Feldman 1
Micah Feldman
Mrs. Kempema
5th Period
09/12/16
Beowulf Final Draft
What is a hero? Is a hero a superhuman with powers, a public servant, or a good role model? The definition of hero varies and has changed over time. The Middle Ages is no exception to having its own definition of hero. That definition included characteristics such as loyalty, respect, pride, and bravery. In the poem Beowulf, the character Beowulf expresses heroic characteristics, yet he lacks significant traits to truly be considered an ideal hero.
Throughout this epic poem, Beowulf demonstrates loyalty and bravery, but fails to truly become an ideal hero when pride overrides his ability to clearly think.
Beowulf is heroic through loyalty as he shows respect for Hrothgar, saves Hrothgar’s people, and declines a throne out of respect to the succession of kings. As the monster Grendel attacks Hrothgar’s people, Beowulf is introduced as the hero to save everyone. The reason
Beowulf rises to the challenge is described as Hrothgar reveals, “Finally I healed the feud by paying: / I shipped a treasuretrove to the Wulfings / And Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance” (Beowulf 470473). Hrothgar is referring to a feud that Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow, began between Hrothgar’s family and his own. Therefore, Beowulf shows his loyalty to his father and the good deeds of another man by accepting a dangerous quest to destroy
Grendel. Beowulf also shows his loyalty to Hrothgar as he continues to battle monsters in order to secure Hrothgar’s kingdom. Beowulf reports, “And this I pledge, O prince of the Shieldings: / Feldman 2
You can sleep secure with your company of troops / In Heorot Hall. Never need you fear”
(Beowulf 16711673). Even after Grendel was defeated, Beowulf showed his loyalty to Hrothgar by destroying Grendel’s mother and thereby securing peace for Hrothgar and his people. This
display of loyalty was unnecessary for Beowulf, who had already paid the debts of his father, but
he nonetheless secured safety for Hrothgar and his people. Not only does Beowulf show loyalty
to Hrothgar and his kingdom, but he also shows loyalty to the royalty of the Geats. After
Beowulf received much praise by the Geats, he was asked to be king. The narrator describes:
Yet there was no way the weakened nation
Could get Beowulf to give in and agree
To be elevated over Headred as his lord
Or to undertake the office of kingship.
But he did provide support for the prince,
Honored and minded him until he matured
As the ruler of Geatland. (Beowulf 23732379) While many people wanted Beowulf to take the throne, and he was offered the position, he
refused to become king out of respect to the prince. Not only did Beowulf refuse to become
king, but he helped the prince mature into a king. In addition to being loyal, Beowulf expresses
heroism through bravery.
Beowulf is also a brave warrior and king, which is another crucial characteristic for an
ideal hero. He expresses his bravery as he fights monsters, and he also explains his belief in the
importance of bravery. As Beowulf faces Grendel, he decides to use no weapons. This bold and
dangerous choice is described as Beowulf declares, “When it comes to fighting, I count myself / Feldman 3
As dangerous any day as Grendel. / So it won’t be a cutting edge I’ll wield” (Beowulf 677679). Not only did Beowulf have the courage to fight Grendel, but he did so without weapons. This
brave success earned him great respect as a brave warrior. In addition to exemplifying bravery,
Beowulf also talks about bravery with great importance. Beowulf explains, “Often, for
undaunted courage, / Fate spares the man it has not already marked” (Beowulf 572573). Beowulf explores his strong belief in bravery as not only honorable, but a determining factor of
fate. It is clear that Beowulf cares about bravery as he believes it will spare his life.
Furthermore, Beowulf exhibits his strong regard toward bravery as he attacks the courage of
Unferth. Beowulf accuses, “The fact it, Unferth, if you were truly / As keen or courageous as
you claim to be / Grendel would never have got away” (Beowulf 590593). Beowulf attacks the courage of Unferth, thus destroying Unferth’s credibility as a warrior. This exhibits Beowulf’s
belief in bravery, and it also suggests the respect or disrespect that the warriors have for someone
who has or does not have courage. Even though Beowulf is brave, it is not enough to make him
an ideal hero.
While Beowulf exemplifies the heroic characteristics of loyalty and bravery, he
ultimately is defeated as a hero through his tragic death by a dragon. Hrothgar warns Beowulf of
pride as he counsels, “Do not give way to pride” (Beowulf 1760). Hrothgar offers sage advice, and warns Beowulf of what will happen if he doesn’t follow the advice. Hrothgar continues,
“Your piercing eye / Will dim and darken; and death will arrive; / Dear warrior, to sweep you
away” (Beowulf 17661768). Hrothgar makes a wise prediction that Beowulf will be defeated if he lets pride rule his mind, and in the end, Beowulf loses his ability to think clearly for the sake
of a thirst for quest. As Beowulf dies, his fellow warrior, Wiglaf, mourns the loss of a great Feldman 4
king. The narrator conveys, “It was hard then on the young hero, / Having to watch the one he
held so dear / There on the ground” (Beowulf 28212823). Beowulf forgets his responsibility as king when he recklessly dies in a brutal battle with a dragon. Even though Beowulf was trying
to protect his people, he left his people to mourn his loss and stand without a king, which is
evident in Wiglaf’s sad remarks. Beowulf, the heroic warrior and honorable king, destroyed his
ideal heroism in tragic death.
Beowulf is an honorable warrior and a respectable king. Nonetheless, through his
recklessness and quest for adventure, Beowulf falls into pride, thus inviting his death and leaving
his people without a king. Therefore, Beowulf is not necessarily an ideal hero, but a tragic hero.
He exemplifies the heroic traits of bravery and loyalty, but his pride leads to his destruction. The
example of Beowulf’s tragic heroism reveals an important moral lesson: pride can destroy even
seemingly ideal heroes.
Feldman 5
Works Cited
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. Translated by Seamus Heaney. Norton, 2000.
Feldman 6
Works Cited
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. Translated by Seamus Heaney. 2000.