The following will show how the characters from "Beowulf" perceived their deeds in life as the build up to the way their bodies would be cared for after death and how their people would remember them. Unlike modern times burial ceremonies were based on what a person accomplished rather then who the person was. In essence if you were a great hero you got a wonderful send off, if you were a peasant farmer you were luck if you got a stone cairn over the hole your body was in.
In the Norse world, both gods and humans know their inevitable destiny is death. The heroic goal is fame after death. great and glorious deeds that inspire poets and singers are the only measure of immortality that a mortal can achieve. The Norse hero's greatness is measure by the quality of his life and the courage and dignity with which he faces his inevitable death. The characters of Beowulf cannot determine when they die, but they can try to determine how they live and die. Life is a tragic experience, and the best one can hope for is to live and die with dignity. It should be noted; the characters that rail against the inevitability of death are usually the ones who act with dishonor and treachery.
First thing to note is the contrast between Beowulf and Unferth, the Danish warrior. Beowulf accepts death as inevitable and purposely seeks out deeds that will bring him glory while he lives and fame long after he is gone. He takes pride in himself and his accomplishments "in my youth I achieved many daring exploits" (400) and values relationships, and is willing to travel, "I have sailed here from so far", (420) in order to help people because he is seeking to add to his fame. .
Unferth is afraid and jealous of Beowulf fame. Which is clearly shown when he speaks in the feasting-hall with these words "are you the Beowulf who competed with Breca, vied with him at swimming in the open sea when, swollen with vanity, you both braved the waves, risked your lives on deep waters because of a foolish boast".
Hotspur, on the other hand, has his own voice when it comes to honor. ... Both characters seek honor by means of force. ... Hal concludes his oath with a promise, "And I will die a hundred thousand deaths Ere break the smallest parcel of this vow- (III.2.158-159). ... He forgives Hotspur, his greatest enemy, and even laments his death. ... He earns his honor through his conversion. ...
Becoming ill or even death can be a very hard thing not just for the person sick or dead, but also for the family. ... He deals with his honor as a friend and person in a different way. ... -Matsu Said when talking about Kenzo after the death Because there was this struggle inside of him, it eventually caused a fight between him, Matsu, and Sachi. ... Throughout the entire story, all the characters are faced with honor. ... We see throughout the book that honor was so important, that it was worth the life and death of someone who has lost it....
The statement foreshadows Becket's death because the way that Becket interprets honor is by living. ... Becket answering to the King when the King asks him how he combines, honor and collaboration foreshadows Becket's death. ... He foreshadows his own death for the reason that at the end he chooses his honor instead of following the King. ... The statement foreshadowed his death because he lives by honor, and he will die by honor. ... He died a good man, and will be in heaven because he chose a better life style, by following his heart and his goodness will be honored even after his ...
Hamlet's difficulty to except his father's death is because of his great love for his father. ... King Hamlet held a great deal of honor and loyalty to his people and the kingdom, therefore Hamlet feels great respect for his father and great honor towards him in death. ... Laertes feels obligated and more then willing to seek revenge on his father's death. ... Hamlet's whole mission to avenge his father's death is because of his loyalty to his father. ... Fortinbras offers more conflict within the story with his personal honor and the fact he devotedly believes he n...
According to Webster's New World Dictionary, honor is "high regard or respect and good reputation"(283). The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, written be William Shakespeare, has a character named Brutus who has a tragic flaw that is honor. ... Because Antony wants to speak about Caesar's death, Brutus allows him to speak to the Romans. ... Antony is speaking over Caesar's body because Brutus allows him to speak to the Romans about Caesar and his death. ... Brutus allows Antony to speak to the crowds about Caesar's death. ...
Romeo and Juliet is a play about the death-marked love of two young lovers from rival families, riddled with violence and tragedy. ... Back in the Renaissance, families were intricately linked with honor. ... Individuals commonly chose marriage partners based on what was best for their family, not out of some sense of true love," like Romeo and Juliet (Farrell, Love, Death and Patriarchy in Romeo and Juliet). ... However, this attempted marriage caused great conflict, stirring up anger between father and daughter, and wound up indirectly causing the deaths of Romeo and Juliet when she was for...
What is honor? There is no exact way to classify honor or to qualify what exactly honor is. However, honor can be easily recognized when a person possesses that wonderful quality. ... Honor plays a crucial role in The Unvanquished and is a vital part of how each character is viewed. ... Even though Granny did die it was not a dishonorable death. ...
In Amy Tan's novel "The Joy Luck Club", four mothers use such tactics to gain things they never could have: honor, pride, and respect. (5/103) Honor has been a significant value among Asian cultures. ... Take An-mei for instance, she moved in with her mother shortly after her grandmother's death. ... She stood up for herself and her mother to make sure their honor wasn't left unnoticed. As by speaking up her honor was being presented and growing with strength in a good heart. ... Soon after June's mother's death everyone met at her house. ...
"The Red Badge of Courage" is a tale of value, honor, conflicted motivations, and a crisis of purpose and meaning. ... Rather, war is mostly fear, death, destruction, and controlled chaos. ... Henry saw death and remarked that there were no angels singing about the soldiers' glory, "after all, it was but the great death.... Yet Henry also realizes that he does not need a red badge of courage to show honor in battle. With true honor there is but only one question "When will their glory fade?...