Beowulf Papers -- English Literature Heroes Essays

Beowulf Papers A hero is a man of courage and ability who is admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. A hero is a person who does not come along very often in any time period. He is a special person, who is a step above the average person in the way that he handles any situation that may arise. This statement is very true for the time of Anglo-Saxon culture and literature. A hero was like a god and was put on a pedestal far above the others. A hero brought peace to situations that were deemed impossible and brought joy to many people. In the poem Beowulf, there is a great example of what a hero is about in this time. Beowulf is the great warrior of the Geats and he will do anything necessary to keep peace and to make a better life for his people. That is why he is described as, "The mildest of men and the gentlest, kindest to his people, and most eager for fame" (Norton, 68). Beowulf leads the Geats for fifty years of happiness and prosperity and in turn, made a name for himself that will be remembered for centuries to come. A hero always fights to win but it not unfair in battle. For example, Beowulf could have fought Grendel with a sword and made the battle much easier for himself because Grendel, "In his recklessness cares not for weapons" (Norton, 32). Beowulf would rather have a fair battle so he uses his special strength, courage and ability and he wins, like a hero does. A hero also performs tasks that are deemed impossible for others. If an average warrior gets caught in a monsters' grip, it is all over for him. Beowulf, on the other hand, has dealt with this before, and he deals with it in the battle against Grendel's mother. For example, "She groped toward him, took the warrior in her aw... ... when used properly, they can help turn a literary work from ordinary to extraordinary. Bibliography *Abrams, M.H., ed., et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Sixth Edition. Vol.I. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. *Blakelock, Jane. Online. Internet. 03/16/99. "Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath". Available http://www.media.wright.edu/studorgs/english20403/chaucer.html. *Geoffrey Chaucer. Online. Internet. 03/16/99. Available http://csc.calpoly.edu/~ercarlso/essays/Geoffrey Chaucer.html. *Jokinen, Anniina. Online. Internet. 03/16/99. "Geoffrey Chaucer (Ca. 1343-1400)". http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer.html. *Jones, Sam. Online. Internet. 03/16/99. "The Litrix Reading Room". Available http://www.litrix.com. *Skill, Elaine Strong. Cliffs Notes on Beowulf. Lincoln: Cliffs Notes Incorporated, 1990.