Preview

The Hero's Journey Beowulf Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
553 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Hero's Journey Beowulf Analysis
Beowulf fits the mold of a hero in many ways. Towards the end of the story, we see the selfless acts Beowulf has done. In the hero’s journey, the hero accepts the challenge he is given. Beowulf accepts the challenge King Hrothgar offers. Since Grendel has been attacking the mead hall, Beowulf accepts the challenge to fight Grendel himself to save the Danes from death. He crosses the threshold here, seeing his own power he realizes what he is capable of. After slaying Grendel thinking everything would be okay, Beowulf soon encounters another evil, Grendel’s mother. Grendel’s mother was out for revenge for the murder of her son. She attacks Heorot Hall but then quickly flees. This begins Beowulf’s road of trials. Beowulf and his Geatish warriors, and Danish warriors track Grendel’s mother back to her cave. Under the surface, Beowulf finds Grendel’s mother. At the time, Beowulf stays under the surface for quite a while, allowing his men to think he was dead. But Beowulf slays Grendel’s mother with a trusty sword saving the people from harm. Here, Beowulf reaches the ultimate boon in a hero’s journey. He achieved the goal of the quest. …show more content…
This starts the return of Beowulf back to Geatland, where he is the lord in the court of King Hygelac. King Hygelac is Beowulf’s uncle and wise mentor. Eventually King Hygelac are all involved in blood feuds leading them to death. Beowulf encounters Apotheosis in the hero’s journey. His family all had died and he was in line to become King of the Geats. Beowulf reigned for fifty years, protecting the Geats from the harmful surrounding tribes, especially the Swedes. Back in his town he was known as a honorable, heroic, warrior-king who rewarded his lords and took care of the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Dialectic Journal of the poems "Beowulf", "Grendel", "Tyger", "The Snowman", and "Dreamers" focusing mainly on literary techniques.
    • 1766 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Dialectic Journal of the poems "Beowulf", "Grendel", "Tyger", "The Snowman", and "Dreamers" focusing mainly on literary techniques.

    "Beowulf" illustrates how Beowulf is a hero. A hero is the central admirable figure in the novel. He is admirable to the reader and the town's people. He is admirable because of the tasks he has done. He also offers to help them, and not only does he offer but also he carries out his task. He saves the town from the horrible beast. The reader admires Beowulf because they only know one side of the story, which is Beowulf's. The author spun the story to make Beowulf a hero.…

    • 1766 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf: Anglo Saxon Hero Composition
    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf: Anglo Saxon Hero Composition

    Characteristics of the perfect hero includes: Bravery, strength, honor, fearlessness, loyalty, and honor. Beowulf in this story portrays these characteristics within his character. He defeats monsters, and all different sorts of creatures, to be the hero that he is. The story starts off with a demon named Grendel comes through and kills 30 people during attack on King Hrothgar. When Beowulf hears of this attack with Grendel, he comes in and…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of A Hero's Journey In Beowulf
    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of A Hero's Journey In Beowulf

    Beowulf is tested by Unferth when he is in the mead hall, but other than Grendel and him everyone there is his friend. Grendel is he enemy; he “…haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in hell…” (17-18) The hero and the allies get ready for the first challenge, the approach. Beowulf and the people are attacked by Grendel, and they fight to the death of Grendel. Just when they think they’re done, they meet a new obstacle, the ordeal. Grendel’s mom is now the big challenge that he will face. This life threatening fight brings him back on top and “Then old and young rejoiced…”…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Hero's Journey Essay
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf Hero's Journey Essay

    Why is Star War such a global phenomenon? What about Matrix, Lord of the Ring? The key to their success is the structure of the story: they all applied Hero’s Journey, introduced by Joseph Campbell in 1949. The sense of this structure actually existed long before Joseph Campbell. Stories like Beowulf were the ancestors with such bloodline. Though the structure evolved differently as time pasts, the essence of it never vanishes. Genuinely, a Hero’s Journey contains three main sections: departure, redemption, and return. The referenced TED talk is pretty interesting: it gives a close analysis over stories from contemporary people in relation to their own journeys to help the audience narrow the concept of the structure down to a more acceptable scale.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Epic Hero Research Paper
    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf Epic Hero Research Paper

    In the poem of Beowulf, Beowulf goes on many different quests. The first quest the brave warrior went on was the battle with Grendel. This foul beast would come terrorize Herot for years and finally…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Beowulf Is A Hero's Quest
    • 1770 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Beowulf Is A Hero's Quest

    Stories fan the flames of fame, and we are all simply burned by them. A story can consist of practically anything but the intention is almost always the same, to spread the word about something. Such as in Beowulf, if one were to read the poem with no prior knowledge, you would easily come to the conclusion that Beowulf is a legend… All because of the tales of his adventure and quests. The archetype of “the quest” is used all throughout the story to, not only drive the story along, but develope Beowulf himself as a character. Without these quests, the story would fall flat because Beowulf would have no reason to come to the foreign Kingdom of Geats, and if he did for some reason, Beowulf would be an incomplete character. The…

