Madisen Schimek Block 4 English 12 November 19, 2013

Heroism of Beowulf
A hero would be someone who is brave, courageous, daring, and loyal. To be a hero you need to have the qualities of a hero or heroine. But some people have different ideas of a hero, like the handsome price in the princess movies or a superhero that has power, but almost anyone could really be a hero if they had the qualities. A modern day hero I think would be someone who can make a change in the world or help someone greatly. Beowulf did show his qualities as a hero and he did show another side of him that was not as heroic as he could have been. It is pretty hard for me to choose a side of a hero or not, but at different times he was a great hero and had many people look up to him. Beowulf was very loyal to his people and the king. They looked up to him as if they wanted to be him or be like him, but at first they did not. He did about everything Hrothgar told him to do. He believed that everyone was equal to each other, and no one was better than one another. He showed fairness with his enemies, and fought one on one with them. When he came to fight Grendel he showed that he wanted best for the people or that he just wanted the fame of it. He just wanted to prove that he could do anything and that he was a great man. When Beowulf came in he started talking about all his victories and wins. I feel like that he was trying to let everyone know how much a superstar he was. To be a hero your actions should speak more than your words. He did a lot of talking about his victories, but yet he did defeat all the enemies he was supposed to do. Beowulf was

very good at speaking, which was one Germanic heroic code. He was very brave to go fight Grendel without one piece of armor. I feel like he was maybe being too cocky of himself, but he got the job done well. He is an overall strong man, who will do anything it takes to become a very well-known man. I feel like Beowulf matured over the time of this epic poem. In the beginning he was more so on the fame side, then be became a good man knowing right from wrong. Instead of being just a warrior, he becomes a noble king. Sometimes people need time to proceed into a better person, or just need time for everything. I feel as if the time Beowulf spent as a warrior and king helped him become an overall better person for him and his land. In conclusion, I really think at the end of the epic poem that Beowulf was a decent hero. He did his part and his role to be a leader. He showed his strength and loyalness to his leaders and people, he learned over time, but he did sometimes speak too much rather than to just do it. I feel like anyone can be a hero if they help make a change for the better. On earth; he who can earn it should fight/ For the glory of his name; fame after death/ Is the noblest of goals (21.1387-1389). Beowulf was an interesting story, but it teaches people to be a good person and to do the right thing.