Mulan is a young female from China who has no real status in her society. She is restricted in what she can or cant do and how she should and shouldn’t act. She tries to be what society wants a young women like her to be but she struggles with being that image because it requires her to be something she is not. While Mulan tries to be this young women the society accepts, she horribly fails and brings dishonor to her family. Mulan’s father is called to fight in war but he is old and crippled. Mulan is worried about her father going to fight so she decides to go for him instead. Mulan’s motivation for going to war and continuing on even when things get tough for her is the worry and love she feels for her father as well as to bring honor to her family name.
Beowulf, on the contrary, is an adult male from Geatland. He boasts about himself and seems to seek attention from anyone and everyone. He is a war hero, well respected and highly looked upon in his society because of all of his accomplishments. Beowulf’s motivation for his journey to Denmark and the battles he faces is his ego, pride and he wants uphold a promise his father made to the king of Denmark. Beowulf and his troops set off for Denmark to aid the king and help protect the people because they herd that there was a great monster terrorizing the kingdom. Beowulfs ultimate plan is to find and kill the monster as well as to be able to boast about another accomplishment. Though it is very clear how different Mulans motivation to fight and her status and role in life is from Beowulfs, they are both very brave and successful in battle.
It is under exaggerated how brave both Mulan and Beowuf were. Mulan dressed as a man and trained to fight for war, this was very dangerous because women were not aloud to join the army and if she was caught she could have been sentenced to death. She fought well when the time actually came in war and she never gave up when things became hard for her. Mulan put herself at a huge risk all for her father and to bring honor to her family name. I believe that not only shows her bravery but clearly makes her a hero.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
While Beowulf and Disney’s The Incredibles’ main character, Mr. Incredible, live in different time periods, they both exhibit characteristics worthy of a hero. Mr. Incredible is a 21st century hero who uses his innate abilities to fight crime. In addition to protecting the community, Mr. Incredible balances his duties with being a strong father figure to his family. Further down the time line of history, Beowulf is an 8th century hero who, despite being single, possesses many qualities reminiscent of a modern day hero. Even though both characters display many similar qualities, their differences play a large role in forming their character.…
- 748 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Beowulf, in the reader’s perspective is a very strong and noble man. As the poem says, “Nor have I seen a mightier man-at-arms on this earth than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken, he is truly noble. There is mere hanger-on in a hero’s armour.” (244-251). He is noble because he knows his possible consequence of fighting but does not fear death. Beowulf…
- 464 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
“The Ballad of Mulan” comes from the fifth or sixth century. It was written in a time when China was divided between the north and the south (Hamby). If Mulan actually existed, she would have lived during the Northern Wei dynasty. She joined the army and prepared to…
- 776 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Beowulf has many heroic characteristics. When Beowulf went to the Land Of Danes, he went to kill Grendel. He didn't do it for the fame or the power. He wanted to kill him to help the Geats. He felt as if it was right, he says “They had in remembrance my courage and might. Many had seen me come safe from the conflict.” He never expected anything from anybody after anything he would do.…
- 324 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
An epic hero is somebody who has superhuman qualities, who shows the values of his society, and who is bigger and larger in life. Beowulf is a true example of an epic hero; his whole journey is about him crossing a large body of water and comes across many challenges along his way. During his journey, he shows off so many of his superhuman qualities that he had. There are also a lot of examples of how Beowulf embodies the value of his society, he is larger than life and shows his superhuman strength by battling Grendel. Beowulf paints a picture of the three important morals of its time: being a leader, bravery, and honor.…
- 564 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Another difference it what these heroes go through to achieve such strength and knowledge in battle. Soldiers go through series of bootcamps and training to learn what to do in battle, and achieve great skill out in the war. Beowulf on the other hand, doesn’t train for his skill. Beowulf fought Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the Dragon without any training whatsoever.…
- 349 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Epic heroes possess many traits that other characters lack. Among these are physical strength, bravery, and wisdom. These attributes aid the heroes with their journeys throughout the epic. Beowulf exemplifies each of these traits somewhere is the story. They aid him in his battles with monsters and allow him to be a leader to his people. These traits cause Beowulf to stand out among his peers and endear him to the reader. Beowulf is definitely a perfect example of an epic hero. Beowulf's physical strength, bravery, and wisdom characterize him as an epic hero.…
