Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Art Michealangelo Michealangelo Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero. When he was young, Beowulf was a great warrior, characterized mainly of strength and courage, including his swimming match against Breca. He also perfectly embodies values dictated by the Germanic heroic code, including loyalty, courtesy, and pride. Traditional and much respected, this code is vital to warrior societies as a means of understanding their relationships to the world. All of the characters' moral judgments are based upon the code's values. Thus individual actions can be seen only as either obeying or violating the code. As a warrior Beowulf displays strength, courage, and loyalty. And as a king he displays hospitality, generosity, and political skill. His defeat of Grendel and Grendel's mother validates his reputation for bravery and establishes him fully as a hero. An important transitional moment for Beowulf was Hygelac's death. Instead of rushing for the throne himself, as Hrothulf did in Denmark, he supports Hygelac's son, the rightful heir. With this gesture of loyalty and respect for the throne, he proves himself worthy of kingship In the final episode—the encounter with the dragon—the poet reflects further on how the responsibilities of a king, who must act for the good of the people and not just for his own glory, differ from those of a heroic warrior. Although he is deservedly celebrated as a great hero and leader, his last fight is also somewhat rash. The poem suggests that, by sacrificing himself, Beowulf unnecessarily leaves his people without a king, exposing them to danger from other tribes and dangers. The conflict with the dragon has an aura of inevitability about it. Rather than a conscious choice, the battle can also be interpreted as a matter in which Beowulf has very little choice or free will at all. Additionally, it is hard to blame him for acting according to the virtues of his warrior culture. Throughout this poem of a courageous hero and loyal king, based mainly on the Germanic code, Beowulf was portrayed as a perfect hero and Kingman. He displayed most all of the values based on the Germanic heroic code He displayed more bravery and strength in his youth with the absence of hospitality and generosity but later makes up for it as a king. A hero is one that is completely willing to risk his life for someone else. Contributing to this ability he must have strength, bravery, and brutality. Bibliography: Word Count: 403
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