Beowulf The Ideal Hero Essay Example For Students

Beowulf The Ideal Hero Essay Achilles, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Samson and Heracles can all be characterized as heroes. However, each of these characters embodies different attributes that earn them the heroic distinction. This paper will seek to show that Beowulf is the most heroic figure based on his adherence to the heroic ethos. Also, the character of Gilgamesh will be used as a means of comparison to further showcase the heroic nature of Beowulf. The heroic ethos is a set of values that prioritize and glorify the valor of an individual. The motivation of the hero is to garner fame and immortality in legend, resulting in feats of excellence. Characteristics of the heroic ethos include service to people in the upper level of the hierarchy (e.g. relationship between lord and thane), a special relationship to god (special does not necessarily mean positive as in the case of Heracles and Hera), greatness in warfare/slaying, loyal, courageous, indispensable, and (almost) invulnerable. For the hero, the highest good is glory and the highest evil is shame. Beowulf, the son of Ecgtheow and Hygelacs thane is introduced by Heaney as a valiant warrior. The reader immediately notices that Beowulf is well respected. The tone of the work suggests that even the narrator holds him in high esteem, the man whose name was known for courage, the Geat Leader (Heaney, 11) (the chapter is entitled The Hero comes to Heorot). Beowulf is introduced with grandeur. He is allowed to mention his own name and goes on to describe some of his feats, They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies, when I battled and bound five beasts, raided a troll nest and slaughtered sea brutes (Heaney, 13). Before actually seeing him in action, the reader is aware that Beowulf is a great warrior whose father is well respected. From the initial introduction, it is expected that Beowulf will be able to accomplish super human tasks. Similarly, Gilgamesh is also given a grand introduction. He is described as, the strongest one of all, the perfect, the terror (Ferry, 4). Howe ver, the overall view of Gilgamesh is not as honorable as Beowulf. The people of Uruk are lamenting to the god Aruru: (Ferry, 5)Neither the fathers son nor the wife of the noble is safe in Uruk; neither the mothers daughter nor the warriors bride is safe. The old men say: Is this the shepherd of the people? Is this the wise shepherd, the protector of the people? There is no withstanding the desire of the Wild Ox. This shows that even though Gilgamesh is supposed to be the perfect, he is far from it. Unlike the praise and admiration for Beowulf, Gilgameshs character is being questioned right from the beginning of the text. Is this the classification of a great hero? Does the reader expect great things from Gilgamesh? Not really. This classification of Gilgamesh enables the reader to see that he is flawed and will more than likely experience later difficulties. Courage is a major component of the heros artillery. Up to his death, Beowulfs courage was boundless. He competed with Breca in a swimming match on the open seas; he fought Grendel, Grendels mother, and finally, the dragon that caused his death. In each situation, Beowulf displayed strength, wisdom, and faith. In all of his expeditions, he never really showed resistance. It can be argued that he was reluctant in the last battle with the dragon but this is to be expected since he was considerably older. In the fight with Grendel, Beowulf used his arm strength to accomplish his task. He was able to rip off Grendels shoulder and arm:The monsters whole body was in pain; a tremendous woundappeared on his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone lappings burst. Beowulf was granted the glory of winning; Grendel was driven under the fen banks, fatally hurt, to his desolate lair (Heaney, 22) One cannot help feeling sorry for Grendel. However, it is the heros duty to carry out his task and Beowul f accomplished his with strength and courage. The same episode is seen with Grendels mother. Even though he had to fight in a mystical body of water, Beowulf triumphed. At a time when everyone else in his company including the boastful Unferth proved cowards, he was able to prove his worth. Beowulf is able to fight with all of his might because he is a strict follower of the heroic code. He knows that failure would lead to shame and disgrace for himself and his lord, Hygelac; A warrior will sooner die than live a life of shame (Heaney, 72). At the end of the text, Beowulf faces his death with courage. Even though he is an old man and knows that he will die, he still fights with all of his might for glory and immortality through story (as characteristic of any great warrior this is also seen in with Hector and Helen in the Iliad). Before going into battle, Beowulf says, This fight is not yours,nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monsteror to prove h is worth. I shall win the goldby my courage, or else mortal combat,doom of battle, will bear your lord away (Heaney, 64). Extraction of Caffeine from Tea Leaves EssayEnjoy it well. I heard four horses were handed over next. Beowulf bestowed four bay steedsTo go with the armor, swift gallopers,All alike. Do ought a kinsman act,Instead of plotting and planning in secret To bring people to grief, or conspiring to arrange The death of comrades (Heaney, 55)He also defends Hygelacs honor when he accomplished his task of killing both Grendel and Grendels mother. In Beowulf, God is constantly mentioned. There is no specific mention that any of the characters are Christian but there are Christian elements to the story. These include a direct connection to Creation, Cain, and the Deluge. Beowulf pays homage to God every time he accomplishes a task. For example after winning the battle with Grendel, the text relates, The monster wrenched and wrestled with him, But Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength,The wondrous gifts God had showered on him:He relied for help on the Lord of All, On his care and favor (Heaney, 35) In this example, it can clearly be seen that Beowulf attributes his success to God and his ove rall plan. This pattern is repeated throughout the text. In comparison to Gilgamesh, the idea of God is very different. The flood and the story of Utnapishtim are directly related to Noah and the Bible. However, the flood in Gilgamesh was decided by a council of Gods. After the flood began, the Gods also became afraid of its magnitude. In Gilgamesh, the Gods are humanized. They succumb to desire (as seem with Ishtar when she is lusting after Gilgamesh) and revenge (the flood). In Gilgamesh, the Gods are directly involved in some of the action. In Beowulf, God is a verbal presence. In both Gilgamesh and Beowulf, the heroes had a relationship with God/Gods. However, as outlined above, these relationships were very different. Beowulf had a direct spiritual connection while Gilgamesh questions the actions and even opposes one of them (Ishtar). Beowulf and Gilgamesh are both deemed heroes. According to heroic ethos, Beowulf proves to be the more valiant, law abiding one. He embodies the necessary characteristics of the Anglo Saxon/Germanic hero (courage, loyalty, and greatness in warfare/battle). However, it can also be argued that Gilgamesh is a great hero because of his divergence from the classical heroic model. Many readers are able to connect more with Gilgamesh because of his humanness. In the end, he comes to understand that death is a part of life and that one can still live on forever through their accomplishments (for him, it would be through Uruk).