Beowulf (1) Beowulf behavioral traits represent him as an embodiment of traditional virtues of courage, strength and the sense of duty. In early medieval times, it was necessary for the authority figure to posses these qualities, in order to enjoy peoples respect. This is why Beowulf always acts in straightforward manner. He is well aware that in his realm only the action matters, this is why he seem to always act without giving much thought to the possible consequences of his actions. At the same time, we cannot describe Beowulfs behavior as being driven by emotional motives alone, because he is never wrong, when it comes to dealing with a problem. Beowulf might appear as quite ignorant person, at the beginning of poem, when he brags about his strength. However, as plot unravels, it becomes clear to us that Beowulf does stand by his words.
Beowulf is committed to serving the idea of greater good, which he views as well-being of his fellow citizens. Serving his country allows Beowulf to find his true calling, because it enables him to realize his hidden potential. At first, Beowulf is shown as a young man who simply likes combat. He is endowed with extraordinary strength, which allows him to defeat his enemies without having to apply too much of an effort. However, as times goes by, Beowulf grows into a wise leader, who would rather use diplomacy instead of naked force, when it comes to solving a problem. Nevertheless, Beowulfs acute sense of duty and his love to his country do not leave him any choice, except for challenging Dragon to a mortal combat.
The Essay on Beowulf Strength In Victories
In Beowulf Strength in Victories In the epic poem Beowulf, strength is clearly expressed in Beowulf? s victories. ? [Grendal] was instantly seized himself, claws bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm? (Beowulf 323-4). His strength alone could fight off a murderous monster with out the help of any weapons. Beowulf? s enemies knew that he was like no other they had ever fought. His strength was ...
Beowulf knows that his chances are slim, but he does not back down: I ventured many battles in my youth; now, old, I will seek another, try again for glorious deeds, if that avenger will come out In Beowulf, dragon represents ancient evil, as it is always the case with serpent-like creatures in early Western literature. At the same time, he is sublimation of a challenge or obstacle, which Beowulf needs to overcome. Dragon, just like Grendal before him, is driven exclusively by irrational impulse seeking revenge. This prevents him from planning his course of action in most effective way, which is becoming a reason for his ultimate demise. We can say that dragon is highly allegorical figure in the poem. He represents force, but the essence of this force is irrational.
Thus, the fight with dragon is unavoidable for Beowulf, because Dragon is something absolutely alien to European mentality. Even in old age, Beowulf is shown as being quite capable of bringing the Dragon down, because his mind is not clouded with hate. This is why Dragon does not kill Beowulf in fair combat. Beowulf dies from Dragons venom, which symbolizes both authors belief in eventual triumph of good over evil and his awareness of dark forces fighting techniques. (2) The fight between Beowulf and Dragon is metaphysical in its essence. Anonymous author does not simply give us a tale of struggle between good and evil, but he also explains the essential properties of these two notions. He shows that such Beowulfs traits as his taste for adventure, his willingness to sacrifice for the sake of higher good and his sense of duty cannot only be thought of as something that makes main character more appealing.
These psychological qualities actually define Europeans as creators of civilization. Their high idealism enabled them to operate with abstract concepts, which in its turn, provided conditions for development of art and science. Thus, we can talk about relationship between Beowulf and Dragon as something predetermined. By killing a Dragon, Beowulf kills psychological qualities that he represents within himself. It was crucial for Beowulf to fight a Dragon, because it cleansed him, in spiritual sense of this word. Even though Beowulf dies as a resulted of being poisoned by Dragons venom, his soul is purified.
The Essay on Fight Club Character Analysis
Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik follows the crazy, madcap life of a man who attempts to escape the system that is life by creating mayhem in the world. The main character, the narrator, throughout the book, remains nameless. He is Mr Ordinary Joe, he goes to work, he does his job, he comes home, and he spends his money. His job as an auto-recall supervisor is eventless and is one of the main reasons ...
Beowulf is different from the Dragon in every respect. First of all, Beowulf is a social being, while dragon is a loner. Beowulf fights to protect his compatriots, while Dragon only strives to satisfy his animalistic urges, such as bringing vengeance upon people of Gaetland. Dragon strikes at night and tries to avoid open confrontation with armed warriors. Beowulf decides to fight Dragon alone. He tells his friends that this is because only he has enough strength to do it. However, we do understand that Beowulf simply tries to protect his knights and is willing to sacrifice his life for their sake.
He is old and disadvantaged by the fact that he has to fight Dragon on his ground alone. Still, despite the impossible odds, Beowulf does not walk away from the fight: His spirit did not fail, nor his heirloom: that the dragon discovered when they met in battle There is no doubt that Beowulf is a heroic figure. He consciously chooses in favor of taking active stance in life. Beowulf always does what needs to be done, instead of being a puppet of his own emotions. Dragon, on the other hand, is more tragic then a heroic character. He is unable to contemplate the consequences of his act; therefore, even though that he fights Beowulf, there is nothing heroic about it, because he does not understand dangers associated with the fight. Dragon can feel pain; he can suffer from misunderstanding and from his unsatisfied vindictiveness.
However, essentially he is an animal. Therefore, we cannot seriously suggest that because Dragon and Beowulf fight each other with the same valor, it makes them equally heroic characters.
Bibliography:
Rosenberg, Donna World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994. Abstract: This paper discusses characters of Beowulf and Dragon from epic poem Beowulf. Outline: Part one. Pp.
1-2 Part two. Pp. 2-3.
