Anglo Saxon Values In Beowulf

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The importance of values is constantly reflected in the epic, Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons favored heroes such as Beowulf who embodied the ideals they supported. Heroes are characterized by bravery, honor, truth, and loyalty. These characteristics also represent the base of the numerous Anglo-Saxon beliefs. The Anglo-Saxon values showcased in Beowulf, including bravery, strength, honor, and loyalty, continue to be upheld throughout present day societies. Two of the several Anglo-Saxon values showcased in Beowulf are bravery and strength. A hero must have the courage to complete a journey which must be traveled or a task which must be completed. Beowulf’s courage and strength is made obvious in many instances of the epic poem …show more content…

The Anglo Saxons believed a man, especially a hero, should be honorable through service and how one treats others. This belief went hand in hand with loyalty. Anglo-Saxons admired those who were loyal to their king as well as their families and fellow townspeople. Beowulf is an ideal example of these qualities, “He who had come to them from across the sea,/ Bold and strong-minded, had driven affliction/ Off, purged Herot clean… the Danes/ Had been served as he’d boasted he’d serve them; Beowulf,/ A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel,/ Ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering/ forced on Hrothgar’s helpless people/ By a bloodthirsty fiend” (Beowulf 506-08, 510-14). Beowulf is a man of his word and did not back down in his battle against Grendel no matter the challenge. He achieved victory against Grendel and as the poem continues, Beowulf is perpetually determined to face any challenges that reach Herot, including Grendel’s mother and the dragon. Moreover, Beowulf is everlastingly loyal whether it is to the Danes and their king, Hrothgar, or his own people, the Geats. Beowulf returns to his homeland and the Geats after it seems he is no longer needed to fight, however, Beowulf returns to Herot after fifty winters pass to complete a final task, a task which he will complete, and prove himself as a honorable hero one the last

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