An Analysis of the Epic Poem, Beowulf - The Character of Beowulf:
Length: 598 words (2.2 pages)
Rating: Red (FREE)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Character of Beowulf
When he arrived at the Danish land, Beowulf was a young man seeking
adventure and glory. Beowulf was distinguished among his people, the Geats, for
his bravery. As a young man Beowulf fought in many battles and as a result
showed his great character to others.
Beowulf had many characteristics which helped him to succeed in battle.
As a young man, Beowulf was known as the strongest man alive. His strength
allowed him to dominate in battle. If it were not for his pure strength, he
would not have been able to defeat Grendel, for weapons would not work. By
fighting Grendel without weapons, he opened himself up to greater glorification.
Beowulf's strength could not be seen as a disadvantage, while the results of
his strength could.
Beowulf's strength allowed him dominance in battle, but it also made him
cocky. While his cockiness allowed Beowulf to be sure of himself in battle,
some of his peers found it to be a character flaw. Ecglaf, in particular, saw
Beowulf as cocky and vain, questioning, "Are you the Beowulf who competed with
Breca...swollen with vanity..." So, while his cockiness was a flaw in the eyes
of others, Beowulf saw it as self assurance and used it to his advantage.
Beowulf also had a strong spirit of adventure. His spirit of adventure
was part of the reason that Beowulf went to fight Grendel. Beowulf's strength
and spirit of adventure had also led him to glory in many battles, including
that with Grendel. Beowulf used his glory in previous battles to justify
himself when coming to help Hrothgar. In addition, his self assurance, and
known bravery probably guided his decision. Beowulf's spirit of adventure
gained him a lot of glory, however, it could have gotten him into trouble, if he
were to have taken an adventure too far.
While in his young age, Beowulf used his strength for glory and
recognition. As he became older his great strength was taken away from him, and
Beowulf found himself without one of his greatest abilities. Beowulf then was
king of the Geats, and when a dragon attacked his land, it was his
responsibility to protect his people. Feeling angry and eager for slaughter,
Beowulf and his men went to slay the dragon. During the battle Beowulf is
overwhelmed by the force of the dragon due to his lack of strength, and had to
be saved by one of his thanes, Wiglaf. Now, Beowulf's strength, instead of
being an advantage to him, became a weakness.
The loss of strength, and the battle was disheartening to Beowulf,
however he took it in stride. After his battle with the dragon Beowulf realized
his time was over. However, he used the time on his death bed to reflect on his
life. He also used this time to regain some glory, in reminding his thanes of
all the great battles he fought. This is a sign of Beowulf's self assurance.
Even though his assurance no longer guided him into battle, Beowulf used it to
assure himself that he had done well in his life.
During his life time, Beowulf was a great fighter. His bravery and
strength helped him to triumph, and he made sure everyone knew about it. By
doing so he showed his vanity. However, all of his attributes; strength,
courage, self assurance, and adventurous helped Beowulf for good. While they
could have had greater bad effects, Beowulf carried himself well and was
respected by many (except for Grendel!).
Search for: [11th attacks] [class society] [political leaders] [even goes]
|
Important Note: If you'd like to save a copy of the
paper on your computer, you can COPY and PASTE it into your word
processor. Please, follow these steps to do that in Windows:
1. Select the text of the paper with the mouse and press Ctrl+C. Azete.com (the "Web Site") is produced by the "Company". The contents of this Web Site, such as text, graphics, images, audio, video and all other material ("Material"), are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. The Company makes no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the Material or about the results to be obtained from using the Material. You expressly agree that any use of the Material is entirely at your own risk. Most of the Material on the Web Site is provided and maintained by third parties. This third party Material may not be screened by the Company prior to its inclusion on the Web Site. You expressly agree that the Company is not liable or responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other subscribers or third parties. The Materials are provided on an as-is basis without warranty express or implied. The Company and its suppliers and affiliates disclaim all warranties, including the warranty of non-infringement of proprietary or third party rights, and the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. The Company and its suppliers make no warranties as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the material, services, text, graphics and links. For a complete statement of the Terms of Service, please see our website. By obtaining these materials you agree to abide by the terms herein, by our Terms of Service as posted on the website and any and all alterations, revisions and amendments thereto. |
ary leads work best in inverted pyramid stories. I think that summary leads are effective because if the reader has an interest in the subject after reading the short summary at the beginning, then they will read the whole article. Sometimes a person will read only far enough to lose interest, but i... passionately, but though she sometimes seems to consider him a friend, she is usually cold, cruel, and disinterested in him. As they grow up together, she repeatedly warns him that she has no heart. Though she does not know it herself--and though Pip does not learn it until almost the end ...ture Association of America and the National Association of Theatre Owners. It was made to give parents a general idea of if they would want to see this type of movie or not. It is not however, made to critique the movie; it is not made to tell if the movie is good or bad. Regular parents who are pa...stianity. Throughout the entire novel, each character represents Lewis? previous notions of Christ and Christianity (Alfred 1), and the people that aided in his understanding of Christ. It is an amazing thing to use one?s past to create a canvas of characters that display ideas and mindsets. T...