    • 1770 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Character Analysis Essay
    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf Character Analysis Essay

    The hero of all heroes, Beowulf, strong and courageous, is the prince of Geats. Once he makes a vow, he stands by his word, no matter what the cost, even if it takes his life. He is reluctant to back down from battle, just so he can be there for the people who are in great need to be saved from evil. He signifies the true heroic character because he is willing to risk his life for his ideals. Beowulf defeats three gruesome monsters, two of whom are descendants of Cain. Beowulf is able to show his characteristics both in his youth and in his older days.…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Beowulf and the Hero's Journey
    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Beowulf and the Hero's Journey

    Joseph Campbell’s term monomyth can be described as a hero’s journey. Many heroic characters follow the monomyth, no matter the time period or culture the literature was created in. The poem Beowulf is known to follow the adventure of the hero described in Campbell’s monomyth . The hero’s journey consists of three rites of passages: separation, initiation, and return. Beowulf endures each of these stages throughout the epic poem, so his journey does follow Campbell’s monomyth.…

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf: The Epitome Of An Epic Hero
    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf: The Epitome Of An Epic Hero

    It is said that Zeus, the Lord of the Sky, once stated that a true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength but by the strength of his heart. A person who claims to be a hero can boast about his strength and how many monsters he’s defeated, but he can’t be a true hero if in the end he’s defeating all these monsters to show off. A true and epic hero is the man or woman who has the intent on helping people in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Beowulf, because of his selflessness, valor, and honor, is the epitome of an epic hero.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Heroism In Beowulf
    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Role Of Heroism In Beowulf

    When Beowulf returns victoriously to his homeland after the defeat of Grendel, one might expect that the text would praise him and celebrate his triumphs. This is indeed the case in lines 2163-2210, however the author also chooses this moment to reveal an unexpected aspect of the hero’s lowly past: that before he left for the Danish lands, King Hygelac and the Geat people “had never much esteemed [Beowulf] in the mead-hall”. A similar surprising moment arises just after our hero kills Grendel’s mother, when, amidst the many congratulations, Hrothgar suddenly warns Beowulf of a greater challenge that is yet to come: the challenge of leadership and growing old, which he conveys through the story of an elderly king, Heremod, who lives in the glory…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Is An Epic Hero Essay
    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf Is An Epic Hero Essay

    For conclude, to become a greatest hero like Beowulf, he has to have these qualities: bossy, independent, and fearless. Beowulf is an awesome hero, he saves many people from the monsters. Even when he has to face the death, he still doing what he said to keep his…

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf As A Hero Essay
    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf As A Hero Essay

    In conclusion, Beowulf is considered a great warrior but not a true hero. Although he accomplished many heroic deeds he never did any of them for the right reasons. Therefore, Beowulf is not a true hero but only a warrior who values renown and rewards. Although he should signs that he cares about the people he never fought for the people but for himself to the very end. Ultimately we see that Beowulf has the characteristic of a hero but his values differ greatly from that of heroes. It can even we concluded that the values of the people who listen to Beowulf hundred of years ago differ from us…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf - Profile of an Epic Hero
    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf - Profile of an Epic Hero

    Beowulf's epic heroism is defined by his involvement in the grand struggle between good and evil. Beowulf's battle with Grendel is a classic example of this. Beowulf is the stereotypical embodiment of the "good guy". He rides a white horse, he always finds the silver lining in a situation, and he never seems to lose. Grendel also fits his mold a little too well. He is made up of a vile black substance, he lives in a swamp, and he represents all things that are considered wrong. All characters and situations of this story are almost a little too cartoonish and impossible to be considered anything but a retelling of the classic "good guy versus bad guy" story with a new cast of characters.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Who Is Beowulf A Hero
    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Who Is Beowulf A Hero

    A major focus of medieval literature was heroism. Often heroes were hedonistic characters who performed larger than life acts and then boasted about them. Beowulf was a son, a king, and a hero. He would protect and battle all kinds of monsters and dragons just to make sure he kept his people safe and happy. Beowulf, was a man with many different characteristic traits. He demonstrates certain characteristics of a hero because he had responsibility, respect, trustworthiness, generosity, strength, power, and courage. A hero is one who places himself or herself at great risk while performing acts of courage. He is recognized for his strengths and power of protecting his people. Beowulf is faced with three forces to fight, Grendel (a monster),…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Hero's Journey Analysis
    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf Hero's Journey Analysis

    In this story Beowulf plays the role of a hero. He goes through three distinct journeys in which he acts brave, strong, and independent. Beowulf distinctly follows steps five, seven, and eight through eleven in the Hero’s Journey. However, he does much more than follow a simple outline. Beowulf defines strength in his actions and courage in his heart.…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics