Bravery In Beowulf

Beowulf
Beowulf is an epic poem from the Angle-Saxon period, about a hero who takes on great challenges and adventures. The character Beowulf embodies the virtues of the Angle-Saxon culture and beliefs. He embodies the traits of Angle-Saxon society: strength, bravery, honor and desire to help the helpless. He shows bravery within the events of his fearless actions for the better living of other human beings ;( ‘… having come to him from over the open sea you have come bravely and are welcome’’ lines 129). This illustrates the importance of bravery Angle-Saxon people due to their actions of Beowulf.

Beowulf is a great warrior, characterized predominantly by his feats of strength and courage, including his fabled swimming match against Breca His defeat of Grendel and Grendel’s mother validates his reputation for bravery and establishes him fully as a hero. In first part of

the epic poem, Beowulf matures little, as he possesses heroic qualities in abundance from the start. Having purged Denmark of its plagues and established himself as a hero, however, he is ready to enter into a new phase of his life. Hrothgar, who becomes a mentor and father figure to the young warrior, begins to deliver advice about how to act as a wise ruler. Though Beowulf does not become king for many years, his exemplary career as a warrior has served in part to prepare him for his ascension to the throne.

The second part of the story, set in Geatland, skips over the middle of Beowulf’s career and focuses on the very end of his life. Through a series of retrospectives, however, we recover much of what happens during this gap and therefore are able to see how Beowulf comports himself as both a warrior and a king. The period following Hygelac’s death is an important transitional moment for Beowulf. Instead of rushing for the throne himself, as Hrothulf does in Denmark, he supports Hygeia’s son, the rightful heir. With this gesture of loyalty and respect for the throne, he proves himself worthy of kingship

In the final episode—the encounter with the dragon— ;(‘… And now the youth was to enter the line of battle with his lord,
his first time to be tested as a fighter. His spirit did not break and the ancestral blade
would keep its edge, as the dragon discovered as soon as they came together in the combat.

(2625-2630) the poet reflects further on how the responsibilities of a king, who must act for the good of the people and not just for his own glory, differ from those of the heroic warrior. In light of these meditations, Beowulf’s moral status becomes somewhat ambiguous at the epic poem’s end. Though he is deservedly celebrated as a great hero and leader, his last courageous fight is also somewhat rash. The poem suggests that, by sacrificing himself, Beowulf unnecessarily leaves his people without a king, exposing them to danger from other tribes. To understand Beowulf’s death strictly as a personal failure, however, is to neglect the overwhelming emphasis given to fate in this last portion of the poem. The conflict with the dragon has an aura of inevitability about it. Rather than a conscious choice, the battle can also be interpreted as a matter in which Beowulf has very little choice or free will at all. Additionally, it is hard to blame him for acting according to the dictates of his warrior

culture.

The epic poem of Beowulf is a great story about a brave man in search of the safety for his surroundings. ;(‘… 'I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open.' Lines 2511,2515) this quote shows how Beowulf was brave enough to risk his own life to keep safe the people around him. In conclusion the epic poem of Beowulf is a story with great fundamentals based on the Angle-Saxon age and society that shows bravery and also loyalty to its surroundings.