Literary Essay Example on the Favorite Character

There are various definitions of a hero which depend on what the hero does and the beliefs of a society. The construction of 'the heroic' takes many forms but there are major traits that define a hero. Heroes are characterized by courage, honor, and loyalty. A hero can also be defined as someone who remains constant to their noble values when put in any situation they come across. The story of Beowulf is a perfect example of what society views as a hero. Despite the fact the story was written in Anglo-Saxon times, it represents the qualities of a hero that are defined by the modern society. According to Anglo-Saxons, a hero was intelligent and dignified and would fight to the death in the process of protecting their people. My favorite character is Beowulf who is depicted as caring, noble, understanding and compassionate-these are some of the modern values of a hero. However, his heroic values as portrayed by the current society are depicted more in the movie as compared to the book. According to the Anglo-Saxons, a hero must be honorable and the character hugely portrays this trait in the book. They believed that a hero should be a role model to others by earning the honor from the members of the society. Beowulf constantly shows that he is honorable by showing much respect for both Danes and Grendel.

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Beowulf has a thirst for power and he is very ready to do anything to achieve his objectives. He has similar characters to those written by the ancient Greeks that portrayed the foibles of excessive pride of a man. The actions of Beowulf are vested in the prophecies of the three witches and with the persuasion of his wife, he makes the decision that would eventually shape his fate. The prophesy of the third witch, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter" ignites Beowulf's fire of power and greed. From his actions, it seems that he believed in the prophecy since he almost made it come true. He was fully aware of the prophecy that Banquo's children would become kings in the future and he strategizes on how to eliminate that possibility. His actions are fueled by the fact that his wife is more driven and greedy for his prophesized achievement. His slow descent into what could be described as madness is attributed to his desire for wealth and power. His quest for power is also characterized by moments of indecision and reluctance, which makes it plausible that he may be distracted somewhere. However, these flaws did not manifest in his desire to become a hero. He becomes more empowered and focused when he ironically stated that, "Fail not our feast" but he gets subdued by his insecurity of failing to keep the throne for future generation. Beowulf was heavily affected by the power and greed forces that the witches prophesized.

Literature plays a fundamental role in reflecting the society by telling a story that is set in the past. Form the past stories, the society is educated and learn from the mistakes or events that happened, hence improving its cooperation and collaboration as a community. The literature discussed reflects on society and it shows how many people currently desire power and wealth and how they go to a great length to achieve it. Everyone wants to be successful in society and this is what drives people to excel. However, in relation to Macbeth's case, some people go too far in their efforts and they fail because of proper decision making and excessive pride.