Beowulf: A Modern Day Hero

Like a lonely hunter; Beowulf thrives for the feeling of capturing his prey; honor. Beowulf, before his last hunt for glory and fame says: “’I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought/ In endless battles. I am old, now, / But I will fight again, seek fame still…’” (lines 623-626). At an old age Beowulf still dreams of gaining honor and fame even at the cost of his own life. Even after becoming a king, Beowulf felt the urge to prove that he was truly worthy of the title and worthiness to his people, while unknowingly generating respect and honor in the process. Beowulf’s seek for fame and glory brought him a great honor, the honor of being king to people who adored him for his willingness to prove himself to anyone who may question his

Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endures in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In other words, a hero is a normal person who is able to be strong and persevere despite difficult obstacles preventing them. In the book, Beowulf, the the nephew of the king of the land of the geats, helps Hrothgar, another king, kill a series of monsters that threaten his kingdom. He helps Hrothgar kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Firedrake. Beowulf is a hero because he is just an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite the overwhelming obstacles preventing him from doing so. Beowulf embodies Christopher Reeve’s definition of a hero because he defeated the flesh-eating Grendel, who could not be stopped even by groups of elite soldiers. Beowulf also killed Grendel’s mother, a much eviler being who lived in a cave in an endless pool of blood that led to hell. Finally, he defeated The Firedrake, who swelled up and breathed fire when angry.

Beowulf proclaims “In the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one; death was my errand and the fate they had earned. Now Grendel and I are called together” (liens 156-160). Beowulf claims that he must go to defeat Grendel, as it was his errand, or his duty, and his fate. This speech he makes to King Hrothgar reinforces his true reason to come to the King, not for any pride. Another vow Beowulf makes is when he says “That this is one favor you should not refuse me—That I, alone and with the help of my men, many purge all evil form this hall” (lines 163-166). In this line, Beowulf is pleading for the King to do one thing, which is to give him the permission for him and his men to go and fight Grendel, what Beowulf had arrived for. The fact that Beowulf asks the king for only one thing, which is to fight Grendel, shows Beowulf’s selflessness and concern for the safety of others. At no part does he ask for a reward, but even says that if fate is in favor of Grendel to give his armor back to his family. These words help paint the image of Beowulf being concerned for others, not for his

In the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, the stupendous hero’s many great deeds often appear to be for other’s benefit, yet Beowulf’s final conquest exposes his lust for glory and fame, thereby showing his lack of concern for anything else. This lust for immense glory and fame feeds his ego and causes his death and the imminent downfall of his great people the Geats.

Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.

The most heroic of traits within Beowulf is that he is not afraid to die. He always explains his death wishes before going into battle and requests to have any assets delivered to his people. “…and if death takes me…send to Hyglac the best of war clothes that protects my breasts, finest of male shirts. It is a legacy of Hrethel, the works of Weland. Fate always goes as it must.” He is aware of the heroic paradox; he will be glorified in life or death for his actions. He knows that when he fights an enemy like Grendel or Grendel’s mother he will achieve immortality as the victor or the loser. “I resolved when I sat down in the sea-boat with my men, that I should fulfill the will of your people or else fall in slaughter. I shall achieve a dead of manly

Despite Hrothgar’s speech to Beowulf, in which he addresses the dangers of success and fame, Beowulf is driven by his will to defeat Grendel’s mother and acquire the treasure which she has been guarding. “O flower of warriors, beware of that trap. Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride. For a brief while your strength is in bloom but it fades quickly; and soon there will follow illness or the sword to lay you low, or a sudden fire or surge of water or jabbing blade or javelin from the air or repellent age.

Beowulf is considered a hero in many ways because he goes through many problems and overcomes many of them. Beowulf puts his life on the line countless times to protect the lives of others and doesn’t really get a reward for it. He is what many believe any kind of warrior or great leader should strive to be. Beowulf should be considered a hero because he stood and faced all his odds head on, puts his life on the line to protect his people, and he displays selfless service for his people. Even though he boasts often he can back it up.