- 771 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Beowulf was an epic hero. His story was passed down and remembered generation to generation. He fought to protect his people and what he beloved in. he was a wise man who had defeated a lot of evil monsters. Just like any great hero, rewards come with fame and fortune. Beowulf was epic because of all the great things he had accomplished.…
- 678 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
As you can see both Hercules and Beowulf are two great heroes that are very protective over the people. They are so powerful they can kill magnificent creatures with just their bare hand or a sword. To are both two of the greatest heroes known to literature…
- 308 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Most people define a hero as a person who has superior or superhuman strength. Beowulf is “the strongest of the Geats- greater / And stronger” than anyone else in the world (lines 110-111). Saying this shows that if Beowulf cannot defeat Grendel then nobody else can. Beowulf shows how intelligent he is in lines 134-137 when “Beowulf arose with his men / Around him ordering a few to remain / With their weapons”. Beowulf is smart enough to realize that if nobody stays with the weapons somebody will steal them, and they will be left unarmed when a war breaks out. To be considered courageous, a person must face something that would frighten most. Beowulf does just that on numerous occasions in Beowulf. Beowulf faces and conquers Grendel in lines 515-517 “The victory, for the proof, hanging high / From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monsters / Arm, claw and shoulder and all”. The mighty water witch, Grendel’s mother, becomes troubled with the loss of her son and wants revenge on Herot. When she attacks Herot, Beowulf takes action and conquers her in lines 643-645 “Her body fell / To the floor, lifeless, the sword was wet / With her blood, and Beowulf rejoiced at the sight”. Some heroes use special powers, or costumes to help them win the fights against the bad guys. However, Beowulf believes in being ethical. He does not want to be…
- 1031 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Part A- Beowulf like all epic hero’s is strong loyal and brave. These characteristic are what define Beowulf, and instill fear is his enemies. He boasts about “(driving) / five great giants into chains” (248-249) and “In the blackness of night, hunting monsters” (251). Beowulf protects his followers and king, and is proud of his accomplishments. He strives for greatness, his words are arrogant but his actions shine through his overbearing pride and give him the capability to be heroic. (Part B) Beowulf is an epic hero; he takes great pride in his actions, unlike Grendel who feels jealous of humans which causes him to be spiteful towards them: “ Grendel snatched at the first Geat / He came to (and) Ripped him apart” (313-314). Grendel’s pride lays in the fear he instills on humans, without pride Grendel would be a monster with no motive to kill. Furthermore, Beowulf’s pride stems…
- 379 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
In Anglo-Saxon society, scops utilized stories to preserve historical events and important figures. As a result, the ultimate goal of Anglo-Saxons was to perform an act so meaningful they would be immortalized in a scop's words for eternity. The epic Beowulf focuses on the struggles and challenges faced by the main character, Beowulf, during his life. Throughout the narrative, Beowulf is displayed as an epic hero by virtue of his ethical actions, brave deeds, and glorified persona.…
- 600 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The hero is an age-old concept that describes someone that will defend their honor to the end. In Beowulf, the author portrays the warrior Beowulf and his three battles in such a way as to clearly define what it means to be a hero. Fred Robinson and J. R. R. Tolkien addressed heroism in Beowulf regarding the warrior’s traits, as well as his battles and burial. The author of Beowulf defines the hero through Beowulf’s three battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. In this poem, each monster possesses a specific quality undesired by heroes. Beowulf battles anger/jealousy, vengeance, and greed/selfishness for the good of his Geat nation. As Beowulf fends off these anti-hero traits, he becomes capable of being a great leader of the Geats due to his divine piety – ultimately allowing him to be deified during his two burial ceremonies. Therefore, in Beowulf, the hero must utilize divine piety to overcome greed, vengeance, and jealousy in order to protect his nation.…
- 1625 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Beowulf is such a unique and distinctive character. He shows people the true definition of an epic hero. He is the type of hero that people would look up to. He is a confident leader for many, and that is what makes him who he is. Beowulf’s main characteristics are loyalty, bravery, and strength.…
- 379 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The great actor, Robert Downey Jr., once said, “I think that we all do heroic things, but hero is not a noun, it’s a verb. In the epic poem “Beowulf,” the main character, by the same name, fits this quote perfectly. Beowulf sets off on a journey to rid the land of the Danes of the evil that has haunted it. Beowulf is a true epic hero because he embodies traits that were highly valued in his time and he possesses seemingly supernatural traits.…
- 539 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays