Beowulf Paper

This senior Chinese Proverb has stood the test of snip and is true to daylight as it was in the 1 100s. Like the stick of us, Beowulf obliterateured a trip. Although filled with oftentimes more peril and graveships than the ave fretfulness adult, Beowulf eventu on the wholey reached his destination. This begs the question, which is more important the Journey, or the destination? Having a healthy decoct on both the Journey and the destination allows unity to reach the commitd closing ith the same enthusiasm as you started.Lines 690-693 illustrates how Beowulf centeringed on the Journey of acquiring riches and essentially wasted his sprightliness when he, while grasp for his last breath, told Wiglaf l sold my life for this treasure, and I sold it well. ride what I leave, Wiglaf, sensation my people, help them my snip is g matchless (47). During his mavinic life, Beowulf was, by todays standards, The Man. Every individual with a fear looked up to this groovy lead er, as he traveled from body politic to kingdom entering evil. As shake up as this as, he lacked the one key factor to being rightfully successful-a goal.Having a goal, or destination, is as important as the Journey itself. Giving yourself small town to the whole purpose of your actions will leave you with a feeling of success and a reason for your hard work. Beowulf lacked this, and led a life of cheat deeds. Although helpful to his followers, he died a truly unhappy slice, as inferred from the prior quote. Beowulf needed to have a set goal a life he envisioned living after he was done charge justt. This gives purpose and a drive behind everything he did. Instead, he lived an awe- inspiring Journey, precisely never set a destination to make him truly happy.There is a plus side to his mis contend, though. We commode take what has been learned the hard path by our friend Beowulf and apply this to our own lives. Nothing bunghole beat the feeling of success. It doesnt mat ter if the scale dropped a couple numbers, or that pesky center dot is finally demolished in the barb range. The feeling of accomplishing the set goals can non be overlooked. Now, that may seem easy, but the tally of effort and practice required to reach that success is as mportant as the feeling itself.This is the Journey versus destination taken out of context. In pose for the scale to drop (the destination), one must put in enduring effort to get where they fatality to go (the Journey). More than often, one supports focalization on either one of these aspects. This is the cause of failed goals. The importance of balancing focus is difficult, but required for true success. Beowulf stresses the importance of both in lines 365-368 He leaped into the lake, would non wait for everyones answer the heaving water covered him over.For hours he sank by the waves At last he saw the mud of the can (38). Now, say Beowulf Jumped into the lake, and halfway through he became so focused on swimming at his best he gets to the destination, and forgets why he is on that point. Hrothgar and the Danes would not be pleased Alternatively, what if he focused too much on destroying Grendel and his mother that he swims in the wrong direction? Again, it would not end well for the poor Danes. The importance of ones healthy focus is not to be taken lightly. urney, there are more dangers that wait lurking, ready to destroy all hopes of success. If one was to focus completely on the Journey, they start to lose a sense of who they are. Losing sight of the goal and the purpose behind the goal bring to passs all too evident. Friends may be lost, because all attention is on the here and now. Likewise, focusing on the destination is Just as dangerous. mavin loses sight of what is necessary to accomplish the goal too caught up in what awaits them in the future.Many fall unsuspected to these traps, and are forced to restart and replan. This is near clearly seen in lines 12-18 when Hrothgar thinks he has reached his destination. Then Hrothgar, taking the throne, led the Danes to such glory that comrades and kinsmen swore by his word, and puppylike men swelled his armies, and he thought of wideness and resolved to build a third house that would hold his flop band and reach higher toward heaven than anything that had ever been known to the sons of man. (27) Hrothgar thinks he has finished his Journey and reached his destination.Little does he know, Grendel is nearly to demolish everything he has worked for and ause him to replan everything including his destination. line uping a healthy balance between the destination and the Journey is important to being truly successful in any area of life. It takes great experience to find this, and many have failed. Once this balance is acquired, though, it is more reinforcing stimulusing than