Heorot

Since biblical times, the concept of heroism has consistently been male-dominated; however, just recently, female heroism has begun its progression into stories and real-life. The characteristics of a hero within stories have been centered around courage, honesty, perseverance, attractiveness, and above all, strength. Due to strength being a common attribute of a hero, it is understandable that a man would be chosen as the hero for fairytales or action stories. Masculinity exudes strength and…

One of the oldest surviving poems in Old English, Beowulf is considered to be a brilliant piece of Anglo-Saxon literature that truly embodies the journeys of an epic hero. The protagonist, Beowulf, went through three distinct challenges as an epic hero, with each one being more difficult than the one before. Throughout his journey, themes of religion and identity along with good versus evil are revealed in order to show the ultimate morality and strength of will power in a man. The topic of…

The Samurai is a very formidable warrior in Japan, wielding many weapons including the Naginata, Katana, bow and arrow and spear. Samurai means one who serves. Unwavering loyalty is expected from these warriors who only practice martial arts. Whether it be to their Daimyo, lord or Emperor they were expected to put their life down before the enemy was able to reach their leader. Honor is one of the biggest and most important of Samurai beliefs. It is more commonly referred to as Bushido. Without…

Connection “Outside, nothing but rain and darkness”. Percy, his Mom and, Grover were taking a drive up to a cabin when suddenly it started pouring rain and thunderstruck the whole area around them. I chose to connect to part of the book and quote because a few years ago I was at my grandma’s house for a family event and a tornado struck. I was swimming in the pool when suddenly the sky turned black, the thunder started roaring, and, hail started falling. It was such a scary moment for me and…

After defeating Grendel, the vicious monster that was terrorizing the Danes, Beowulf was rewarded with fame, glory, and treasure. Amidst the celebration, the point of view is flashed back to another time when Siegmund, a great warrior who killed the treasure-rich dragon, foundered as a result of his vanity and pride. In this passage, Siegmund and Beowulf are being juxtaposed because of their similar triumphs and because they both earned many gifts for their feats. However, through a reassured…

Attack of the Mammoth Response The hero in this story is the boy, even though the boy is not the main character in the story he still exhibits the traits of the hero. He fights for good by killing the mammoth and he has otherworldly help in the form of his magical arrows and trousers. He also exhibits humility, in the story he doesn’t speak one word about how he had these magical powers, there was no mention of his capabilities and was purposely avoided by the rest of the villagers, and yet when…

Rikki-tikki-tavi was a smart mongoose in the short story “Rikki-tikki-tavi” written by Rudyard Kipling. When Rikki-tikki-tavi washed up in garden, a family took him in and he found himself defending the garden and the family, from two ruthless snakes. He became to be the savoir of the garden that all animals trusted, through the story he proved to be brave, agile, and heroic. First, Rikki-tikki showed to be brave when he waited out nag in the bathroom so he would only need to know that he…

The Last Kingdom, by Bernard Cornwell, is a historical fiction novel about a young man’s journey into adulthood. Beginning with the rather sudden death of his older brother, newly named Uhtred is forced to become the new heir of Bebbanberg and is taken to learn to fight the Danes. After he is captured and his father murdered by his captor, he is instructed by the Danes in the art of warfare and learns to lead his fellow warriors into battle. By the time he returns to the Saxons after Ragnar’s…

The Three Devices The use of literary devices is in every literature that is written. Authors always tend to put these term to great use and the terms will always emphasize their writing. In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are three main literary terms that help people understand the poem better; the three devices are theme, symbolism, and conflict. The first device that is used is theme. Theme is usually a moral or a lesson that is given in any literature writing. Authors use theme to show and…

and hopefully better able to face the challenges of the adventure. A critical attribute that the mentor often gives is confidence. Clemenza shows great confidence that Michael can perform the job and reassures him that all will go well. Although Clemenza plays the mentor in this earlier part of the film, Vito is the one giving Michael advice later on, after recovering from his assassination attempt. After the hero receives the supernatural aid, he is ready to continue on his journey. Stage 4,…