BEOWULF ESSAY In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is faced with many challenges, but ultimately proves himself to be a hero. Beowulf shows he is hero in many ways such as being brave, risking his life to save others, and being a great king who protects his people. Throughout the story he kills monsters and gains the respect of others. Beowulf is a great hero because he saves countless lives and is a selfless man. Beowulf is a hero who as saved countless lives fighting many monsters such as Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and the dragon.
The characteristics of superhuman strength and courage are seen throughout the story of Beowulf and define why he is an epic hero. Beowulf gets these characteristics because the people want to show that only Beowulf could be the only one to defeat Grendel because everyone else who tried failed and got killed. Beowulf is an epic hero because he performs brave deeds. We can see this in the scene after he fights Grendel. Even though that is all that he planned on doing he stayed and went to go find Grendel’s mother and kill her since she was in distraught of her only son dying, and she took Hrothgar’s friend.
When Beowulf is explaining to Hrothgar how he is going to attempt to kill Grendel, he says, “My hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster” (25). Beowulf is brave enough to fight against a monster with only his hands, while most people would not even attempt to fight at all. Beowulf is a true hero because even though both sides have a fair chance at winning, he does not get scared and continues to complete the task. Beowulf asks of Hrothgar, “That this one favor you should not refuse me- that I, alone and
In regard to these important cultural values of that time, four of these values recur throughout this legendary poem: loyalty, violence, celebration and revenge. The first value important to the Anglo-Saxon’s culture, loyalty, directs Beowulf and his people throughout their lives. Beowulf offered to battle Grendel, so one night Grendel came to attack Hrothgar’s people, and Beowulf retaliated. The others had awoken and “jumped from their beds….determined to protect their prince if they could.” (317-319) There loyalty to their leader is also present in Beowulf’s last battle. When he battles the dragon and is near death, Wiglaf is by his side for whenever he asks for help.
A true hero does not take all the pride in a heroic act instead a hero should be humble not cocky. A modern audience would consider him a monster because of all the attention he seeks, but a medieval audience considers this heroic because he puts his own life at risk to save everyone. The responsibility Beowulf had for killing Grendel became pushy and too far and taken in a gruesome way. The battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother was even more monstrous than the battle between Beowulf and Grendel. Beowulf took a sword to the water cave where Grendel’s mother lived.
The Geats epic King was a picture perfect Anglo-Saxons hero. He was the strongest man on earth while showing courage, wisdom, and faith to his people. Along with strength he had the super powers to help him fight his battles and gain all the glory at the end of the day. Even though Beowulf followed all the "standards" of an epic hero he still showed some unique characteristics. In the end he became an inspiration for all the people of the land because
After fifty years pass Beowulf still feels the passion to help those in trouble from terrible monsters. He then vows to kill an angry dragon. “I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins” (lines 675-677), meaning Beowulf is unwilling to flee from harms way for the betterment of his people letting fate decide whether it is his time or not to die. With his last dying breaths he is only thinking of his people, “For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank Our Father in Heaven…I sold my life for this treasure, and I sold it well. Take what I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people, help them” (lines 802-809).
Beowulf is a hero in every way. He is brave, courageous, intelligent and, most importantly, a true leader. He instills in his fellow brothers that with heart and determination you can do the unimaginable. Beowulf takes on Grendel’s mother when he is very young and has all his health. But when he takes on the dragon he is older and with few energy in him.
Although Beowulf had many victories prior to the accounts in the poem, it can be said that his first, major achievement is him defeating Grendel. Beowulf states that “ ‘Now Grendel and I are called/ Together, and I’ve come’ ” in order to “ ‘purge all evil from this hall’ ” (Lines 425-426, 431). Beowulf realizes that it is his duty to fulfill this mission that will allow him to be remembered throughout the centuries. Fortunately for Beowulf, he “had killed Grendel,/ Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering/ Forced on Hrothgar’s helpless people/ By a bloodthirsty fiend” (Lines 830-833). Everybody loves and respects Beowulf, and as a result of his accomplishment, he has been “granted a new glory” (Line 819).
“The Weather-Geat prince/dived into the Mere/the waves closed over the daring man/it was a day’s space before he could glimpse the ground at the bottom.” (1491-95) As Beowulf dives into the darkened depths of Grendel’s mothers’ lair, beneath a motionless lake of bloodstained water, it is seen that this scene represents the darkened imagery of the uncertain dangers lurking in this treacherous expedition. As Beowulf heads towards the depths where he will soon battle Grendel’s Mother, the darkness of the lair that he has entered symbolizes evil, and it leads to Beowulf’s confusion in this unfamiliar atmosphere, which, foreshadows the uncertainty of Beowulf’s fate against the monster. After the battle is won by the Geat warrior, the first glimmer of light is seen and the monsters lair is illuminated more thoroughly. “Light glowed out and illuminated the chamber/with a clearness such as the candle of heaven/sheds the sky.” (1569-71). This light signifies salvation and that hell has been removed of its evil and holiness has been restored.