Beowulf, an epic hero
Being a hero is defined by several qualities like courage, respect, and strength. A hero is identified by their actions of braveness, being decisive, and action with honour. Beowulf portrays all the following characterizes by defending the Danish king. Beowulf is an accurate depiction of an epic hero who ignores death threat for glory, has better honour of society, and holds the qualities, characters, and principles highly honoured in the Anglo-Saxon philosophy. Beowulf is considered an epic hero because of his courage, mortality, and superhuman strengths that he portrays.
Beowulf portrays an extended amount of nervy moments. He faces death when three monsters attack him. His swords were of no use against the beasts; he fights with his bare hands, and his mail shirts protect him from getting hurt. All other characters respect Beowulf except the beasts who kept daring him (Pratt, 119). The battle between Beowulf’s and the dragon was the most essential since it signifies the fights between worthy and the wicked. The battle reveals his greatest virtues and the characteristics of a true and an epic hero. Beowulf held a classic hero’s individualities, which includes bravely and devotion; trust in both destiny and Supernatural being (Kermode 18). His noble fights’ participation represents good against the evil representation of social, societal, and spiritual values and fable or hero story.
Chivalry is considered a code that was mostly used by the medieval warriors; they comply with a set of rules that included honour, valour, and courtesy and at the centre of it all loyalty (Kermode 19). Beowulf has portrayed Chivalry when he makes an oath to the king, affirming his promise to kill Grendel, and courageously protects his men from Grendel. There is several misunderstanding of chivalry world; a perfect example of a misunderstanding is that the knight never actually swore an oath of Chivalry until the middle ages (Kermode 20). However, Chivalry is practised in the middle ages as a great sign of a true leader. A true and a hero were considered someone who had power over a specific territory in the middle ages and would rule over it.
Beowulf’s Chivalry is of great importance in the middle Ages as it sheds light on middle ages horsemen and leaders on how true leaders must conduct themselves. Cheever was a horseman and leader of others in the early medieval ages, which still happens in the middle Ages. The king or the rulers possessed great powers and was known to be loyal, courageous, and honoured before their people (Pratt, 120). Chivalry is essential in the middle ages was used to determine true warriors and kings that rule over the people. The moral codes of Chivalry in the middle ages were essential codes of ethics that are more important to the society governing the laws of the land.
Work cited
Kermode, F. “Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney; Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by RM Liuzza.” NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS 47.12 (2000): 18-20.
Pratt, William. “Beowulf: A New Verse Translation.” World Literature Today 75.1 (2001): 119.