... exploring this title I shall first look at Vladimir Propp and explore his theory, then, using the film "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" (2000), I"ll demonstrate examples of what is known as "Spheres of Action". As a Russian critic in the 1920's, Vladimir Propp began to notice similarities and characteristics in Russian folk stories ... had a similar underlying structure and common elements. They were all about the same situations and struggles and they all had the same basic or "stock" characters, e.g. the prince slays the dragon and saves the princess. Propp argued that the characters ...

• Word Count: 859
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... , enduring fame, and royal responsibility. In the epic poem of Beowulf, Beowulf shows extraordinary and almost superficial skill and courage at the Slaying of Grendel, the Troll-Wife, and the Dragon. Due to the courageous slaying of the unwanted creatures Beowulf also becomes accustomed to the idea of enduring fame. Beowulf also must accept the concept of protecting his people as ... to him to govern Beowulf realizes that it is his duty to govern and protect his people, for it is his royal responsibility. Even though he has aged when the dragon comes about, he has to protect his people f...

• Word Count: 813
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... , enduring fame, and royal responsibility . In the epic poem of Beowulf, Beowulf shows extraordinary and almost superficial skill and courage at the Slaying of Grendel, the Troll-Wife, and the Dragon. Due to the courageous slaying of the unwanted creatures Beowulf also becomes accustomed to the idea of enduring fame. Beowulf also must accept the concept of protecting his people as ... to him to govern Beowulf realizes that it is his duty to govern and protect his people, for it is his royal responsibility. Even though he has aged when the dragon comes about, he has to protect his people ...

• Word Count: 873
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... not to do, act in violence. It seems women were not allowed to things that men would normally do. 13. The Dragon is a different kind of opponent then Grendel to Beowulf because the dragon is attacking Geatland, which is more personal to Beowulf. Beowulf wants to defend his land rather than make a name for him, ... . Beowulf became over confident and it ultimately caused him to die. 15. Beowulf did not expect his men to stand by him. Beowulf wanted to fight the dragon alone because he said, "I shall win the gold by my courage." In his last "boast " never, mentions his need for help by his...

• Word Count: 2142
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... many years. When he is an old man, his land is ruined by a fire dragon. This dragon has a great treasure which it is protecting. Beowulf goes out to fight this dragon to protect his people even though he is too old. While fighting the fire dragon with his sword, the dragon cuts Beowulf at the neck. But Beowulf fights back and ends up killing the ... dragon with one blow of his sword. He cuts the dragon right in half. The killing of this fire dragon uses super human feats, courage, and bravery which definitely shows that Beowulf ... has hero qualities. To show his honor and concern for ...

• Word Count: 925
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... , Albert Einstein for being a genius, or someone as simple as a mother or father. Through his battles with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the fire dragon, Beowulf accomplishes the privileged status of an epic hero. The battle with Grendel first allows Beowulf to exhibit his heroic qualities for everyone. The Danes become slaves ... their town. For this battle, he needs his soldiers help, actually, just one soldier, Wiglaf. Beowulf exchanges blows with the dragon, while his supposed loyal followers flee, "And only one of them/Remained, stood there, miserable, remembering, / As a good man ...

• Word Count: 1010
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... epic hero, and more. Analyzing Beowulf's three battles, one can easily see Beowulf's heroic characteristics prevail. The battle with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon display an array of heroism expressed by Beowulf. One characteristic of heroism is that a hero performs outrageous and sometimes superhuman deeds. Beowulf is a prime example ... Geats. He always battles his enemies with pride. When it is time to fight the dragon everyone becomes afraid and runs off to the forest and hides, while Beowulf sticks around with Wiglaf and fights off the dragon, never fearing the threat of...

• Word Count: 858
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... defeats Grendel, he is crowned King of the Danes. His reign as King was peaceful until one of the Geats steals an ornamented cup from a treasury that was guarded by a dragon. The dragon becomes angry and begins to destroy Beowulf's town, killing many people in the process. This would lead to Beowulf's last battle. Beowulf goes to seek the ... dragon in his lair. When Beowulf arrives at the dragon's lair, a ferocious fight begins. The fight only lasts a few minutes before Beowulf slays the dragon with the help of Wiglaf. Unfortunately, Beowulf also suffers injuries as a result of the bat...

