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Essay / Heroes of the Past: Beowulf and King Arthur
Table of ContentsHeroesQuestThe Role of Women in TextsThe Role of the Supernatural in TextsModern Film: BeowulfConclusionWorks CitedHeroic stories are essential in world literature, reflecting the daily lives of individuals. Such stories follow a particular structure to reveal a character's journey to success. Some stories depict heroic figures from the past, including Beowulf and King Arthur. Heroes face many challenges, but ultimately, they emerge strong and earn respect. However, the research paper includes a discussion of heroes, the monomyth formula and the role of women in the selected texts. The role of supernatural phenomena and modern films. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayHeroA hero is an individual who gives his life to something greater than himself according to Cambell's definition. To become a hero, the first step is to have a call to adventure or a strong desire, and even if at first someone is afraid and may refuse the request, the person overcomes the fear, crosses the threshold and becomes embarks on the journey (Campbell 2004). However, as they continue their adventurous journey, they face several trials, meet friends and enemies, prepare for trials and difficulties. Sometimes they can face a bigger fear, and after such an ordeal, one becomes a hero. In Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, is a hero who fights the monster Gredel, the fire-breathing dragon and Gredel's mother. Thus, his travels and encounters reveal him as the strongest warrior due to his unique abilities. Additionally, he becomes an effective leader even in old age. During his youth, Beowulf was a great warrior with courage and strength, as shown in the swimming match against Breca (Liuzza 2000). The Germanic Hero Code states that a hero must have certain values such as loyalty, pride, and courtesy. He is unable to rule as king for many years, but eventually, he ascends the throne. Beowulf appears to be doing something to improve people's livelihoods by completing challenges to defeat the vicious monsters Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. In Higham, NJ King Arthur: Making of a legend, King Arthur is a hero who saved the British. of the Saxons and became king around 500 AD. Celtic mythology depicts King Arthur as a great king claimed by groups such as Scotland, Brittany, Wales and Cornwall. There is also a theory that depicts him as a Roman soldier with high mythic power, being the central figure of the legends, although there is a lack of convincing evidence. English authors and audiences claimed Arthur as their hero, with the romance coming from French culture. Arthur is typical in various romantic works in cinema and theater. Arthur can be seen as indulgent in various romances, although Lancelot, his most loyal knight, betrayed him by having an affair with his wife, Queen Geneverie. However, he is also a model for modern behavior, such as in Britain, where his ideas were used to represent medieval chivalry. QuestCambell argues that every story has a particular structure with a beginning, middle and end. The opening introduces the hero and the story behind his progress. The next step is to introduce a conflict that causes problems for the heroine, which she must overcome and emerge victorious (Cambell 2004). However, mythical sagas are made up of a single story,the monomyth relating the hero's journey, which has three main parts. The parts include departure, initiation and return, although each of these has its subsections. The hero behaves in a supernatural manner and encounters several challenges that he continues to overcome. The hero routine features various repeated critical individuals such as the hero, mentors, villains, and a goddess. Additionally, there are magic potions, wizards, thieves and crooks. In addition, there is the struggle of good and evil or light and darkness. The story of Beowulf is presented in the form of an epic poem involving a terrifying demon named Gredel and his defeat by Beowulf. Beowulf follows the parts identified by Cambell which include departure, initiation and return, each with its subsections. For example, Beowulf's separation is the call to his adventures. He leaves his home and the call to venture leads him to dark places where he experiences terrible incidents. The structure has three main parts which include Beowulf's final fight with Grendel, the fight with Grendel's mother, and the fight against the dragon. The story follows the six elements of an epic, which are the hero's plot, actions of superhuman strength, a vast setting involving a supernatural and sustained uplifting style, and an omniscient poet. In the poem, Beowulf is an incredible hero with supernatural power and courage. Beowulf's journey across sea and land as he goes to Gredel represents the vast setting of the poem. The supernatural being is Gredel, who is a demon while throughout the story the author is objective and omniscient. In King Arthur, the story also follows Cambell's structure in telling the heroic story of King Arthur. The story begins with exposition, followed by conflict and rising action. In this