One of the first epics from English lore is Beowulf. It is a tale riddled with glorious action and fantastic speeches. This epic story is as full of symbolism as it is full of entertainment. Because Beowulf is a poem that was used to teach young generations about how to be a soldier, and how to be a successful one at that, this story teaches other key ideas as well. It teaches the young Englishmen about the Anglo-Saxon Code. Beowulf, the epic Anglo-Saxon Poem teaches about the three motivations of Beowulf; a warrior's duty, the essentialness of trophies, and the understanding that one needs to be glorious. In the great epic, Beowulf is faced with many great challenges that he is not so willing to do, but he must do them because of the duty he feels. Duty can be defined as, “it is also used… to designate …show more content…
Figurative extension to any token or memorial of victory is first recorded 1560s.”(Harper, Trophy, 2008)
Trophies do two major things for a hero. This first is directly for the hero, a trophies stands as a reminder. A trophy can remind a hero of a great and treacherous loss, or a terrific victory. In the Anglo-Saxon culture this is especially prevalent. One of the key features of the Anglo-Saxon Code is remembrance. The Anglo-Saxons wanted to be remembered after they have died, which leads us to the second reasons a hero would take a trophy. This is so that all other who view the trophy will see the great might that is the hero who took down such a beast. And a trophy can often be viewed long after a hero has