Was it to protect people, or was it to gain fame and treasure? Explain. In the story, Beowulf eventually ascended to the throne of the Geats. As the king, he certainly had the duty to protect his people from threats and danger. As the dragon posed harm to his kingdom, it is palpable that Beowulf must kill the dragon for the sake of his subjects. Nevertheless, he has an underlying purpose of maintaining his pride in killing monsters. Beowulf yearned for battle while he could offer a truce with the dragon. The dragon’s reason for wrath was that someone stole his belongings (Holt, p. 43). Had no one touched the dragon, the dragon would have had no reason to touch Beowulf’s kingdom. Therefore, peace could be achieved by finding that jeweled cup and returning it to the dragon. Accordingly, bloodshed would be avoided. Yet, because Beowulf was preoccupied with his pride and “monster-slaying fetish,” he made such a foolish solution to the problem. Again, in that foolish solution, another foolish solution emerged due to pride as in line 668-670 . Furthermore, Beowulf also had an implicit avarice as he wanted to “win the gold by my courage, or else mortal combat.” (Line 685-686) . According to these two lines, not only did Beowulf want to win the gold but also win it all by beating against others (mortal combat). Greedy

Beowulf is a classic story of a hero. His immense strength allows him to complete impossible deeds, and his honorable personality and strong moral compass means he is focused on helping people, not on winning glory. Beowulf’s strength as a hero beyond physical strength is exemplified by his extreme stubbornness and persistence when faced with a difficult challenge. His battles follow the arc of his character development, from a minor hero to a powerful and loved king with his conquests being so important in the warrior-culture which he lived in.

In his three major battles, Beowulf fights for many different reasons. His motivation varies, and as he grows older and wiser his attitude toward these battles also changes. Throughout the epic, Beowulf bradoshously beats Grendel, then more methodically murders Grendel’s mother, and with his last breathes humbly hollers for help to slay the dragon. This shows that Beowulf’s early focuses of glory and riches changes as he becomes a weathered warrior acknowledges that he cannot defeat his enemies alone and must utilize the resources provided to him such as armor, magical items, and companions.

Showing heroism and unmatched fearlessness , Beowulf manages to avoid death and end Grendel's mother's life once and for all and her minion lake beasts, and in the process and defeating the fiend, he beheads the matriarch to boast as a trophy to the people of Hrothgar. This may be a sign of greed for fame because this act was completely pointless and selfish. He wanted to do this just to make himself feel like more of a King, he wanted the attention of every body focused on him and he wanted the glory of being the master monster slayer. In the final battle against the massive dragon, the readers see the same Beowulf just decades later. Beowulf only takes a handful of men with him to the sight of the battle, and before the battle he boasts for the final time. In an act of brave stupidity, Beowulf tells his soldiers that he would enter the dragon's hideout alone, knowing the danger that awaits

Beowulf was a great man who accomplished many things in his lifetime. He won gold, armor, horses, honor, friendship, and, above all, fame. He defeated multiple beasts, saving many lives, and was bestowed with both tangible riches and intangible glory after each of these feats. He had been referred to as “the people’s pride and love,” (line 2900) showing just a fraction of the honor he went on to win.

While he is already considered a hero among his people, he desires to prove himself and gain more glory and respect. Beowulf is a already respected among his own people, but to Hrothgar and the Danes he is unknown. Before he enters the hall where he seeks audience with the king he demonstrates respect by leaving all his weapons behind. He talks highly of himself and his abilities. This is to give Hrothgar a sense of who Beowulf is and what he can do. The reason Beowulf does this is because he wants more glory. While he is considered a hero, he wants to be an even greater hero. He desires the respect of his people and those of surrounding cultures. By defeating Grendel, who is a descendent of Cain, he would gain a lot of glory, but he decides to risk his life for a greater amount of glory by deciding to not use any weapons. If he is to win the battle, he will win the ultimate respect among the Danes. Beowulf defeats Grendel and is highly honored. However, the next day it is discovered that the best warrior of the Danes had been killed in the night by Grendel's mother. Beowulf decides to go after her as well and has to search the swamp lands for her underwater lair where he fights her and then finds Grendel's dead body. He takes the head as a trophy and the Danes reward him with riches and celebrate with a feast in his honor. Through his acts of bravery he has gained glory and

Beowulf is an epic hero but at times his bravery exceeds all normalcy and shows the author’s