After reading the different sections of Beowulf and reflecting on the concepts of an epic hero, discuss what you believe to be Beowulf’s finest hour. Include textual evidence as you explain this great warrior’s highest achievement.
Next, post to another student’s response that either upholds the argument or points out the argument’s flaws.
OR
Make a nomination for a modern epic hero/heroine (serious nominations only). You must cite evidence to support your assertions here. Compare your nomination to Beowulf. Do you believe that your hero/heroine is more heroic, just as heroic as, or less heroic than Beowulf. Justify your points of argument.
You should respond to another student’s work as well.
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In Beowulf's finest hour he destroys and kills the monster known as Grendal. Grendal finds his way into the Herot hall where many soliders have laid dwon to rest for the night. Grendal, with his gleaming eyes sneaks in and devours the soilders. Beowulf, completely unarmed and without any armor fights Grendal. Bare handed Beowulf kills Grendal and displays his great strengh and courage that has brought him to lead many men.
Down should be spelled D.O.W.N. not D.W.O.N.
Up for nomination today is Batman! He has saved Gotham city from the Joker and Riddler. Batman has many epic hero qualities. First, Batman can fly thorugh the air to save his city and he drives the amazing Bat mobile. Beowulf fails in comparison to Batman, because Beowulf moves on foot to each location and holding his breath for multiple hours can not stand up to flying across the night sky to save a town.
P.S. If you find it needed to correct my post keep all opinions to yourself I will correct it later on my fifth or sixth post.
Thank You,
The Hrunting IIV
I nominate Miss Stump for a modern heroine that I am going to compare to Beowulf. (this is a serious nomination) Miss Stump shows her strong skills every morning in A.P. english. When she grades our homework, quizzes, tests, or anything else that she can take points off of she shows great amounts of strength by sticking to her grading criteria even if it means handing out F's, D's, and the occasional C-. She also possesses the skill of fighting off bad guys ( such as certain administrators that shall not be named) she uses her brilliant brain to trap these bad guys. Beowulf could only swim under water without breathing for hours that is nothing compared to how long Miss Stump can lecture for and not take one single breath. This is very hard to believe but I have seen it first hand ( Chaz and Boo have too).
Beowulf has many characteristics of an epic hero. Many of these characteristics are portrayed in today's modern day heroes. One that sticks out among the rest is Batman. Batman is just as heroic as Beowulf, if not more. They both risk there lives to protect other people; Beowulf risked his life to save Herot, and Batman risks his life to save Gotham City. The battle between Grendel and Beowulf relates to a battle between Batman and any of the villians from his rogues gallery. Both display bravery and superhuman strength during battles, and are couragous and fearless. Overall, Beowulf is very relatable to Batman.
Beowulf was a fearless hero who helped make Herot a better place. He possessed many heroic qualities, such as incredible strength, bravery, and commitment to stopping evil. These qualities can also be used to describe today's police officers. They do not have the same super-human stength that Beowulf possesses, but they are in great physical shape. They are obviously very brave because they work knowing that they could be killed by a criminal any day. This also describes how they commit their lives to stopping criminals every day.
Beowulf's finest hour had to be when he destroyed Grendel. With his own bare hands he singlehandedly destroys the monster that has been destroying Herot. He used no weapons and still beat this crazy monster. Beowulf's immense strength and courage during this fight make him to be an epic hero. However, the fact that he watched one of his men be killed before he began fighting is kind of a jerk move.
And I agree with hrunting and hoss that Batman and Beowulf are very relatable. I really wish I could have found a great woman superhero but all that women superheros do is prance around in tiny outfits. I'm glad they are creating such a great stereotype for women.
A heroine, by definition, is "a woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for her brave deeds and/or noble qualities" (dictionary.com). Such an honorable nomination is not to be wasted on just anyone, which leads me to crown my recently late grandmother as the greatest heroine I have ever been so graced to know. In the book, Beowulf journeyed to Herot without obligation, without fear, and without selfish intentions. His sole desire was to ease the constant suffering, fear, and death of the innocent Danish people. His bravery shone through as he fearlessly faced the treacherous sea-monster, Grendel. "Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend/Grendel who haunted the moors, the wild/Marshes, and made his home in a hell./Not hell but hell on earth. He was spawned in that slime/Of Cain, murderous creatures banished/ By God, punished forever for the crime/ Of Abel's death" (lines 101-108). Similarly to the wrath of Grendel faced valiantly by Beowulf is my Grandmother's fight to witness the Lord's salvation. She faced the world, apathetic of judgement placed upon her for her strong Christian beliefs. Society is often cruel, but never once was she apprehensive to shed God's light upon blinded eyes. She strove to survive a personal relationship with the Lord, studying her Bible and praying daily in the weak hours of dawn. Her faith brought her to tears with such an indescribable and impossible love. As Beowulf fought to save others, my grandmother battled against the degradation of morality to display and share the life of a true Christian. The Danish people praised Beowulf immensely for his extraordinary feat against Gredel. Those souls touched by my grandmother showed their honor by waiting in a line of 1,500 teary-eyed equals to view what was once her soul's earthly home.
“The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.” -Thucydides
Beowulf's finest hour occurs not when he's fighting Grendel, but, I believe, when he arrives on the shore of the Kingdom. Beowulf arrives gallant, armor shimmering in the sun with his fourteen men. Such a force arriving by boat must have been quite an intimidating sight for the boarder patrol. Thinking that these invaders must have been a threat, and yet the greeting he received from the strangers was not a spear through the head, but one of peace and of aid.
