Examples Of Courage In Beowulf

In beowulf the main consequence of cowardice or any weakness really was death and it played a basic but important roll the ultimate end as this it showed how important every battle war challenge was and would be to the people there in that time. Beowulf sees lots of death as it's explained he is a seasoned warrior and has won many battles and from the very beginning it paints a very gruesome picture as it shows the world as the monster grendel attacks showing a world of monsters and uncertainty for men because of those creatures, I'm thinking that longevity was pretty low and getting old was a rare and lucky thing amongst men in in anglo-saxon era the mortality in beowulf shows really when beowulf dies as an old man at the end of his story

Beowulf is a courageous, strong individual whose honor is show through his many great and valorous deeds. Throughout “Beowulf”, Beowulf shows off the ways that he affects others around him, whether it be through a courageous act, giving details of his honor, or just showing off how strong he is. He shows his traits well and often.

Beowulf’s most magnificent act of courage is when he takes on the dreaded Grendel. “For twelve winters” (147) Grendel terrorized the Dane’s famous hall, Heorot, where the King of the Danes, Hrothgar, resides. Beowulf’s primary reason for traveling to the Daneland is to fight the “ ‘corpse-maker mongering death” (276). Beowulf knows of the destructive path Grendel has went through Heorot Hall but he still shows courage to fight the demonic creature with knowing his history. Beowulf tells Hrothgar of his courage to relieve the doubts of victory “ ‘they [have] seen me bolstered in the blood of enemies when I battled and bound five beasts, raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea slaughtered sea-brutes” (419-422).

In Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, courage is undoubtedly the most important trait a man could have. The Geats thrived for 50 years under the powerful and courageous reign of King Beowulf. However, the Danes suffered through twelve winters under Grendel because of King Hrothgar’s fear. The strength and bravery of a strong leader and warrior can lead many countries to peace and power. Throughout Beowulf, many characters exhibit courage, which increases their morale on the battlefield and leads to victory.

This shows Beowulf’s strength, courage and fearlessness. Through this it is evident that he possess courageous traits.

Beowulf’s last test of courage comes in his old age when his people are threatened by a “mighty” dragon. Beowulf felt as if something he had done had caused the irascible beast to wreck havoc on his people, “killing and destroying” them and their homes with its “molten” breath. Knowing what had to be done, Beowulf bravely faced the dragon, while all of his people, except for one, fled in fear. His last battle, which ended in death, displayed Beowulf’s unwavering courage, the type that every hero should possess.

Beowulf’s courage when running into the battle with the mighty fire breathing dragon shows ultimate sacrifice and courage. Beowulf was flushed with thoughts about this being his last fight and his death. Beowulf was fighting his foe to avenge the

Michael Hyatt once stated that, “courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in spite of the fear”. This quote can be simply connected to Beowulf. Beowulf was originally just a story that was told and passed down from generation to generation. The time period that the story was written in is unknown and so is the author. Even though the author is unknown many different translations have been written and are based on the original translation that was discovered . The story takes place during the Anglo Saxon period and is very brutal. The story is about a courageous warrior who gains alot of fame and honor by fighting different monsters. The story itself only describes three battles but it has many flashbacks to the hero’s

When Beowulf arrives to the land of the Danes, as soon as they dock and get off of their ship Beowulf shows his courage instantly by taking the lead and explaining to the guards that watched out for raiders and enemy ships approaching who they were and where they were from so that they may advance to the Heorot which he had heard much about. After they get inside Heorot Beowulf truly shows his courage when he tells Hrothgar about all of the triumphs he had when he was younger and how when he heard of their problem with Grendel and how he planned to be a match for him so that he could be the one to bring peace back to Heorot. He also explains how he isn't afraid of death because if he is going to die it will happen whether he wants it to or not and by doing this he gives king Hrothgar peace by knowing that he is courageous enough to take on this challenge and not be afraid by the terror that his people have been facing for the last 12 years.

Not only is Beowulf honorable and well respected, he is brave as well. His courage is shown by not hesitating to risk his own life to pursue the Dane’s enemies. By being self-assured, Beowulf is able to successfully defeat the fiends, Grendel and his infamous mother. At the time Beowulf is planning to pursue the vindictive dragon, the epic poem states, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, If the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.”(ll. 2511-2515). He feels no fear, is confident in fighting the dragon alone, and has no qualms in risking his life to save others. He declares his bravery by saying, “When he comes to me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins... No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster.”(ll. 2525-2534). In his actions, Beowulf’s bravery is clearly shown throughout the poem.

Courage and wisdom reflect the encouragement to prove his determination and decisiveness when he fought the dragon. His great amount of vigor brought himself at imminence to perform collective acts of heroism. Beowulf caused me wonderment for he looked up fame through courageousness in the harm's way having unworthy circumstance.

“Where is the glory in doing something that others have done” (Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief). A quote befitting of the character Beowulf who slew the abomination known as Grendel to save the people of Heorot, then killing his vengeful mother using the sword Hrunting and finally as his last legendary exploit he brought down a mighty dragon to save his kingdom, the most prominent definition of an epic hero and the epitome of what the ideal Scandinavian hero is. On the surface, this may seem like Beowulf is a selfless hero willing to go to great lengths to save the people around him but after deeper analysis of the story, it may be that Beowulf’s pride and search for glory is what truly drives him.

Beowulf’s courage is called once again, and this is the final battle. In this battle, Beowulf has to defeat a fire breathing dragon, symbolizing Satan. First of all, Beowulf is very old at this point. Once he heard about his home being destroyed, he left to fight the beast right away. “Then Beowulf was given bad news,/ a hard truth: his own home,/ the best of buildings, had been burnt to a cinder”(2324-2326). This shows how couragous Beowulf really is. Beowulf is a very old man at this point and his courage is too big and he has to defeat this monster for himself for destroying his home. Secondly, Beowulf fights the dragon on his own. In the poem the dragon is to be symbolized as Satan and he is ready to fight. “The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/ trusted his own strength entirely/and went under the crag” (2540-2545). Last of all, Beowulf is fighting the dragon and is nearly dead, Wiglaf had enough courage to come help. Beowulf and Wiglaf were able to defeat the dragon. “The noble son of Weohstan/ saw the king in danger at

Courage, bravery, and strength are three heroic Anglo-Saxon characteristics that tie together perfectly. Without courage, you will not have strength and bravery. Without strength and bravery, you will not have the courage to face your challenges. Anglo-Saxons believed three of these characteristics were perfectly interwoven in the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero (Garcia). Beowulf identifies to three of these Anglo-Saxon characteristics flawlessly as he fights the monstrous Grendel. Courage means fighting even if it means death; it means challenging your fate and being brave no matter the circumstance (Cascio). Beowulf shows special strength and bravery when he has the courage to renounce his use of weapons and protection when battling Grendel. “No weapons, therefore, for either this night: unarmed he [Grendel] shall face me if face

Beowulf’s virtues of courage and strength appear throughout the poem during his life as a warrior and as a king. He begins the story with courage and “the strength of thirty / in the grip of each hand” (380-381), which are vital to his accomplishments as a warrior. His courage and strength are apparent when he fights Grendel without the use of weapons. Both virtues are crucial to his success in that battle and lead him to become a leader of wisdom and stature. As king of Heorot he uses his courage and strength in the battle against the dragon. Before the fight he has a feeling of uncertainty and it is stated “He was sad at heart / unsettled yet ready, sensing his death. / His fate hovered near, unknowing but certain: / It would soon claim his coffered soul.” (2419-2424). His sense of forthcoming death may illustrates a lack of confidence in his ability to slay the dragon; however, it also shows tremendous courage by involving himself in an unevenly matched fight. Although his physical strength may have abandoned him in his last fight against the dragon, his courage and wisdom intensified his glory beyond his death.