Homework Question on Beowulf
- Write a 1500 word essay on Beowulf as the definitive Scandinavian hero.
- Discuss his journey and compare it to Campbell’s chart of the Hero’s Journey.
- Is Beowulf the typical hero?
- What role does culture play in the determination of how a hero is characterized?
Homework Answer on Beowulf
Beowulf is a classic story of a hero named Beowulf, who was a dragon slayer, which delineates his epic struggle against the sinister monsters (Swanton 1). It is concerned with legends but scholars have failed to determine or differentiate the fictional elements from the real historical events in the story. Beowulf is the protagonist and the title of the story and the setting of this story is the Scandinavia region. One of the most significant aspects of this story is the heroic events and acts documented in the story.
This paves way to the question of who is a hero and what role does the culture play in characterizing a hero. A hero is defined as an individual or a character that retaliates with bravery and self-sacrifice in an event of an eminent danger. John Campbell asserts that a hero indulges into a supernatural world from the common day world where he or she encounters some adventures and emerges with a victory; eventually, he or she goes back to bestow acquired power to fellow men (3).
As a result, Campbell invented a chart of hero’s journey that categorizes the stages in which a hero undergoes during his/her adventures. In light of this, Beowulf displays some characteristics that will be defined through Campbell’s chart in determining whether he was a hero. Additionally, the paper highlights how the community or the society frames a heroic event and how it defines a hero; this will be integral in identifying whether Beowulf was a hero in accordance to the modern world.