Beowulf: Hero or Hedonist? The way something appears at first is not necessarily what is actually true. Just ask Barney Stinson of the TV show How I Met Your Mother, for example. If you asked anyone who has seen the movie The Karate Kid, they would most likely say the main character of the film, Daniel, is the hero. However, according to Barney, Johnny, the leader of the Cobra Kai dojo, is the real hero of The Karate Kid. In The Karate Kid, Johnny is portrayed as a villain, but Barney sees him as the true hero in the film as opposed to the common interpretation that Daniel is the hero and Johnny is the antagonist. Similarly, in the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is portrayed as a strong and powerful hero who saves the Danes from the monster Grendel. …show more content…
As it is written on lines 91 and 92, Beowulf was “The strongest of the Geats‒greater / and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world.” The writer of this story paints a very good picture of just how much stronger Beowulf is than everyone else with this one quote. Similarly, after he kills Grendel’s mother, he takes Grendel’s head and carries it with one hand out of the water. When he hands it to the rest of his men, it is so heavy that they start “staggering under the weight of Grendel’s skull, / Too heavy for fewer than four of them to handle” (564-65). This quote is yet another example of the superhuman strength that Beowulf has. Without a doubt, Beowulf is clearly bigger, stronger, and more powerful than any other man on Earth, and he uses this among other things to further his goal of killing and accumulating …show more content…
He abuses his powers to the extreme, and gets everything he desires. With Grendel, he kills two birds with one stone. He killed Grendel, which satisfied his lust for killing, and then became even more famous because he killed in an area he had never been before, Denmark. Because he saved them from a monster who was destroying their population, this community will be eternally grateful to him, which is exactly what he wants. If it is not clear to you by now, Beowulf is not who he appears to be. Everyone who reads the story can easily see that he is a strong, powerful hero-type that saves a community from a monster. However, if Barney Stinson read that same story, he would come up with the same conclusion that I had: Beowulf is a bloodthirsty, vainglorious superhuman who values killing and fame more than the saving of a community or the vanquishing of a terrorizing
Is Beowulf the hero or just a celebrated killer? The question to be asked is, “Just because we only see the bad qualities in someone, does that make them a monster? All the townspeople have ever known is Grendel kills everyone and destroys everything. All they see is destruction and evil.
For being a king, Loving, Beowulf is a great warrior, his very confident to fight to the monster, but his weaknesses when he see the beautiful girl under the sea, the girl pretend for being a innocent, in an evil side, Beowulf begged, and in loved her, and also when she came to the island, under the king hrothgar, his concern for the people live there. And when he is already a king, she love for the queen, and the other girl, so that when the dragon, came over the village, Beowulf do their best, to secure the queen, his wife, and the village in safe,. Brave and Good warrior, we recover much of what happens during his gap and therefore are able to see how Beowulf comforts himself as both as a warrior and a king, when the final episode, by encountering the dragon, we seen as the responsibilities of a king, who must act for the good of the people, and not just his own glory, he serve and give his life to put away his wife and queen to the dangers. Differ from those of the heroic warrior, his attitudes and characters as a warrior still…
Beowulf follows the strict code of revenge, understands that honor is above all, stays loyal to his kinsmen and comrades, and recognizes that life is an ongoing struggle between good and
Being a hero to our society isn’t as easy as it looks in the movies. Good heroes are more than throwing on a cape and having the ability to fly. Good heroes come in many shapes and sizes. In today’s society we label people heroes for many reasons. Beowulf is beyond a doubt a beneficial hero.
Even if we take into the time period in which it was written, Beowulf is not the shining hero he
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.”
In today’s society, anybody can be considered a hero. A hero is a selfless person who is admired for their courageous achievements. A mother, celebrity, or even a mailman can be a hero to someone. In Beowulf, the epic poem translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is recognized as a hero who craves too much glory. In today’s world, Beowulf is viewed as an irrelevant hero since he displays poor qualities of arrogance and selfishness.
Strength, honor, and resilience are all words that captures the essence of Beowulf. During the Anglo-Saxon era, Beowulf is a hero who strikes fear in his enemies and relief in his allies. Beowulf is widely-regarded as the most honorable and ruthless hero in all of the world; he defends villages of people from blood-hungry predators, defeats sea monsters, and defeats Grendel and Grendel’s mother in the epic poem Beowulf. However, Beowulf can be an egomaniac at times. For instance, before Beowulf’s epic fight and defeat of the monster Grendel, Beowulf strips nude and fights the monster nude to boast and show off.
Many believe Beowulf to be a fearless and heroic character, though in reality, many of his traits and motives prove just the opposite. From defending the King’s citizens to slaying countless evil creatures, Beowulf may appear to be an extraordinary man of unimaginable feats. Upon further investigation, however, it may become obvious that Beowulf’s heroism proved itself unable to stand the test of time. Beowulf was written to be the perfect protagonist, but displays various flaws throughout the narrative that contradicts his heroic intentions. The character of Beowulf is portrayed to be a fearless warrior- one who has slain an infinity of monsters and demons.
Beowulf is telling us that he doesn’t value the lives of his citizen, but instead values glory and is willing to fight for it. In the end, Beowulf slays the dragon but paid his life as the price. In conclusion, Beowulf would be considered a great warrior, but not a hero. Although Beowulf accomplished many heroic deeds he never did any of them for the right reasons. Therefore, Beowulf is not a hero, but only a warrior who values renown and rewards.
This proves that he is strong and brave because no one else could kill Grendel let alone face him. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands and without armor on. Other warriors could not even kill him with a sword and armor. “Beowulf’s intention to fight Grendel with only his strength proves that he carries the characteristics of a true hero”(Hailey).
Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be
Beowulf: Epic Hero or Proud Fool? So what exactly is a hero? A hero to most is a person idealized for their courage and their outstanding achievements and qualities. Some may even consider Beowulf a hero due his never backing down and risking his own life for the safety of his people.
Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable
evil. Beowulf is the archetype warrior hero whose one purpose is to defend the innocent and vulnerable of his people. Whether it is the devil incarnated, the mother of the monster, or a fire-breathing dragon, he is capable of defending the Danes and Geats. Without his heroism and bravery, these people would’ve faced certain death under a weakened, but good, King Hrothgar. Beowulf uses the same selflessness as the military that defends our country, and is as great of a warrior as each and every one of the soldiers in the United States armed services.