I believe that Beowulf's finest hour is when he is on his way back from slaying Grendel's mother. All thought that he was a goner, and had given up on him. He enters the king's presense and everyone is amazed and in wonder. The awe from them would have been emense. (spelling... maybe...) But the return from the grave, as it seemed, would of only further proven how great Beowulf's might was.
I also believe hoss's comparison of Batman to Beowulf is a very good point. His conflicts with many villans can be compared, somewhat to the battles Beowulf combats in. Except I don't think Batman has ripped off any arms...
And Trent, i'm not saying that you aren't right, and that your comparison isn't good, but the thing about police officers being in great physical shape.... well... just think about that one for a bit.
I would like to nominate Mr. Incredible as a hero of the epic type like Beowulf. Mr. Incredible possesses many similar qualities of Beowulf including super-human strength. Although the battles are different, Mr. Incredible dismantles one of the robots in a similar manner to Beowulf tearing off Grendel's arm. He also is protecting something of value to him, his family. Beowulf on the other hand is protecting the Danes whom he is not related to through blood. The stories however possess more similarities. After Mr. Incredible kills the first robot, he faces another similar but stronger and better robot which he handles.
I agree with Austin that Batman is a stud super hero but I am not sure who would win in a fight between him and Mr. Incredible. Batman has sweet gadgets but super strength is well super. It'd be a good matchup but I believe super powers trump intelligently developed technology. However neither super hero is known for killing his enemies rather beating them up and apprehending them. Great fight I could see this one on DirecTV.
I forgot to mention that I think that Mr. Incredible is just as heroic as Beowulf. He saved his family from danger which is pretty INCREDIBLE... no pun intended. On the other hand though he saved them from what an evil kid who didn't like him for telling him to go home? Beowulf saved those people from a bloodthirsty creature from Hell who was eating people in their sleep. Tough comparison but I'd say close to equal in different senses.
Throughout the history, inventive minds have created many fictional characters such as Beowulf. For my nomination of an epic hero I am not going to pick an image of imagination, I will be analyzing a true epic hero. My nomination is a hero defined as a character that prevails in extreme circumstances and dramatizes a sense of morality, courage and purpose. Though they may be ambiguous or flawed, they often sacrifice themselves to show humanity at its best (Time Magazine). My nomination for an epic heroine of the modern world is the great Oprah Winfrey.
Born to a poor, single mother, Oprah Winfrey was on a quest to change the world and to make a difference it the life of many individuals. After being raped at the age of nine, Winfrey would also lose her child. This is not how most Americans know of Oprah though. We know the strong African American who has been on daily television and makes a difference one episode at a time. Whether her show deals with a tough issue or simply interviewing an entertainer, a viewer is guaranteed a story that will relate somehow to their life and create a change of heart.
Making strides through troubled times of rape and law suits Winfrey continues to live life with a purpose. Her mission as an African American woman in the time of white males, Winfrey rose from radio to the most popular day time hosts in television. Guests on the show are known to become popular and the best in the fields they are involved with. Dr. Phil McGraw is a prime example of Winfrey’s impact on people and the way she changes the people involved with her life.
While Oprah Winfrey has never killed a man with her own bare hands, she is more heroic than Beowulf. Fictional characters have special abilities and change villages and little towns, but it is very unusual for one be a normal person and impact the entire world. Winfrey name is known worldwide and many can thank her for the generous contributions she has brought to the world. Beowulf killed monsters, but did he ever have an emotional impact on any people? Winfrey is the obvious better heroine for being able to be more courageous, having correct and stable morals, and having a purpose that has affected an entire society.
Chaz and Derek both make great points about their nominations for heroes. Every individual sees characteristics of a hero differently and each brings out points that make their hero an epic hero. While one reaches out really far to make an individual sound like a hero, they both have great arguments of why normal people are heroes. Which hero would win in the Presidential election of 2008? Obviously the perfect combination would be Oprah Winfrey with running mate Miss Stump. As The Awakening made obvious maybe women should be independent and have leadership. Hopefully as President and Vice President they would not turn into female Bill Clintons or end their lives like the strange Edna. Whether or not everyone agrees on heroes, everyone has their own opinion on whether a person is a hero or a villain.
A hero or heroine is often someone to be admired and adored. However, a hero or heroine is also someone who takes a stand for what is right and attains freedom for those who deserve it. In comparison to the mighty, gallant Beowulf I propose the bold, colorful Tracy Turnblatt of the musical Hairspray. She is different from those around her because of her personality and fashion, just as Beowulf becomes a spectacle because of his sparkling armor and courage. Tracy challenges society when she fights to be a part of the "Nicest Kids in Town". She has talent and she is not afraid of her own pride. She battles the stick figure, tintype, and blonde Amber for the love of Link Larkin. And eventually, she becomes the only girl for him. Later in the movie she becomes an active member in the civil rights movement, disobeying her own mother’s wishes and the law for the rights of her friends. This level of moral standing is hardly accomplished by regular people in their day to day activities. Beowulf demonstrated his strength and courage in the same way Tracy demonstrated bravery and spirit. They are comparable in many ways; although, Tracy will always have the coolest hair and the biggest heart.
I knew the late Mrs. Miller and I can most whole heartedly agree with Tori that her grandmother is and was one of the greatest heroes to me. Often our loved ones pose as role models for us to study and adore. My own Aunt Judy Pede is one such lady. Therefore, I can empathize with such a profound statement.
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