" I had a fixed purpose when I put to sea.
As I sat in the boat with my band of men, .
what your people wanted or perish in the attempt, .
in the fiend's clutches. And I shall fulfill that purpose, .
prove myself with a proud deed .
or meet my death here in the mead-hall" (632-638).
Boasting in the poem seems to be a suitable and accepted form of self-assertion. It is interesting to see how the protagonist Beowulf is able to boast with out appearing to be conceded. As odd as it may seem he is very humble with his boasting. It is more like he's selling himself to Hrothgar and his county men by telling them what he can do for them rather than bragging. I came to this conclusion because of the Danes reaction to Beowulf's boasts. They are not threatened or offended by his boasts instead they feel protected, even thought they have yet to see him in action they have solely heard the stories of his triumph. Unferth is the only one who challenges Beowulf claims. He harasses Beowulf about his swimming match with Breca (506-528). But he doesn't challenge Beowulf because he is concerned that Beowulf is not capable of defeating Grendel, he simply jealous of the attention that Beowulf is getting. Beowulf, with confidence, accuses Unferth of being drunk (But it was m!.
ostly beer that was doing the talking 531-532) and describes what really happened in the swimming match (530-558). His responds with a boast indicating that he had to slay the whale-beast and eight other sea creatures. He may have done this to maintain his reputation with the Danes. Near the ending of the poem Beowulf makes his final boast: he promises to fight the dragon, only if it will leave its barrow and face him on open ground. He is not a strong as he was as a youth but he put up a good fight. He is able to kill the dragon (with some help from Wiglaf) but dies form a poisonous bite that the dragon inflicts on his neck. Through the poem we see Beowulf as a character that is able to boast and be true to his words.
Beowulf has many traits that make him a hero. ... Beowulf is able to kill her with a giant's sword that can only be lifted by a person as strong as Beowulf. ... This would lead to Beowulf's last battle. Beowulf goes to seek the dragon in his lair. ... Beowulf's injuries turn out to be fatal. ...
Beowulf Essay by Denny "The Yellow Dart" Fulton In the next four paragraphs will prove that Beowulf has the qualities of an epic hero. ... This essay will show Beowulf's saga as a hero. ... "Fifty winters pass, Beowulf, now an old man, faces his final task:"(that was not my Quote). " Together Beowulf and the young Miglaf kill the dragon, but the old king (Beowulf) is fatally wounded." ... Beowulf taking his last few words to the young Miglaf, the last of Beowulf's family, the new king. ... Beowulf's tower. ...
Beowulf Essay The epic story Beowulf is the most important of all English epics. ... The reoccurring imagery in Beowulf's battles and in describing his mail shirt help prove that Beowulf is an epic hero. The reoccurring imagery describing Beowulf's chain link mail shirt is an example of Beowulf's huge stature. ... When Beowulf stabs Grendel's mother in the head you hear "The iron sang its fierce song, sang Beowulf's strength". ... This imagery shows Beowulf's superior strength. ...
In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, there are battles between Beowulf himself and several different monsters. ... Loyalty is present when Beowulf chooses to fight the monster for king Hrothgar who had done Ecgtheow, Beowulf's father, a great favor. ... Fate comes into play here when Beowulf defeats and unknowingly kills her son. ... The glory belongs to Beowulf because he defeats her, too. ... As fate would have it, the previously victorious Beowulf is put to the test one more time. ...
Beowulf: An Ideal Hero Beowulf is an outstanding epic poem set in the Anglo-Saxon period that tells the tale of a hero of the land. ... Beowulf is also a courageous warrior capable of overcoming many obstacles. ... Beowulf was the king of his land for fifty years. ... Beowulf did things that no other man would do. Thus, making Beowulf the greatest, most well known hero of his time. ...
Beowulf's selflessness and bravery are shown frequently when he battles Grendel. Beowulf shows no signs of retreat and accepts death as it may come. ... Another quality exhibited by Beowulf is his bravery. ... Beowulf displays a sense of strength throughout his life. ... Beowulf's intentions are to protect his people, so fear cannot intervene. ...
Beowulf- The Great of the Greats In the 8th century people were looked at by their character. Each person had important traits, which were very important traits that were admired back then. Some of these traits that were intelligible, they also had to be very honorable and do things fair. The wa...
Beowulf is unlike any other epic hero in the manner in which he fights. ... No sword could hurt Grendle so Beowulf would have beat him by hand alone. ... Beowulf shows his loyalty throughout the story. ... Beowulf showed he is the exact opposite. ... It is easily seen how Beowulf is a great leader. ...
Beowulf also has confidence in his skills as a warrior and as a leader. ... It can therefore be said that Beowulf is a classic Anglo-Saxon hero. ... In the epic poem, none equaled Beowulf's skill as a warrior or as a leader of men. ... Such confidence in skill projects Beowulf as a true Anglo-Saxon hero. ... Regardless of the fact that he smote Grendel bare handed, Beowulf admits a dragon is a formidable foe indeed, so a decision is made to unsheathe Hrunting Beowulf's mighty blade. ...
