Beowulf: A Well-Designed Hero with Exceptional Qualities
How do Beowulf’s events correlate to Beowulf as a character? Beowulf exhibits characteristics of a hero in many ways. Some include his bravery, courage, skill, and quest. For example, Beowulf defeated Grendel by tearing his opponent’s arm off under gruesome circumstance (791-823). In other instances, Beowulf manages to kill Grendel’s mother, despite her relentless attacks (1518-1533). In his last battle, Beowulf shows that he knows of his weakness in the encounter with the dragon. Within every scene, Beowulf shines through evil due to his benefits. In Beowulf's first battle, his skills have an effect on his success. The first scene has a lot of information, including Beowulf’s
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The three monsters (Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon) that Beowulf face represent part of the quest of the hero. These events not only exemplify Beowulf’s quest to riches, glory, and fame but also show Beowulf’s bravery and courage. In fact, Beowulf met and killed Grendel and Grendel’s mother, even when all soldiers trembled in fear of death and murder. If no other warrior dared to touch these vicious monsters except Beowulf, then Beowulf proved himself to have power. Also, the fights that Beowulf had against 9 sea monsters in Brecca, Grendel, and Grendel’s mother prepared as part of the initiation against the dragon. Yet, Beowulf had a much more powerful trait: generosity and understanding. When Beowulf died in front of Wiglaf’s eyes, Beowulf stated that his life would drain from him and that he wished for him to find the dragon’s treasure. (2723-2751). At first glance, this scene may seem as if Beowulf only wanted riches and still wanted treasure for himself. Upon further inspection though, one can see that Beowulf meant that he wanted to see this treasure as a final, greatest gift to the Geats, who he deserved to give to. In the end, Beowulf going the bottom of the marsh where Grendel’s mother resides embodies the scene of hell, where one could not turn back. This shows in the following quote, “Then she carried him, armor and sword and all, to her home …monsters … who beat at his mail shirt,