In Burton Raffel’s epic poem, Beowulf, Beowulf shows many characteristics that exemplify the epic hero archetype. In this poem, Beowulf shows honor by fighting Grendel without weapons, because he knows grendel does not use weapons himself.. Beowulf also exemplifies bravery by willing to fight the dragon without any of his men, even though he knows he will die if he goes alone. These are just some of the many characteristics that Beowulf shows exemplifying an epic hero. The first characteristic that Beowulf shows exemplifying an epic hero is honor. The majority of epic hero’s have an obscene amount of honor. In this poem, Beowulf shows a lot of honor when he says he will fight Grendel without any weapons, just his hands because he knew Grendel
The archetype of hero is a literary character that is all-round good. He or she will save other people, do the right thing, protect that is good and they will fight any monster that comes to his or her way. They are one of the basic paradigms in tales and mythology from across the world, but especially in European culture. For example, the hero archetype starts from Achilles until Beowulf via superheros such as Superman and other 1980s action
In the early medieval ages, the spread of Christianity greatly influenced the Germanic ideals. One can see this drastic transition in character while reading and comparing the books of Beowulf and King Arthur. Although the story archetypes remain the same for the most part, the archetypes reflect the different ideals of the different time periods. Archetypes such as the hunting group of companions and quest still hold significance, but reflect different ideals. The ideals of the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe drastically change as Christianity moves across the region, and the traditional story Archetypes reflect this change in cultural ideals.
Beowulf as a Quest Beowulf is a quest epic poem, that was written somewhere between the late 10th century and the early 11th century. It contains a story about an Anglo-Saxon warrior. The warrior, Beowulf, goes on a quest to save the Danes and the Geats. In order for a story to be a quest, it has to archetypes. Beowulf is a quest, because it has archetypal characters, symbols and situations.
The story of Beowulf is an extraordinary tale however, is this story considered a fairy tale? Beowulf has many elements in common with a fairy tale. These elements include the presence of a hero and villain archetype, monsters and unrealistic, exaggerated characteristics (strength), and the typical “happy ending” that conclude all fairytales. The archetypes of a hero and villain are expressed very clear in this story of tremendous bravery with the hero, Beowulf and the villain, Grendel. Grendel shows many villain qualities like lack of remorse, “The evil creature, grim and hungry, grabbed thirty warriors and went home laughing.”
An archetype is a character or motif that appears in many types of literature, one of these is an epic hero. The epic hero is a character that appears in many old english poems, the most famous being Beowulf. Beowulf is set between 449-1066, but the exact date in unknown. During this time period many Anglo-Saxons took a part in mead hall, these mead halls and the people who were in them became their families. They were extremely loyal to them, and socially were switching from Paganism to Christianity.
In the story Beowulf, Beowulf portrays himself as someone who illustrates the characteristics of an epic hero. No one wishes to take on the heroic deeds that Beowulf accomplished, which made him someone to look up to. Beowulf’s accomplishments in defeating monsters made him known far and wide, making him the man for the job. A hero like Beowulf would need an exceptional amount of strength and shows this when he rips off Grendel’s entire arm. “He twisted in pain,/And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder/Snapped, muscle and bone split/And broke” (Beowulf. 337-339).
In this poem the epic qualities that are evident is the plot is center around a hero, involves a deed which needs either super strength or valor, is set in multiple locations, involves some type of supernatural or powerful forces, is able to sustain the style, and the narrator is able to see from all perspectives. The poem is center around Beowulf, from it telling the reader of his family tree to where he came from. The deeds that Beowulf gets accomplish of defeating Grendel does require Beowulf to be stronger that the average person and to have more courage or valor. The conquest that Beowulf is most remember for is defeating Grendel and that is set in Heorot halls, however that location is not the only place of the epic. Beowulf had to
The battles that Beowulf took part in, in Beowulf, reflect how the hero of an epic performs courageous, sometimes even superhuman deeds that reflect the values of society. When Beowulf Beowulf was battling with Grendel, a powerful monster, Beowulf ripped apart Grendel’s body with his bare hands. For doing this deed, the people of the kingdom saw Beowulf as a paragon, he fought for honor, and to show his bravery. Beowulf then had to battle Grendel’s mother, who was attempting to avenge her son’s death. Beowulf used a weapon to slay her that no ordinary man could lift.
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/
Masculine Ideals in Anglo-Saxon Society The concept of a hero is prevalent through all generations because it presents a template for ethics and behavior. Beowulf is a pivotal epic told by poets throughout early european society and mirrors the manly nature of their ideal hero. The patriarchal values of the Anglo-Saxons are displayed through the epic Beowulf. The characters’ loyalty to their leaders as well as their conventional sense of masculinity indicate that the values of a society determine the values of an individual.
Beowulf embodies many universal societal heroic values that are signified in the modern world like courage, bravery, and strength. In the poem, Beowulf displays courage. “Now, I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in single combat” (Heaney 425-426). This quote shows courage because he’s telling them that he can fight Grendel and wants to weather he wins or loses.
These epic heroes are built through their conflicts and tones to become the archetype everyone loves. In Beowulf, “Horses, high-spirited stallions, and rode them Slowly toward Herot again, retelling Beowulf’s bravery as they jogged along.” (Beers, lines 145-147). Beowulf’s archetype of an epic hero is seen as he is one that is retold and remembered past his death. The people speak of his story and bravery, a method of passing down the epicness of Beowulf and helping to develop the archetype for such.
Beowulf’s traits help make Beowulf the epic hero of this myth. Beowulf’s bravery helps him defeat the mystical creatures. When Beowulf fights Grendel’s mother, it seems like all hope is lost before he kills her with the magical sword. Even though the odds were not in his favor, he never gave up.
Very little is known about the epic poem Beowulf besides that the story was told during the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically between the years 500-1100. The author is unknown, due to the fact that the story was originally told verbally and not documented until much later. Like many stories told throughout the ages, Beowulf consists of many archetypes. An archetype is a recurring symbol found in literature, such as the Hero archetype. In this epic poem, the hero, Beowulf, travels from his homeland to Denmark to save a kingdom from an awful beast that has been attacking men late at night for over twelve years.
An epic hero can be described as someone whose actions determine the fate of a tribe, nation, or race. Characteristics of an epic hero are courageous, devoted, loves glory, and loyalty. Beowulf fits each characteristic throughout the epic. He is distinctly known for being a warrior, a friend, and a loving leader. Beowulf is an epic hero because he has pride, loves glory, and a devoted loyalty to his followers and his country.