Beowulf: The Journey In Becoming A Hero

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The Journey in Becoming A Hero
In the epic poem, Beowulf, translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is considered one of the eldest examples of what society believes are the qualities that a hero should possess. This leader shows selflessness and physical strength as he defeats Grendel in the story. Beowulf exemplifies courage in all his battles along with the intelligence that is needed in order to defeat his nemeses. In Anglo-Saxon literature, being honorable was the most ideal trait that a person must have in order to be depicted as a hero. Because a hero is considered to be a role model to others, they must do what is needed to be done in order to strengthen everybody around them to the best of their ability. Like Beowulf, a ruler should be prepared to lead, be selfless and must have mental and physical strength.
A ruler must be able to take an active role in the part that he or she is stepping up to. A leader must not sit back and observe what is going on, they should be making the decisions that is best for everybody and be making sure that all their …show more content…

They are the ones who takes the first steps in any battle or advancement. The text states, “A king must allow a man to grow famous, and his family rich, gives him land and towns to rile and delight in,” (1728). This means that a king must think of the good of others before they think about themselves. Like in Beowulf, at the final battle, Wiglaf, Beowulf’s right-hand man, shows the same bravery, loyalty and devotion that Beowulf showed during the entire poem. This loyalty is selflessness because Wiglaf ignored his own safety and showed bravery and his courage against the dragon and helps Beowulf (2694). Although the rest of Beowulf’s men ran away from the dragon’s flames, Wiglaf stood behind to help his leader in a time when Beowulf was needing more people. The selflessness that a ruler should have was evident in Wiglaf during this

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