I. Royalty in Lineage
a. Beowulf
i. “My father was a famous soldier, known far and wide as a leader of men. His name was Edgetho.” P. 31, 261-263
b. Jesus
i. “He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And He will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:32-33
ii. “…the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham…” Matthew 1:1
II. Got power and strength from God
a. Beowulf
i. “He’d have traveled to the bottom of the earth, Edgetho’s son, and died there, if that shining woven metal had not helped – and Holy God, who sent him victory, gave judgment for truth and right, Ruler of the Heavens, once Beowulf was back on his feet and fighting.” p. 72 1551-1556
b. Jesus
i. He was God’s son.
III. Supernatural abilities
a. Beowulf
i. “He leaped in to the lake, would not wait for anyone’s answer; the heaving water covered him over, for hours he sank through the waves; at last he saw the mud of the bottom.” P. 70, 1493-1496
b. Jesus
i. Healed lame, mute, deaf, blind
ii. “And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.” Mark 8:22-25
The Essay on Milton's Paradise Lost And His Justification Of The Ways Of God To Man
When John Milton decided to write, he knew from the start he wanted his creation to be that of an epic. Paradise Lost is just that. It is Milton’s own take on the biblical story of Satan’s fall from grace as well as man’s fall. Milton was not only armed with an extensive knowledge on the Bible, but in everything a man of his time could learn. With his wisdom he emersed himself ...
IV. Jealousy
a. Beowulf
i. Unferth pointed out all of Beowulf’s “flaws” and tries to tear him down because of his jealousy. Unferth is “vexed by Beowulf’s adventure.” P. 39, 501
b. Jesus
i. Pharisees were jealous of his followers and fame
ii. Jesus also taught in the Gospels, speaking harshly against the Pharisaic Law. The Pharisees were obsessed with man-made, whereas Jesus is more concerned with God’s love; the Pharisees scorn sinners whereas Jesus seeks them out.
V. Both fought against evil
a. Beowulf
i. Fought Grendel p. 48-51
ii. Fought Grendel’s mom p. 70-74
iii. Fought the dragon p. 106-108
b. Jesus
VI. Followers boasted about them
a. Beowulf
i. “Telling their sorrow, telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name.” p. 121, 3171-3174
ii. “And so Beowulf’s followers rode, mourning their beloved leader, crying that no better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” P. 121, 3178-3182
b. Jesus
VII. Knew they were going to die
a. Beowulf
i. “I’ve never known fear; as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.” P. 101, 2511-2515
b. Jesus
i. “The Son of Man must suffer for many terrible things” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. HE will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Luke 9:22
ii. “Jesus came and told his disciple, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
The Essay on Beowulf Epic Hero Courageous Man
What Makes an Epic Hero In your opinion, what characteristics makes an epic hero in a story Is it someone who can defeat many enemies Or is it someone of great nobility In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf is the obvious hero in this story. What makes him so great is his fear nothing attitude, as well as his nobility and leadership. He has many loyal men that would die for him, because he gives them ...
VIII. Betrayed by their followers
a. Beowulf
i. “None of his comrades came to him, helped him, his brave and noble followers; they ran fro their lives, fled deep in a wood.” P. 103, 2596-2599
b. Jesus
i. “At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going to leave?” John 6:66
IX. One person/follower stayed loyal
a. Beowulf
i. “And only one of them remained, stood there, miserable, remembering, as a good man must, what kinship should mean. His name was Wiglaf…” p. 103-104, 2559-2602
b. Jesus
i. “Simon Peter replied, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe and we know you are the Holy One of God.’” John 6:68-69
X. Gave up their lives for their people
a. Beowulf
i. “.. Have lost the best of kings, Beowulf- he who held our enemies away, kept land and treasure intact, who saved Hrothgar and the Danes – he who lived all his long life bravely.” P. 116, 3003-3007
b. Jesus
i. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in him will not die, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
ii. “And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many.” Mark 14:24
XI. Had 12 followers praising them after they died
a. Beowulf
i. “And then twelve of the bravest Geats rode their horses around the tower…” p. 121, 3169-3170
b. Jesus
XII. Both left a legacy
a. Beowulf
i. “As his fame, when Beowulf himself walked the earth and no man living could match him.” P. 119, 3099-3100
b. Jesus
i. Jesus’ fate was to leave a legacy. God planned everything that he was meant to do. He died over 2000 years ago and people still have faith in him to this day.
