The Hero

This week in AP Lit we started a new unit, the hero unit.  The first book we are reading in this unit is Beowulf, in preparation for Grendel. Beowulf is the perfect example of a hero's journey.  Some of the elements of a heroic myth that we learned were to find glory and to slay a monster and shape the world, which is a characteristic a early hero myths.  This myth follows the universal pattern where the hero has departure, fullfilment, and return. 

Beowulf leaves his homeland of geatland to go face the horrible monster, Grendel, who is terrorizing the Danes.  He leaves the safety of his home and goes into uncertainty to fight a monster that has never been defeated and may not come back with his life, But he still goes.  He then faces the monster, is successful and finds fullfillment.  He not only is fulfilled in that he defeats the monsters physically but he also is fulfilled psycologically as much of this mission is pride based in that he has to defeat Grendel, and later Grendel's mother, in order to sate his desire to raise his level of prestige and elevate his status over its already godly state.

He then returns from his adventures victorious and much better off then he was before he embarked on this mission.  He comes back to the Geats and rules them for many years after he successfully defeats Grendel and his mother.  This shows how this epic follows the universal pattern of hero myths because this was really one of the first recorded hero myths in history, at least in the english language.  Beowulf Departs, Fulfills, and returns.