stage, Arthur draws a sword from a rock, which reveals him as a hero and the king of England. Conflict is also apparent in this story. Arthur faces several battles as he attempts to protect his throne and use Merlin's magic. He beats all his atrocities. At the Round Table, King Arthur marries the beautiful Guinevere and Sir Lancelot becomes Guinevere's mightiest champion. The return is depicted when Arthur claims the throne for himself while Mildred and Morgana have a plan to strike. Mordred proves the existence of an affair with Lancelot, and Guinevere is heartbroken as a result. This is the resolution, and at this point Guinevere is sentenced to death before being saved by Lancelot. Eventually, Modred and Arthur end up in a vicious cycle, but later, Arthur succeeds in killing him. Arthur suffers a mortal wound and clings to life. Morgana reappears with the desire to heal Arthur in the Mist. However, based on the analysis, Arthur's story follows Cambell in textual analysis. Therefore, the story follows a similar structure to Cambell's in bringing out the nature of the hero in the narrative. At the end of the story, Arthur is a hero. Although he could also be a villain since he suffered fatal injuries. The Role of Women in Beowulf Texts is an epic, and in the poem, women play different roles due to their unique characteristics. In the poem, women are described as reliable and play certain roles in society. Wealhtheow and Hygd are lovable, but other women, like Gredel's mother, are monstrous. However, the women who represent the 7th century Angelo-Saxon culture, which represent women as peaceful and assertive. Women were the property of men and played the role of weavers of peace by marrying them into warring tribes. For example, they fulfilled the role of passing the cup from one warrior to another during ceremonies. Wealthis “royal” and “dignified”. She is a respectable woman because of her courtesy, she represents the voice of women in this society. Women also provided entertainment by helping to organize celebrations and parties in the halls. However, some women were disastrous, like the two villains in the poem. For example, Gredel's mother was mean and unhospitable. She uses violence to solve problems and cannot welcome people into her halls. They use weapons and physical violence instead of diplomacy and polite language. Modthryth is a rather manipulative and evil queen, capable of killing anyone who comes into her hall. Although women in this region are under the orders of their men, they play certain roles in society. Some are good, while others are purely evil and can harm other members of the community. In King Arthur, women play a major role and have a significant influence on many of the events that occur. For example, the love of Lancelot and Guinevere reveals the definition of women in relation to their men. Some women are loyal, while others exhibit unacceptable behavior. For example, Morgan le Fay is a queen who tempts Lancelot, leading to conflict with Guinevere. Queen Guinevere helps build suspense and develop the plot as she enters the world of men, a rare trait among other women. Some ladies also accompany the queen to keep the knights in good company. However, women have no legitimate power simply because they are figures who can be sidelined due to male domination of society. The women suffer humiliation as we see at the round table since the bond between the knights leaves no room for Guinevere. She becomes essential in the absence of the knights, her role is to keep them company if necessary. Queen Guinevere is the only one who never fully conforms to society's expectations. For example, she rejects Modred's desire to inherit her as queen. The role of the supernatural in the texts The Arthurian Legends use supernatural phenomena in the development of themes and plot. Some examples include the use of magic and other scary beasts. The supernatural contributes to the main themes of the story, such as heroism, revenge, and human nature. Merlin and Griffin are some of the examples of supernatural beings used in the text. The creatures make it easier to enrich the story and force people to use their imagination to interpret the message. Magical events created by witchcraft and sorcery are common in Arthurian legends. Queen Morgause practices black magic, while Merlin dabbles in white magic. Merlin predicts difficult circumstances that King Arthur will have to endure in the future. He also transforms Arthur into different creatures, including fish, birds and ants, which builds suspense. History cannot be engaging without magic since certain individuals like the Lady of the Lake, Morgan Le Fay and Merlin play an important role in the development of the legend of the great King Arthur. Arthur was protected in battles with magical protection against various characters such as witches. For example, King Arthur was given items such as the magic sword/Excalibur. The sword increased his stamina and courage to attack his enemies, including his son. He was always determined to achieve his goals and never feared being fatally injured. Attacking monsters caused him to use magical powers since the supernatural beings were quite powerful. In Beowulf, supernatural powers., 2007.