Loyalty In Beowulf's Honor

Loyalty, strength, courage and fame. All of which a hero should posses is all shown in Beowulf. Loyalty is questioned but it could go either way. Selfish or not. I argue loyalty is held by Beowulf as a hero and stays true to his king. Each of the four heroic traits can be identified within the three battles in which Beowulf participates. Whether or not Beowulf wins or loses the fight, he will be remembered as the courageous warrior who battles the beast without the help of a weapon.

Why do some people believe Beowulf is a monster rather than a hero? Maybe it is because of his outrage on defeating the monsters or maybe his show of arrogance. That arrogance gave Beowulf the pride and confidence he needed to kill the non-heroic monsters, Grendel and his mother. A hero fights fair, as Beowulf did that, naked without weapons. I truly believe it was for the good of his people. Beowulf is a protector and that

is what he did.
In this essay I will prove my point to why Beowulf is a hero instead of a monster for which some think he is. Beowulf is a poem that achieves both loyalty and honor within its characters. Beowulf himself, is a intricate character who posses both of these traits and many more to establish his heroic figure. It is very debatable about Beowulf posing loyalty since Beowulf may come off as just wanting glory for himself and to be remembered. My point is Beowulf did it for a good cause and it is something he takes great pride in.
As you can recall in the beginning of the poem, Grendel is attacking King Hrothgar’s mead hall Herot. Beowulf hears of this tragedy and then volunteers to fight the beast. “So Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find the bravest and the best of the Geats, fourteen in all,” (lines ). Before Beowulf could get into the battle, Grendel makes his move on one of the geats. The two go hand to hand until Grendel’s shoulder is lost and left to die in his lair. This example is to why Beowulf is portrayed as a hero instead of a monster.
After the incident with Grendel’s shoulder and him dying, his mother comes to retreat his arm but killed one in the process. Beowulf comes back with a sword into Grendel’s mothers lair. The sword becomes useless so Beowulf then becomes naked with weapons and does it the fair, honorable way. Beowulf then sees, “hanging on the wall, a heavy, Sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons,” (lines ). Beowulf took the sword and killed Grendel’s mother with it held high. This is Beowulf’s second battle showing his great deeds in such a heroic scene.
Now after fifty years pass, an event occurs that establishes Beowulf as a hero. The dragon that attacks Beowulf’s kingdom and threatening his people. Rather than Beowulf sending warriors to fight the dragon, Beowulf goes himself. As the battle went on between the two Beowulf is interfered with a problem with the beast. “The iron Shield, and for a time it held, protected Beowulf as he’d planned; then it began to melt.” Beowulf’s weapons failed him once again and now Beowulf finds himself in a defeat for the first time. Beowulf’s kinsman, Wiglaf comes to help with them both defeating the dragon together while soon after Beowulf is wounded and about to die. Beowulf passes the throne to Wiglaf and gives appreciation to God for the prized possession they receive from the dragon’s hoard. Beowulf, the hero dies after fighting a foe that once again threatened his people.
Why is Beowulf expressed to being a hero?

Through his many heroic accomplishments, whether it is fighting Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the dragon, in Beowulf’s defense of the needy and his enthusiasm to sacrifice his life to benefit others, Beowulf has earned the right to be given the name “hero.” Beowulf can be looked at as a man who demonstrates the knightly morality of his medieval counterparts. Beowulf is not only a hero, but also a model to all warriors of that they should aim to be.

Today Beowulf can be relevant in society. A good leader can be further seen in a political process. Throughout the poem, similarities between personal relationships then and now are evident. Disloyalty within a family, murder caused by jealousy, and marriage for the wrong reasons are all themes in Beowulf. Today’s shows like soap operas reveal that little has changed. We live in a technology advanced world with sophisticated machinery but yet human nature has remained the same unchanged. Corruption, greed, and jealousy exist today as does courage, bravery, and

nobility.
The definition of a hero is the person who will sacrifice to promote goodness and who has pride in himself. The role of a hero can vary. Once someone does something that’s not only for himself but for the benefits of a large number or even a small number of people, the individual can be expressed as a hero. So Beowulf being a monster would be the wrong interpretation. Beowulf’s deeds are recognized and honored by the people he looked after and people he inspired even after his passing.