” Beowulf put ever dedication into his people and put them first before anything else. Many years passed and Beowulf began to grow old yet his fighting spirit never aged. He was easily one of the most kindest and generous kings the land of the Geats had ever seen.
Questions of Honor: Beowulf Beowulf’s honor and integrity can be questioned throughout the entirety of the epic poem, Beowulf. Whether or not his actions are inspired by his own pompous arrogance or confidence, one can argue that he is a hero nonetheless. Evidence and experience prove that Beowulf is more of a fearless hero than an excessively prideful man, and his hubris is more than justified due to the formidable duties he is able to execute. Throughout the poem, Beowulf expresses his intense strength and courage to the fearful people in the poem. His daring sense of self-assurance is backed by his victories against all three monsters, (even though he suffers a tragic death after facing the dragon, it is a defeat nonetheless).
Beowulf declares that he “drove five great giants into chains, [and] chased all of that race from the Earth.” He is immensely overbearing at that point because he is too proud of his achievements. Being excessively prideful does not exactly label Beowulf as a hero. Beowulf assumes all of the courageous acts he fulfills will make him
After warring against the Swedes, Beowulf’s Gold-Giver and his son died, leaving the throne to the Great Hero. Beowulf’s rule would be glorious, as he proved himself to be a father to his people and great fighter against the enemies of Geatland. He grew older and by the time he was a greybeard, the age of heroes was at its end, with the only survivor being Beowulf. However, evil was not fully vanquished from this Earth, the Great Dragon arose to lay waste to Geatland. Beowulf was always a man who knew his destiny and wyrd; he must’ve known that this beast would preserve his name, but destroy him.
The story tells of many characters who faced the same circumstances as Beowulf, yet failed to respond in a similar and valiant effort, like Beowulf. For example, when facing the dragon nearly all of his hand picked soldiers coward in fear. Beowulf then showed humility by turning down his first offer to be king. When Hrothgar died, he offered Beowulf the throne; however, he refused, which allowed the rightful heir, Hrothgar’s son to be placed into power. This decision exemplifies the value he placed on ethics and honor.
In the great epic, Beowulf, an unknown poet describes Beowulf as an invincible hero with the amazing strength stronger than any human ever, but does having the traits of an incredible warrior, make him a great king? A great king is loyal, generous, reliable and should be able to realize what he needs to do to make sure his people are safe. Beowulf is brave, strong, and extremely confident in his combat abilities, but Beowulf does not think about the possible effects of his actions. Beowulf cares about his fame, fortune, and legacy, but he often makes rushed decisions that risk his life and could potentially leave his people powerless and unprotected. During Beowulf’s transformation from thane to king, he has always had more of a warrior’s mindset,
Beowulf had done the unthinkable—he had killed a demon that no warrior of Denmark could have done. This opened several new doors for Beowulf, including one that promised of honor, glory, and riches. Beowulf had achieved his goal of fame, a goal which had created a poem of a hero that birthed and shaped a story to be told even years later. Furthermore, Beowulf’s fame was set in stone by Hrothgar, the king who owed Beowulf his everything, including his thanks. After giving Beowulf the speech to further glorify his prominence, Hrothgar declares, “Glory is now yours/