Heroism In Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

There atomic number 18 many traits that are possessed by those who seek heroism. Whether it is in real life or in fiction, ein truth hero desires these character traits in the last(prenominal), present, and future. IN my opinion, the ii traits that are most prominent in the poem Beowulf are gallantry and goodness. In this poem, Beowulf exhibits the trait of bravery by defeating the monster, Grendel. This monster was a very powerful monster that plagued the town of Herot. He slipped through the door Snatched up thirty men, smashed them/ Unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies/ The blood drip mold behind him, back/ To his liar, delighted with his nights slaughter. (11)The society that he terrorized was happy and always rejoicing. As now warriors sang of their pleasure/ So Hrothgars men lived happily in this hall (11)Bravery at once has changed from that of Anglo-Saxon times. In the poem, Beowulf uses his bare reach to defeat the evil, monstrous Grendel. He believes that it would be braver and mightier if he were to defeat Grendel without use of a weapon. My lord Higlac/ competency thing less of me if I let my sword/ Go where my feet were acrophobic to, if I hid/ Behind some broad linen shield my hands/ Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life/ Against the monster (15). However, in moderne times, bravery is associated and accompanied by weaponry.In the movie Jaws, which is a twentieth century film, the preying chisel terrorizes the beaches of New England. After he is finally trapped, he is killed- but not in the same fashion as Grendel was. The shark was shot in the mouth and then blew up to do a CO2 tank he had swallowed. The way in which each opposition was killed was in two very different ways with and without weaponry, respectively.These two scenarios from Anglo-Saxon and modern times are similar, as well. They are similar because of the tenaciousness of monsters terrorizing a society being a great influence among audiences of the past and present. The two works of both eras demonstrate the continual interest in defeating villains and feeding its listeners with tales such as these.Bravery is not the barely trait in which a hero possesses. A hero ineluctably and has more than one heroic quality, just like no bill is complete without its vibrant colors and sweet smell. Goodness can be compared to that of a flowers vibrant colors and sweet smell.