Is Beowulf A Hero

Is Beowulf A Hero?In the epic poem Beowulf, the titular character is called upon by King Hrothgar to dispose of a beast, Grendel, that is plaguing the festival hall. Hrothgar is king of the Danes, while Beowulf is a warrior of the Geats. He slays the beast, and when Grendel’s mother is angered, he righteously slays her also. At the end of the poem, Beowulf becomes king of the Geats, and he gives his life to kill a dragon, which saves his people and enriches his kingdom. The actions Beowulf takes throughout the story prove he is a hero. By willingly helping the king with an issue he could not conquer, dealing with the consequences of his actions in the form of Grendel’s mother, and sacrificing himself for the good of his kingdom,

Beowulf is a man of virtue and morals, which is shown from the very beginning of the poem when he courageously accepts the quest of defeating Grendel. There is no real compensation for the task, only food and celebration. Beowulf’s heroics are talked about by the knights at the table during the dinner before the clash with Grendel: “Art thou that Beowulf, Breca’s rival, who emulous swam on the open sea, when for pride the pair of you proved the floods, and wantonly dared in waters deep to risk your lives?” Beowulf’s bravery and heroics have been heard of across the land, and he is a well-respected man. His story of saving Breca from the sea monsters is just one example of Beowulf’s previous deeds.Beowulf heroically defeats Grendel. Of force in fight no feebler I count me, in grim war-deeds, than

Beowulf, instead of leaving after completing his task, decides to stay and help the Danish kingdom that is in need once more. Beowulf displays spectacular strength when he swims to the mother’s underwater lair and defeats her with the help of a magic sword. Beowulf is courageous and responsible, which are both qualities of heroes, ancient and modern.The conclusion of the poem details Beowulf’s journey to the king of his people, his years of ruling, and his eventual tragic end with a dragon. For years Beowulf ruled honorably, with no real issues, until one man walked by the cave of a dragon and stole his golden goblet: “Some man, however, came by chance that cave within to the heathen hoard. In hand he took a golden goblet, nor gave he it back, stole with it away, while the watcher slept, by thievish wiles: for the warden’s wrath prince and people must pay betimes!” The dragon, obviously upset, began to terrorize villages of Beowulf’s kingdom. Countless were murdered, and Beowulf, with help of another warrior of the kingdom, decided to put an end to the dragon. In the end, Beowulf sacrificed himself to save the kingdom, stole the riches from the dragon, and made that special warrior the new king