anything else, because unity and closure is provided to years of hard work and dedication. The neighboring time tonic Years comes around, think of what is needed to finally win against the apparently unbeatable resolution.Beowulf PaperIn the poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is the ultimate combatant who places himself at great risks to perform multiple acts of cou furore. Beowulf is the typical wedgeic baloney of neat verse evil. He has great amounts of personal military force in which he uses to put his life on the line for the consummate kingdom. Beowulfs pursuit moves him from Geatland to Denmark on a quest to help Hrothgars kingdom that had been plagued of attacks by an evil monster named Grendel. He also goes on to scourge Grendels mother and disputes a rouse-breathing dragon.Eradicating Grendel and Grendels mother bring nicety and peace to the Scandinavian society, while Beowulf receives much fame. The story goes on to sic his pursuit of fame through his three main difference of opinions, moving from a warrior perspective, to one of a king. Beowulfs quest brings him to change his responsibilities. The ideals of a once young warrior develop into a more experienced man that comes to rule the lodge of Geatland. A warrior trying to establish himself in the world ultimately has a goal striving for fame.One seeks fame through bravery in the attend of danger, having much strength, despising death, and boasting about their accomplishments (SparkNotes Editors). Beowulf searched for individual fame and glory for his complete life. His pursuit to become a pigboat was strong enough to take on the evils of the world. He was able to achieve individual fame upon hearing of Hrothgars troubles with Grendel. He set sail to gain personal fame and to help the community of interests of Heorot. The people of Hrothgars land found Beowulf to be a hero for he was about to rid them of their enemy.But Unferth thinks differently and challenges Beowulfs stating no matter thereof, how you may have fared in every bout and difference of opinion until now, this time youll be worsted no one has ever outlasted an entire night against Grendel (37). Unferth challenges Beowulfs heroic character. Unferth bitterly attacks Beowulf, which clearly reveals Unferths jealously towards him. Unferth feels below Beowulf. He cannot protect his own land because he is scared of Grendel. Unferth will not be a warrior who obtains fame nor will he be a heroic warrior.No one will remember Unferth as a great legend rather he falls into a category of one who is bitter (SparkNotes Editors). This goes to show that the quest for fame can lead to harm. In Unferths case, the quest for fame led to feel, which involved a desire to be great no matter what. Beowulf desired to be great but his desire for fame was associated with the desire to bring strength and power to ones people. Beowulf connected fame with generosity and community while Unferth mixed pride up with greed and selfishness, for he wanted to succeed.Beowulf ultimately succeeds in cleanup Grendel and Grendels mother in devil heroic battles in which he used his bare hand strength to defeat the deuce monsters. Beowulf is ultimately a great example of what a hero is. A hero will always fight to win a battle, but does so in a fair manner. Beowulf, for example does not use a sword in the midst of the battle between Grendel and he. He began to reverse his iron breast-mail, took off the helmet and handed his attendant the patterned sword, a metalworkers masterpiece, allegeing him to keep the equipment guarded.And before he bedded down, Beowulf, the prince of goodness, proudly asserted when it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous any day as Grendel. So it wont be a wounding edge Ill wield. He has no idea of the arts of war, of vindication or sword-play, although he does possess a wild strength. No weapons, therefore for either night unarmed he shall face me if face me he dares (47). Instead he uses his very own strength, courage, and ability to kill the enemy. Beowulf is so stron g, courageous, faithful and loyal that it can be questioned whether he is truly man or myth.He posses hero like strength that is superior to the normal human man. He truly did do any(prenominal) he needed to save and protect the people (Beowulf Papers). Death was not a fear that crossed his mind for he was not dismayed of it A hero is one who is not seen very often and there are only a few great heroes that come about in time (Beowulf Papers). They are a step above the average. A hero brought peace to situations that were before seen as impossible and bring felicity to many people. A task such as defeating Grendels mamas grip in battle, is one that only a hero could perform for it was impossible for others (SparkNotes Editors).What others deem impossible, a hero makes possible (Beowulf Papers) Beowulf can ultimately be defined as a hero. Can the rejoin of fame for being a brave warrior only be achieved through mercenary success? It seems that this is true but Hrothgar tries to advice Beowulf of eternal rewards. O flower of warriors, take care of the trap. Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride. For a draft while your strength is in bloom but I fades right away and soon there will follow disorder or the sword to lay you low, or a sudden fire or surge of water or jabbing blade or javelin from the air or repellent age.Your piercing eye will calamitous and darken and death will arrive, dear warrior, to sweep you away(121). Hrothgar become a father figure to the young Beowulf. He does not want to see Beowulf give way to pride. This piece of advice is jarring with the culture of boasts and report card that other parts of the poem emphasize (SparkNotes Editors). Life is also brief and he should look towards those rewards that may be eternal rather than the reward of fame. This passage portrays a fragile outlook on Beowulfs weak life that can be taken away at any time and the fact that his youth will indeed fade qu ickly (SparkNotes Editors).He may not only be stabbed which will wound, but he will also lose his youth as time goes on. Beowulf needs to focus on honor, nobility, and leadership, not just on his physical skill and strength (SparkNotes Editors). Beowulf had no fear, and desired personal praise, while Hrothgar had much to lose and valued protecting his people. Each of these two roles filled two different sets of shoes, and each character acted as society expected. With that said, over the class of the poem Beowulf does grow from a courageous warrior to a wise leader.Hrothgars speeches emphasized stability and security for his people and this was shown through him building the mead hall for the people to gather. He also demonstrates loyal service to his warriors by braggy them lavish gifts and much praise. Beowulf transitions from a young warrior into the King of the Geats and he does stand for much of the characteristics and values of Hrothgar. At the end of the story though, afte r cubic decimetre years of serving his people, Beowulf encounters a battle with a dragon and this battle conflicts with his warrior and king duties for he was a king and the state needed him.Beowulf, old and tired, defeats the dragon that was frightening all the people, but he does lose his life, leaving the Geats open for attack. Was this the wrong act? It is hard to decipher between the two roles for they were conflicting and the tension between the two was inevitable. Even near death, Beowulf did inclination for a lighthouse that be built so people could find there way back from sea showing his never cultivation concern for the Geats. Beowulf was not afraid of death and before any battle he made a wish that his assets be given to the people. In life or death, Beowulf will be glorified.Epic battles, terrifying monsters, queer strength, and great leadership these characteristics and encounters are what make up the epic hero that is Beowulf (Definition Of Hero On The Web). The heroism exemplified by Beowulf is defined by many different qualities. A hero is again defined by his free to put himself at great risk for the greater good. The monsters that invaded the Heorot land were all outsiders that existed beyond the boundaries of human realms. Beowulf was forced to kill the two beasts in order to restore order because Grendel and his mother had infringed upon human society.Fame was a theme affected based on throughout the poem. Fame was part of Beowulfs quest, but Hrothgar leftfield an impression on Beowulfs values. He reminded him that his fame and strength are not always going to be available to him. His life is fragile and he could not only be killed, but his youth clock is ticking. Beowulf is variegated as a perfect hero in the form of the agonist in the poem. The poem consists of three central conflicts, which include Grendels rage of Heorot Hal, Grendels mother becoming vengeful because of her sons death, and the dragons rage over Geatland.The di fference between a good warrior and a good king was also a theme in which was observed through the poem. What others deem impossible, Beowulf made possible References Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf a New Verse Translation. New York Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000. Print. SparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on Beowulf. SparkNotes. com. SparkNotes LLC. 2003. Web 22 Apr. 2010. Definition Of Hero On The Web. Google Search. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. Paradine, Gerald. Hero Paper. Beowulf Papers. Web. 19 Apr.