In many cultures heroism is defined very differently, for example in Christianity a hero is considered helping those in need and putting others before yourself. Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon culture relate in a lot of aspects, such as loyalty and bravery. They both show this type of similarity at many points throughout the story. Beowulf shows his bravery when he is about to fight Grendel the monster,
He began to remove his iron breast mail,
Took off the helmet and handed his attendant
The patterned sword, a smith’s masterpiece,
Ordering him to keep the equipment
guarded (lines 661-664).
He did this because he thought the fight would be too easy if he had his weapons and armor. This goes to show how Beowulf was.
Beowulf faces many challenges during his journey. He is confronted with obstacles and manages to overcome them to continue. One of his most significant challenges is when he puts his strength to the test when he faces Grendel’s mother. When Grendel's mother hears about her son’s death, she seeks to avenge his death. We see this in the story when we read,
“Because of last night, when you killed Grendel, Wrestled, and racked him in a ruinous combat
Since for too long, he had terrorized us
With his depredations. He died in battle,
Paid with his life; and now this powerful
Other one arrives, this force of evil
Driven to avenge her kinsman’s death” (lines 1334- 1340).
Having a masculine aspect, Grendel's mother was confident in her revenge. She goes to the city destroying everything in her way. Beowulf and Grendel’s mother begin their confrontation after Grendel’s mother kills one of the soldiers. She then attacks Heorot which causes the fight between Beowulf and Grendel's mother.
While Beowulf and Grendel’s mother are fighting in the water, another beast also attacks him. Being attacked unexpectedly goes to show how Beowulf is courageous and strong. He can overcome this challenge and win the fight by being strong and not giving up. As the fight continues, Beowulf finds a magical giant sword that can kill Grendel's mother. Later on, Beowulf decapitates the corpse of Grendel and the sword melts instantly, “Next thing the damascened Sword blade melted; it bloated and it burned” (lines 1665-1667).
Beowulf also taught us how we have to be considerate of others and not make everything about ourselves. He also demonstrates how selfless he was
Then the wound
Dealt by the ground-burner earlier began
To scald and swell; Beowulf discovered
Deadly poison suppurating inside him,
Surges of nausea, and so, in his wisdom,
The prince realized his state and struggled
Towards a seat on the rampart (Lines 2710-2717).
He then realized that this was his final moment. He died sacrificing himself by slaying the dragon and was considered loyal for giving up his life for his people.
Beowulf is considered an epic hero because of his qualities. He is known as strong, courageous, and a person who is always willing to help others.'Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked' (572-573).
Not knowing your fate should not make you not try to be courageous and strong when life gives you challenges. Beowulf is a perfect example of how to have courage no matter the circumstance. Also, he would always put other things before his own needs and was always willing to risk his life for the greater good. He will always be known as a hero because of the defeats he accomplished in his journey. In today’s society, we can relate to Beowulf because, within challenging circumstances, we need to find our stronger selves to overcome them and still be positive about everything else in life.
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Beowulf Hero’s Journey Essay.
(2024, April 10). Edubirdie. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/beowulf-heros-journey-essay/
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2024 Apr 10 [cited 2024 Dec 22].
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