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Beowulf is an example of the perfect hero. He is selfless, in that he sacrifices his safety to save other people. He is also lonely, ironically as lonely as Grendel in his own way, as he waits for the monster he must kill alone in the hall. However, Beowulf is also tied in a network of social obligations to his lord and king, as he only agrees to fight Grendel after obtaining permission from the king to embark upon his feats of valor. Later, when he becomes king himself his lords mourn him, as is their obligation to their beloved leader. The Middle Ages was an era where individuals were forced to depend upon one another in a series of social relationships and bonds that held society together. The lord must honor his king with obedience and bravery just like the king must protect his lords. However, even in this society, showing kindness and chivalry towards others in a spirit of Christian altruism was also valued, especially if it could make one's reputation as a warrior, hence...
Grendel is the ultimate horror, because he is a creature that exists outside of the network of social obligations, as a hideous, marginal outsider.
3. What kind of journey was Beowulf's? Was it a physical or a spiritual one or both?
Of course, on a basic level, Beowulf's journey is a physical journey, as Beowulf makes his reputation by slaying a beast, and must show his considerable physical prowess to do so. However, he must also look within himself and find generosity of spirit to risk his lives for others, and to have the mental fortitude to wait for Grendel, then Grendel's mother in the great hall of the thanes. Beowulf progresses from obeying a king to becoming an honored king himself over the course of the tale, thus by taking on additional physical and political responsibilities, Beowulf goes through a spiritual journey as well as proves his physical heroism.
Your answer should be at least five sentences long. The Legend of Arthur Lesson 1 Journal Entry # 9 of 16 Journal Exercise 1.7A: Honor and Loyalty 1. Consider how Arthur's actions and personality agree with or challenge your definition of honor. Write a few sentences comparing your definition (from Journal 1.6A) with Arthur's actions and personality. 2. Write a brief paragraph explaining the importance or unimportance of loyalty in being honorable. Lesson 1 Journal
Those with issues to overcome are always more heroic. Hector also becomes a hero when, after at first running from Achilles, he eventually stands up to him and dies a heroic death. The Iliad is primarily a war epic. In your opinion, is the Iliad condemnation of the it could easily be argued that the Illiad glorifies war, as much of the poem is spent portraying the warriors as brave
The poem is not merely about Beowulf, no more than a funeral is only for the dead. In fact, Beowulf's name is more often referred to by the kenning, or poetic stand in of the words great leader, rather than his individual name. Beowulf's funeral as a warrior is not an individually celebrated event, like a contemporary funeral. As he was a warrior for his people, his death is a
Beowulf When the Beowulf poet describes his hero fighting evil, it is important to understand that the poem expresses a specifically medieval Christian conception of evil. Although scholars have debated and argued over whether these Christian passages which justify the fighting through defining the poem's monstrous antagonists as "evil," the passages as they exist in the text of Beowulf seem like straightforward moral glosses upon the action which occurs in the
Beowulf: A Classic Medieval Archetypal Leader Beowulf is one of the earliest epic poems. It tells a classic tale of a great hero. The style of the epic reflects a much earlier writing style found in the Viking sagas. Yet the story is that of a Danish King. Literature and art are the keys to understanding society. Art is not random, but rather is a product of the society in which
However, because of Gilgamesh's thought that he may be invincible, he is actually putting his friend's life at risk by going on his adventure. In his attempt to prove that he is brave and that he would rather die for a cause, he actually indirectly causes the death of Enkidu, who shows that he was the stronger of the two. 5) Defining Honor Honor is a characteristic that few individuals posses.