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The Steps of the Hero's Journey ~ Beowulf

Kailey Watson

Updated Aug. 27, 2018

Transcript

A Hero's Journey:

Beowulf

Kailey Watson

Kylie Wang

Nate Johnson

Kristy Mace

Clare O'Brien

Megan Chimitt

Hero's Journey:

Steps

The Steps

Ordinary World
Call to Adventure
Refusal of the Call
Meeting with the Mentor
Crossing the First Threshold
Test, Allies, and Enemies
Approaching the Inmost Cave
Supreme Ordeal
Reward
Road Back
Resurrection
Return with the Elixir

Steps Beowulf followed

Which Steps Beowulf Followed:

Ordinary World
Call to Adventure
Meeting with the Mentor
Crossing the First Threshold
Tests, Allies, and Enemies
Approaching the Inmost Cave
Supreme Ordeal
Reward
Road Back
Resurrection
Return With the Elixir

Ordinary World

The Ordinary World in Beowulf is largely unseen. However, what we do know is that he is from a place called Geatland. He is a strong warrior who seems to have a decent reputation among his fellow Geats.

"Inside Herot / there was nothing but friendship. The Shielding nation / was not yet familiar with feud and betrayal" (1016-8).

Call To Adventure

When Beowulf hears about King Hrothgar's troubles with Grendel, he feels inclined to go help. This is where the story takes place. He already received and accepted the call.

"When he heard about Grendel, Hygelac’s thane

/ was on home ground, over in Geatland" (194-195).

Meeting with the Mentor

King Hrothgar, in a sense, serves as Beowulf's mentor. He gives him the desire to go on the journey. He attempts to instruct Beowulf to have other men with him. Beowulf doesn't listen, and Hrothgar agrees.Testing the hero and teaching Beowulf how to be a good king in the future

"Resolute in his helmet, Beowulf spoke: / 'Greetings to Hrothgar. I am Hygelac’s kinsman, / one of his hall-troop...'" (406-408).

Crossing the Threshold

Crossing the Ocean to Heorot

the heroic journey begins
traveling to the first test

"...he moved about / like the leader he was, enlisting men, / the best he could find; with fourteen others..." (205-207).

"Time went by, the boat was on water /

in close under the cliffs. / Men climbed eagerly up the gangplank, / sand churned in surf, shining war-gear / in the vessel’s hold, then heaved out, / away with a will in their wood-wreathed ship" (210-215).

Tests/Allies/Enemies

The tests are proving himself (Unferth) and fighting Grendel and the dragon. The allies are Hrothgar, and Wiglaf. The enemies are Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon.

"No matter, therefore, how you may have fared / in every bout and battle until now, / this time you’ll be worsted; no one has ever / outlasted an entire night against Grendel” (526-528).

Approaching the Inmost Cave

After Beowulf slays Grendel, he returns to the mead hall and celebrates along with Hrothgar's men. However, Grendel's mother attacks Hrothgar's mead hall and slaughters his men, prompting a vengeance-driven Beowulf to venture towards the beast's home. This serves to bring Beowulf closer to his clash with Grendel's mother, and thus serves as an approach to the inmost cave partly through the story.

"A great reversal / once Grendel's mother attacked and entered" (1281-1282).

Supreme Ordeal

Beowulf faces a supreme ordeal when he duels

Grendel's mother. His men think he has died fighting Grendel's mother, and Beowulf, the hero, causes the death of Grendel's mother.

"...she has taken up the feud / because of last night, when you killed Grendel... / and now this powerful other one arrives, this force for evil / driven to avenge her kinsman's death" (1333-1340).

Reward

After defeating each enemy, Beowulf gets gifted various treasures. For Grendel, he gets thrown a party, gifted a sword, Hrunting, and a large sum of treasure. For Grendel's mother, he gets another party, gifted another sword, Næling, and a kingship. For the dragon, he gets the dragon's hoard and death.

"Then / Halfdane's son presented Beowulf / with a gold standard as a victory gift, / an embroidered banner; also breast-mail / and a helmet; and a sword carried high, / that was both precious object and token of honour. / So Beowulf drank his drink, at ease; / it was hardly a shame to be showered with such gifts / in front of the hall-troops" (1019-1026).

Road Back

Beowulf journeys back to the land of the Geats after killing Grendel's mother and becomes king.

"Heroic Beowulf and his band of men /crossed the wide strand, striding along the sandy foreshore... Beowulf's return was reported to Hygelac as soon as possible... room was quickly made on the king's orders, and the troops filed across the cleared floor" (1963-1976).

Resurrection

After being king for 50 years, Beowulf's land gets attacked by a dragon. He then goes back to fighting even when advised not to - a resurrection of his old self.

"I shall fight like that / for as long as I live, as long as this sword / shall last" (2498-2500).

Return with Elixir

The treasure, was in a way, the elixir.

"The treasure had been won, / bought and paid for by Beowulf's death. Both had reached the end of the road through the life they had been left" (2843-2846).

The Step Beowulf Didn't Follow

Step Beowulf did not follow

Refusal of the Call.
Beowulf is introduced going on and continuing the journey, no refusals

Refusal

Refusal of the Call

In the swimming contest with Breca, Beowulf mentions his mentality - if your fate has not been sealed, continue with courage and nerve. With this mentality, he would never characteristically refuse the call.

"Often, for undaunted courage, / fate spares the man it has not already marked" (572-573).

Conclusion

The mystical tale ‘Beowulf’ serves as a look into the morals and values of the past. The hero, Beowulf, was the ideal hero of the time - strong, brave, and selfless. While some of his actions seemed very selfless and kind, there were a few instances that portrayed some hidden agendas. Every good deed Beowulf performed gave him some reward. Although Beowulf seems moral on the surface, he possesses inner greed, as seen through the author’s use of plot, situational irony, and imagery.

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