Heroic Characters of Literature; Beowulf
Heroic Characters of Literature; Beowulf
Every culture has its heroes. These heroes come in many different shapes and forms. Often times a hero is inhuman, or takes on a supernatural power of some kind at one point in time. The changing into these superhuman powers is often caused by the many years of passing down a story by mouth. It usually begins with a problem that can not be solved by anyone. Then along comes someone who can solve this problem. They solve this problem, and become famous. This is where the legend of a hero comes in to play. In many cases a hero will die in a battle. Usually death is the end of ones life. In the heroes sense, it lives on and on. Stories of them are passed on from parents to kids, to their kids, and so on. This is when the hero becomes immortal. The legend of them goes on and on, and they live on through the stories that are told of them.
The story of Beowulf is an example of a hero story. The original problem arises when the king needs someone to rid them of the monster Grendel who is killing their men. No one has yet been able to rid them of this monster, and Beouwulf is the only man who is able to do so. After he kills Grendel, he begins to gain fame, but his fame grows even more when he kills the beast Grendel's mother also. After doing this, he becomes a hero in the sense that he is looked up to by many, and he is known by all. When he returned to his homeland with the stories of his travel, he is given the kingdom and becomes a king. After reigning for many good years a problem arises, and he is needed in battle against a dragon. He is doomed to die in this battle, and he does.
In reading the epic poem of Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, has the
characteristics of an epic hero by showing skill and courage, enduring fame, and royal responsibility . In the epic poem of Beowulf, Beowulf shows extraordinary and almost superficial skill and courage at the Slaying of Grendel, the Troll-Wife, and the Dragon. Due to the courageous slaying...