Beowulf - Profile of an Epic Hero Essay - 617 Words

Epic Beowulf A hero, in the traditional sense of the word, is generally a protagonist in a story whose overwhelming power is the only which can defeat the evil of the day. In a classic example of this comes Beowulf, a novel adaptation of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem by Robert Nye. The main character and namesake of the story is Beowulf, an adventurous young hero. When he hears the tales of the monster Grendel that terrorizes the Danish kingdom, he immediately has the urge to lend his assistance to the situation, knowing that he is the only one who can defeat the evil. Not only is Beowulf a hero, he is an epic hero. An epic hero, by definition, is identified by the following characteristics: 1. A hero of noble birth, sometimes†¦show more content†¦Beowulfs comitatus is common in nearly all epic heroes and showcases his devotion and loyalty even more. Beowulf giving up the treasures bestowed upon him by Hrothgar shows both his devotion to his king and his generosity, both classically defining traits in an epic hero. However, Beowulf does not exhibit all of the qualities of the epic hero. Beowulfs tragic foil is not that of a disgraced king, but that of one of the kings servants. Unferth, a knight of King Hrothgar is swayed by evil power of Grendel and his mother. This evil inside, and possibly a bit of jealousy, caused Unferth to kill Aeschere, a thane to Hrothgar. This evil desire within Unferth ultimately brought about his end, being decapitated by Grendels Mother. Unferth being the flaw in the story differs than that of a traditional epic her story, and is one of the few points that does so. Beowulf overall was a highly skilled and highly intelligent warrior with little fear and an overpowering stench of goodness. Beowulfs ability to get himself out of situations by thinking positively and somehow inflicting fear on those around him gave him much admiration. Beowulf was I am sure an idol and role model to many, and a disappointment to none; as was this story inShow MoreRelatedEssay on Beowulf - Profile Of An Epic Hero586 Words   |  3 Pagesmemory, but are lost in time, and some write them down to be remembered forever as a part of history. Beowulf is one such story that has been mysteriously remembered for many centuries. I’ve very much enjoyed reading Beowulf. However, since this story has been around for so long many people have added, reduced, or omitted bits and pieces of the story. In other words, it has become an almost epic legend, never knowing if it was real or if it is rumor. And like any rumor being told to others, the storyRead MoreThe Epic Poem B eowulf 3048 Words   |  13 Pages Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Eventhough it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be convincingly argued that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, which is veryRead MoreThe Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf3125 Words   |  13 PagesELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it mightRead MoreThe Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf3125 Words   |  13 PagesELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it mightRead MoreThe Epic Poem Beowulf 3137 Words   |  13 Pages11 Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Eventhough it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be?convincingly argued?that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, whichRead MoreEpic Heroes : The Ideal Hero873 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history, epic heroes have defined the ideal characteristics of a society. Beowulf and Aenus are perfect examples of the ideal hero created from the mind of a creator, for the purpose of defining a society. Most epic heroes share certain character traits such as bravery, courage, determination, hubris or intelligence. It has been noted that sometimes epic heroes appear to simply be lucky or helped along by the gods and rely le ss on their own abilities. However, there are some heroes whoRead MoreWilliam Chaucer s The Wife Of Bath1347 Words   |  6 Pagesaccustomed angelic Christian that has to repent and believe in God. British literature begins to introduce a new archetype for women that writers follow in stories by describing them with motherly characteristics and taboo ideas in texts, such as the epic poem, Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† in The Canterbury Tales, and the play named The Beggar’s Opera, which brings forth the idea of what is morally acceptable characteristics for women in literature