The Courage, Strength, and Integrity of Beowulf Ep Essay Example For Students

The Courage, Strength, and Integrity of Beowulf Ep Essay ic Beowulf essays The Courage, Strength, and Integrity of Beowulf He who had come to them from across the sea, bold and strong minded, We will write a custom essay on The Courage, Strength, and Integrity of Beowulf Ep specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now had driven affliction off, purged Herot clean. Beowulf has traveled a great distance to help people in need. Even though Beowulf is a fictional character, he is clearly the heroic symbol needed by the people of the chaotic Middle Ages with his extraordinary characteristics of courage, strength, and integrity. To be a hero a person needs to be admired for courage, strength, and integrity. A hero is any person admired for courage. A person with courage can easily take on any task. Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the know-how to control it. To be a hero is also one that is strong. To be strong a person needs not only brawn, but the knowledge to use it. Strength without direction is like trying to hit a cloud with a bow and arrow. A hero is also anyone that posses integrity. With integrity a hero knows how to do without a doubt what is right. A person with integrity is unimpaired, so he is able to accomplish the task at hand. A person who upholds these qualities and more is truly a hero. Beowulf, a hero for heroes overcomes the hideous creature Grendle, in order to aid the Danes, whom are in the need of aid. Beowulf sits awake in uncertainty of what comes in the depths of the everlasting night. This shows that Beowulf has an uncanny amount of courage. He, as any human in this predicament is obviously full of fear, but with courage he is able to control this fear. As the infamous Grendle rushes towards Beowulf with great might, the mighty Beowulf catches the viscous monsters claw and tears the whole limb from its now empty socket. This definately shows a great amount of strength. To have such great power to pull an arm from its socket he must be strong. Beowulf traverses a great distance in order to help a foreign people whom are in the need of aid. By helping the Danes, Beowulf shows that he posses an elevated amount of integrity. Beowulf is determined to accomplish a task, and he does it like no one else could without haste. Beowulf, the mightiest of all in this world, ideally portrays the innate qualities of a hero, and surpasses them with great length. Beowulf came, he saw, he conquered and destroyed the vile Grendle. Herot is once again a joyful place. With courage, strength, and integrity the glorious Beowulf accomplishes everything and more to become a hero that will never be forgotten. .

Free Essays on Christianity V. Paganism In Beowulf

Beginning with a richly adorned burial at sea and ending with an equally elaborate funeral pyre, with plenty of killing and gore in between, Beowulf is an epic poem about the warlike ways of the Northmen and the monsters they encounter. Yet despite its obviously pagan roots, Beowulf has a Christian overtone that is impossible to ignore. Just as the poem’s contemporary readers were thrown into a neurotic state by analyzing the pull of a pagan past against the new teachings of Christianity, the poet himself was put to task to successfully blend these religious ideologies in a complex yet effective plot that appealed to his audience precisely because they were attempting to reconcile their own beliefs. When Christian missionaries introduced their beliefs to the Anglo-Saxons, it was clear that the two could not coexist; therefore, they must abandon these ancient icons to hold a more monotheistic view. In Beowulf exists the quiet battle between the two, and several examples fr om the text support either side. The dramatic warrior culture, the religious ceremonies practiced, and the superhero image of Beowulf himself all point to a classic pagan society. In fact, the poem is often compared to the original heroic epics, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, tales of honor, adventure and bloodshed. Logically, Achilles and Odysseus, the noble heroes in the Homeric epics, would then share much the same qualities as beast-slaying Beowulf, and for the most part they do. The two earlier heroes even seem to be momentarily reincarnated in him when he declares, â€Å"Let whoever can win glory before death.† There is all emphasis on winning glory in this life with no thought of what happens after death. However, Christian qualities, some blatant and some subtle, can be highly attributed to both the storyline and the characters as well. The ultimate comparison is that of Beowulf to Jesus. If this statement needs support to prove the overwhelming infl... Free Essays on Christianity V. Paganism In Beowulf Free Essays on Christianity V. Paganism In Beowulf Beginning with a richly adorned burial at sea and ending with an equally elaborate funeral pyre, with plenty of killing and gore in between, Beowulf is an epic poem about the warlike ways of the Northmen and the monsters they encounter. Yet despite its obviously pagan roots, Beowulf has a Christian overtone that is impossible to ignore. Just as the poem’s contemporary readers were thrown into a neurotic state by analyzing the pull of a pagan past against the new teachings of Christianity, the poet himself was put to task to successfully blend these religious ideologies in a complex yet effective plot that appealed to his audience precisely because they were attempting to reconcile their own beliefs. When Christian missionaries introduced their beliefs to the Anglo-Saxons, it was clear that the two could not coexist; therefore, they must abandon these ancient icons to hold a more monotheistic view. In Beowulf exists the quiet battle between the two, and several examples fr om the text support either side. The dramatic warrior culture, the religious ceremonies practiced, and the superhero image of Beowulf himself all point to a classic pagan society. In fact, the poem is often compared to the original heroic epics, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, tales of honor, adventure and bloodshed. Logically, Achilles and Odysseus, the noble heroes in the Homeric epics, would then share much the same qualities as beast-slaying Beowulf, and for the most part they do. The two earlier heroes even seem to be momentarily reincarnated in him when he declares, â€Å"Let whoever can win glory before death.† There is all emphasis on winning glory in this life with no thought of what happens after death. However, Christian qualities, some blatant and some subtle, can be highly attributed to both the storyline and the characters as well. The ultimate comparison is that of Beowulf to Jesus. If this statement needs support to prove the overwhelming infl...