Gray Gissinger
Brit Lit/G
Ms. Burman
Beowulf Blog
In Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, people see the character Beowulf to be the perfect man, but what qualities make him so idealistic. Beowulf has many memorable qualities, such as his leadership skills, his
religious faith, or his boastful pride, but these qualities are what make him a
great leader/influence to both the Geats and the Danes. Beowulf is a great leader, and by using his skills he was able to make his way to the top. His pride helped him stay confident, his faith helped him stay humble, his leadership made him admirable and noble, and his actions throughout the poem make him a true hero.
The first thing that makes Beowulf so easy to idealize is his leadership, without this trait nobody would stand behind him. The man whose name was known for courage, the Geat leader, resolute in his helmet, answered in return: "We are retainers from Hygelac's band. Beowulf is my name." (340-343) this quote shows leadership because he is called the courageous Geat leader, showing he is already well known as a hero/leader. And
it also shows how he is the first to present himself or speak of or for his king, establishing to the reader and to the Danes that he is the leader of his band of thanes. The next quality that makes Beowulf so amazing is his faith in God. 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 favour. So he overcame the foe, brought down the hell-brute. (1269-1274). this quote explains how Beowulf would not have won the fight against Grendel if God did not want him to win, showing his faith in God, and God’s faith in him.
Beowulf constantly prays to God or mentions God, especially during battle, this shows his humble side because he sees that without God he would not be where he is today, and he uses this humble side to recognize God’s actions and to thank him for how kind he has been to Beowulf. But with Beowulf’s humbleness, he also has excessive pride that sometimes overpowers his reasoning abilities. "When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous any day as Grendel. So it won't be a cutting edge I'll wield to mow him down, easily as I might. He has no idea of the arts of war, of shield or sword-play, although he does possess a wild strength. No weapons, therefore, for either this night: unarmed he shall face me if face me he dares. And may the Divine Lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whichever side He sees fit." (677-687) This quote shows how Beowulf is being cocky to show that he is better than Grendel, and takes off all of his armor to set
himself level to the beast,
Beowulf’s pride is what keeps him confident and
successful in battle but
Hrothgar warns him not to let his pride get ahead
of him, because it will be the
death of him.
Brit Lit/G
Ms. Burman
Beowulf Blog
In Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, people see the character Beowulf to be the perfect man, but what qualities make him so idealistic. Beowulf has many memorable qualities, such as his leadership skills, his
religious faith, or his boastful pride, but these qualities are what make him a
great leader/influence to both the Geats and the Danes. Beowulf is a great leader, and by using his skills he was able to make his way to the top. His pride helped him stay confident, his faith helped him stay humble, his leadership made him admirable and noble, and his actions throughout the poem make him a true hero.
The first thing that makes Beowulf so easy to idealize is his leadership, without this trait nobody would stand behind him. The man whose name was known for courage, the Geat leader, resolute in his helmet, answered in return: "We are retainers from Hygelac's band. Beowulf is my name." (340-343) this quote shows leadership because he is called the courageous Geat leader, showing he is already well known as a hero/leader. And
it also shows how he is the first to present himself or speak of or for his king, establishing to the reader and to the Danes that he is the leader of his band of thanes. The next quality that makes Beowulf so amazing is his faith in God. 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 favour. So he overcame the foe, brought down the hell-brute. (1269-1274). this quote explains how Beowulf would not have won the fight against Grendel if God did not want him to win, showing his faith in God, and God’s faith in him.
Beowulf constantly prays to God or mentions God, especially during battle, this shows his humble side because he sees that without God he would not be where he is today, and he uses this humble side to recognize God’s actions and to thank him for how kind he has been to Beowulf. But with Beowulf’s humbleness, he also has excessive pride that sometimes overpowers his reasoning abilities. "When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous any day as Grendel. So it won't be a cutting edge I'll wield to mow him down, easily as I might. He has no idea of the arts of war, of shield or sword-play, although he does possess a wild strength. No weapons, therefore, for either this night: unarmed he shall face me if face me he dares. And may the Divine Lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whichever side He sees fit." (677-687) This quote shows how Beowulf is being cocky to show that he is better than Grendel, and takes off all of his armor to set
himself level to the beast,
Beowulf’s pride is what keeps him confident and
successful in battle but
Hrothgar warns him not to let his pride get ahead
of him, because it will be the
death of him.
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