Code Of Conduct In Beowulf

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Many epic poems have been written in history to explain many different things. Scholars believe epic poetry as a way to explain the past. An example of this would be Virgil’s Aeneid explained how Rome came into being. Other epic poetry has been written to explain the gods and self-definition such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Other epic poems are written to explain the code of conduct for a certain people. This is true for the epic poem Beowulf. This piece of epic poetry was written to explain the Anglo-Saxon people and how they should live their lives. It is basically an instructional manual for all Anglo-Saxon warriors. These warriors lived and died by this code, and many of its key points have been handed down through generations of oral tradition and still used today. Throughout this poem, Beowulf goes and fights three different monsters. In Beowulf, Beowulf has different motivations for fighting the three monsters of Grendel, Grendel’s Dam, and the dragon. …show more content…

Beowulf is a strong warrior and has fought in many battles. He is believed to be the strongest and most capable warrior of his time. Grendel is a fierce monster that is eating Danish soldiers under King Hrothgar. Beowulf approaches King Hrothgar and claims that he is able to kill Grendel and will do it because it is his duty. Beowulf states, “My people have said, the wisest, most knowing and best of them, that my duty was to go to the Danes’ Great king.” He Beowulf states that his people believe it to be his duty to defeat Grendel. Beowulf was a strong warrior, therefore, he was capable of defeating Grendel. The Anglo-Saxon warriors strongly believed that if a person could accomplish a task that would help others, it was his duty to complete that task. Beowulf, does in fact, go and mortally wound Grendel by ripping his arm off. He does his

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