• Word Count: 757
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... suitable heir of Beowulf. Wiglaf acquires the traits of a hero during the final combat of Beowulf. Wiglaf demonstrates the courage of a hero when he helps Beowulf fight the dragon. Unlike the rest of Beowulf's followers, he keeps his promise to give his life in battle if Beowulf needed help. Wiglaf further establishes his rank as a hero ... by standing brave by his leader and being willing to sacrifice his life in order to defeat the dragon. Wiglaf gains the characteristics of a hero during the final encounter of Beowulf. Wiglaf establishes that he has leadership abilities. During the ba...

• Word Count: 392
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... . But this didn"t stop the brave Beowulf; he has the courage to fight Grendel's mother to her death. Lastly, Beowulf has courage to fight a dragon, which is killing the knights in his own kingdom. When Beowulf realizes that no one can defeat this ... dragon, he takes it upon himself execute this hideous monster. Even though Beowulf dies fighting the dragon, he still manages to defeat the beast. Beowulf is an epic hero with the trait of courage. Another special trait that Beowulf ... mother also gave Beowulf fame. No knight in all of Denmark can defeat Grendel, but Beowulf does and he wi...

• Word Count: 773
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... with their magic, the best of all weapons but so massive that no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length." The final battle occurs between Beowulf and a fierce dragon. Beowulf is battling the dragon and wins, but unfortunately dies of a wounding. Beowulf and eleven of his other soldiers had gone to fight an evil ... dragon. At the end, Beowulf kills the dragon, but ends up dying because of his wounds. He takes the treasure that he was promised my Hrothgar, but unfortunately is unable to put it in use. The role of ... he would never be so victorious. The battle with Gre...

• Word Count: 663
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Wiglaf, one of Beowulf's soldiers and friends, shows great loyalty towards Beowulf when he is the only one that stays during the time Beowulf fights the last dragon. Wiglaf also tries to give a speech to Beowulf's men to try to support him. " All of us swore to repay him, / kindness for kindness/ ... with our lives- (766-767). This action sums it up; Wiglaf has shown his loyalty towards Beowulf. Loyalty also shows when Beowulf dies by the last dragon and Wiglaf follows his request, which is to build a light tower for the sailors so they can find there way. " Have/The brave Geats build me...

• Word Count: 531
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who saves the Danes from the monster known as Grendel, and also of his triumphs, fighting Grendel's mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, many themes are used to construct a certain profundity to the characters and the story. Some of these themes seen in Beowulf include Wealth , ... . After Beowulf becomes king in Geatland, he again shows his great ability once more by hie pledge to kill the dragon. As we can see virtue is clearly represented by Beowulf and his heroic actions. In contrast, evil is presented by Grendel, Grendel's mother, an...

• Word Count: 711
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... would be the hero's greatest challenge. This mission will be the most crucial moment for the hero. Here he or she will enter the dragon's lair alone, and face the dragon; the hero's greatest fear. Upon successfully slaying the dragon (conquering the hero's own fear) we find the hero will be transformed. This transformation leads to a revelation where the hero discovers them self ... Utnapishtim. On his journey to Utnapishtim, he encounters many obstacles. The obstacles begin as Gilgamesh enters the underworld where he comes upon two guards that are half man and half dragon. After depart...

• Word Count: 1971
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... his foes. Ultimately, Beowulf's main strength is his physical stature, but his discerning actions complement him as he ends up victorious in his battles against Grendel, Grendel Dam, and the dragon. A large portion of the poem is centered on a monster named Grendel, who terrorizes the great Danish mead hall of Herot. After Grendel had feasted on the Danes for twelve long ... , the reader truly gets to see the competitive fire in his heart. Even as an elderly man, Beowulf risks his life for his people, by going against a fierce fire-breathing dragon. However, Beowulf knows this dragon is ...

• Word Count: 795
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... . Beowulf characterizes the Anglo-Saxon's idea of a hero. Whenever his people call upon him, Beowulf always shows confidence and bravery. A dragon reins in Beowulf's kingdom, and even though he is an old man now, Beowulf sends himself to do battle with the dragon. "Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong,/ And with his shield at his side, and a mail shirt on/ His ... ). Going into this battle Beowulf knows it will be his last, but being the bold, strong, fearless hero that he is, he goes into battle anyway. Although his opponent, the dragon, is defeated, Beowulf fights his last battle the...

