Macbeth: The Effects Of Selfishness And False Heroism

Beowulf does not fight Grendel for personal gain or only for the glory, but for the people under Hrothgar’s rule that have been killed and harassed. After fighting and killing Grendel, Beowulf displays his selflessness as he decides to help Hrothgar by putting his life on the line again because he chose to kill Grendel’s mother. Achilles is a selfish person completely unlike Beowulf. Achilles is selfish I the sense that he cares only for himself, his pride, and his friend. He fought Hector only because his own feelings were hurt when his friend died.

In the story Beowulf, there are numerous moments of heroic actions. Although there are manycharacters that are looked upon as evil, Beowulf is not one of those. Beowulf demonstrates many heroic traits throughout the story such as strong-willingness and self-determination, strength and admiration, and honest, and for these reasons, I believe he should be classified as a hero. The majority of the time, heroes are very strong-willed and can push their selves to do what is best. Oftentimes they do not need someone to tell them they need to do something and they do notusually need someone to follow behind them to make sure they are making the good decision.

Beowulf shows his heroic qualities when he heard of Grendel’s wrong doings and went off to save the people and help the king, “That man called for a ship, said he would cross the ocean and help the king who needed help.” Beowulf successfully rid the King of the evil Grendel and was a hero due to his bravery and willingness to help and save the people from further devastation from Grendel. Grendel himself shows the reader that Beowulf is a fairy tale.

Beowulf: The Modern Hero Benjamin Disaraeli once said, “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” This rings true for heroes from all periods of time, especially for those form the historical time of the epic hero Beowulf. This invincible Anglo­Saxon’s definition of heroism is often dismissed due to his arrogance, yet it is still quite relevant. Despite the conventional thoughts of many, Beowulf remains a relevant example of a hero in modern society due to his unquenchable thirst to be the savior to those weaker than he and his uninhibited arrogance and obscene vanity.

Beowulf could any obstacle that got in his way. In contrast to Beowulf’s courage he can be very pompous. In a sense he can seem ostentatious or show a display his dignity of higher importance. Presenting himself as someone who is full of himself as a hero Beowulf

He is a selfish character who performs heroic deeds for bragging rights and recognition. Beowulf brags about his achievements and fighting ability, stating, "I have more strength than any man under heaven… I slew with my sword nine monsters… I have heard of no such deed as done by thee" (Hinds 201-203). Beowulf displays how he is self-centered and seeks validation from others, as he holds his achievements closely and is often overbearing.

Beowulf: The Price of Self-Regard In the epic poem, Beowulf, the hero named Beowulf demonstrates redundant pride and a need for fame. Upon arriving in Denmark, Beowulf boasts to King Hrothgar to

Beowulf was stunningly brave, courageous and put his abilities in the service of others. However, he was too conceited and obsessed about his reputation. Macbeth was a brave warrior, but his Achilles heel, his ambition, turned him into a tyrant. Macduff loved his country and did his best to save it from a tyrant, but at the same time didn’t exercise good judgment in safeguarding his family. Rather than judging people and their actions purely in black and white terms, we should recognize that human beings are complex creatures and have lots of shades of gray.

Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.

Beowulf is a strong heroic hero who shows honor,selfless,courage. Beowulf is a strong heroic hero in a way because heroes are protectors and he protected his people of his town. So he is a hero in fact a strong one and a loyal one. There is lots of ways he shows loyalty one i can show is “I had a fixed purpose when i came to sea as i sat in the boat with my band of men I meant to perform to the uttermost what your people wanted or perish in attempt in the fields clutches i shall fulfill my purpose prove myself of proud deeds or meat my death her in the mead-hall”(pages 632-639).I chose this quote because it shows that beowulf would give his head for his people. I think that beowulf wanted to die for his king after all that is the reason

Beowulf makes known that “no man but [himself] could hope to defeat this monster, [and] no one could try.” Beowulf wants to have this fight all to himself, so he can take all of the glory. He is too selfish to conclude that only he could defeat the monster alone. Beowulf cannot be thought of as a hero because “Beowulf only longed for fame.” Beowulf does not perform heroic deeds just to save the citizens, but to receive more admiration from the citizens.

As we know, a hero is an individual that meets a monomyth. This involves the hero going on an adventure, in a decisive crisis that leads to a victory, and then comes home transformed. Even though Beowulf seems to meet the criteria of being a heroic figure, he willingly went to Heorot without being called by Hrothgar, the king of Heorot. The attitude towards the challenges he faces does not match the ideal persona of a hero. After defeating a problematic monster named Grendel, he only made the situation worse.

Beowulf was very greedy for glory but when it came to the safety of others, he was selfless. Raffle says, “…He leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone’s/ Answer; the heaving water covered him” (Raffel ln. 570-571). Beowulf thinks about his solders, he does not want them to get hurt. I think Beowulf shows kindness and selflessness which can really be used in today’s society.

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.

He let his ambitions take control of his actions. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he redeemed a small measure of his nobility. He redeemed himself by fighting until the end of his life. He understood his fate and still fought.