Beowulf The Embodiment Of The Typical Hero - 777 Words

Michael Gormley 10/7/2014 British Literature Mr.Rogai Beowulf Beowulf is the embodiment of the typical hero. Strong, well-spoken, confident and successful. Beowulf enjoys success in all of his life, and should be seen as a willing hero. When examining Beowulf against Vogler’s types of heroes it’s obvious that he would be classified as a willing hero. Beowulf shows commitment, braveness and motivation throughout his encounters with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon. When Vogler talks about a â€Å"willing hero† the main qualities he talks about are: commitment to the adventure, rarely, if ever, doubting himself, braveness and self-motivation. Beowulf shows all these qualities at many different times throughout the story’s plotline. The first encounter Beowulf has is with Grendel. Grendel, descendent of Cain emerged early in the plotline as the archetypal enemy. Grendel appears once the mead hall, called Heorot was built. When Heorot was built, and the Bards began to sing songs about the creation of the earth Grendel was angered. Grendel attacked Hrothgar and his town, and absolutely slaughtered over 30 people the first night. For over twelve years Grendel wreaked havoc on Heorot for over twelve years. After these long years, Beowulf, nephew of Hygelac, the Geatish king arrives to assist Hrothgar. Even in the first few lines when Beowulf is introduced you can see how confident he is. When Hrothgar’s men see Beowulf and his band who are â€Å"so fearless† and so confidentShow MoreRelatedChristian Values And The Germanic Society1122 Words   |  5 PagesThe epic poem, written by an anonymous author around 500 A.D, before Christianity. Beowulf is the ideal hero and he fights to for his honor through his battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. References to Christianity exist in Beowulf, and pagan influences are noticeable. Christianity, however, emphasizes the spiritual wealth of all man-kind. Grendel is the embodiment of cyclical warfa re in pagan society. War is necessary in pagan society. Death and murder was repaid by deathRead MoreEssay about Desire in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick2921 Words   |  12 Pagesembarrassment of riches variously described as a novel, a romance, and an epic, as a comedy and a tragedy. Indeed, the text is an anatomy of the adventure story in the tradition of world classic accounts of the epic hero from Gilgamesh to the Arabian Nights, from the 0dyssey to Beowulf. Although from a formalist perspective Ishmael is clearly the sole narrator, the tale remains markedly divided in expression; that is, the tone, diction, register, and underlying psychology of the account describe