• Word Count: 893
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... most important building block for a hero. In Beowulf, there are essentially three battles the hero has to fight, Grendel, Grendel's Mother, and finally the dragon. The most important thing to note here is that the battle between Beowulf and Grendel's Mother is much more different then when Beowulf fought her son. ... stronger than her son; enough that even the legendary heirloom fails to do any damage to her. The difficulty progresses as Beowulf fights a dragon 50 years later. The poet cleverly uses the sword as a way to scope the power level of the monsters Beowulf has to fight. Specifi...

• Word Count: 2311
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... risked his own life to save the Danes from Grendal then once again when Grendal's mother came for revenge. Fifty years after slaying Grendal's mother a fierce dragon began terrorizing Beowulf's people. Beowulf was old and tired but he still set out to fight the dragon to protect his people. As an old man Beowulf soon realized he was no match for the ... dragon, but he didn't run. With the help of one of his followers Beowulf fought hard and finally killed the dragon, losing his own life in the process. Even in death he wished for the safety of his people. The most heroic of traits withi...

• Word Count: 529
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... other attributions that are no-ticeable are courage, bravery, and a strong love for his people. Beowulf is a very courageous man. When Beowulf and Wiglaf fight the dragon, "None of his comrades came to him, helped him, his brave and noble followers; they ran for their lives, fled deep in a wood- (73-74). ... Wiglaf possess courageous traits and are genuinely ready for anything. Beowulf's super-human courage is shown when he went into battle with Grendel, Grendel's mother and the dragon. He shows he is fearless when he says, "I'd use no sword, no weapon, if this beast could be killed with...

• Word Count: 638
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... graciously declines taking over the throne, but offers support to Heardred. After his 50 peaceful years of rule, Beowulf had to face his final battle with a dragon that terrorized his countryside. Following the battle with the dragon it lay dead and Beowulf lay fatally wounded. There he spoke to Wiglaf: "Now is the time I would have wanted to bestow this armor on ... my own son, had it been fortune to have fathered an heir and live on in his flesh." (2729-2732) When Wiglaf returned from gathered some treasure the dragon kept he lay it before Beowulf. Beowulf spoke: "To the everlasting L...

• Word Count: 854
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... counsel. I can show the wise Hrothgar a way to defeat his enemy and find respite" (21). After showing his bravery helping another country in trouble, he then goes off to battle a dragon that has caused trouble to his own country. This was a feat where many disapproved not only because of the power of the ... because Beowulf was no longer the youthful warrior he once was. Beowulf shows his bravery and patriotism when he goes after the dragon that "had rased the coastal region and reduced forts and earthworks to dust and ashes". Beowulf, "the war-king had planned and plotted his revenge"....

• Word Count: 609
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... go against the odds and possibly risk your life in the process. An example of Beowulf showing bravery is when he goes to slay the dragon even though all his men abandon him. He realizes that the dragon is more powerful than he is, but he will still not back down. In line 1493, he says "Not one foot's space will I flee ... means that he is always devoted to his people, his king, and their security. An example of this is again when he goes to slay the dragon. He has no help, he realizes that the dragon is more powerful, and most importantly, he realizes that he will probably not be return...

• Word Count: 572
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... every characteristic applying to a hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the scuffle with Grendel's mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably ended his life. Beowulf was a man of admirable feats. He had the strength of thirty men in his arms, and would use this strength to help anyone in ... in a time when they were needed the most. Though his men lived, they lived as cowards, yielding to the dragon apprehended by all the Geats. Never the less, Beowulf's strength of heart and mind gave him the will to f...

• Word Count: 514
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... maybe his final path into maturity begins here. Bilbo is expected to risk everything to help the dwarves reclaim their mountain. The mountain has been the habitat of Smaug, the dragon, for several years. Bilbo is now going to commit the ultimate "burglary" (Tolkien 220). When Bilbo confronts Smaug he is almost fooled by the ... the dwarves are the evil ones. For this step of Bilbo's becoming the Campbellian hero he actually falls into trap of evil. His descend into the dark underworld of the dragon and almost looses his wits. Smaug tries to make Bilbo lose what he believes to be true by...

• Word Count: 2415
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... he is able to locate another sword. This shows that he is indeed an epic hero and that Fate or God favors him. Beowulf's final obstacle is to defeat the dragon, and the narrator describes the event by saying, "Clad in his war-gear he waited the rush. / In twisting folds the flame-breathing ... to its fate" (1536-1538). This time Beowulf uses equipment for the battle; however, he is very old now. Being a hero to his people, he still decides to fight the dragon despite his old age. This shows his great character and courage once again. Beowulf does lose the battle, but this also shows tha...

• Word Count: 784
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School