Beowulf's Heroic Traits

Beowulf Of all the people we meet in life, few are heroes. A Hero is defined as “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” In the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf could be considered a hero. He displays many heroic traits such as bravery when he defeated Grendel, fearlessness when he killed Grendel's mother, and loyalty when he became king of the Geats fifty years later. When Hrothgar’s hall was being attacked, Beowulf was there to help. Grendel comes to attack Hrothgar’s mead hall, possibly out of jealousy. As seen here, jealousy is a very powerful feeling. Hrothgar cannot fight him off, so Beowulf shows up. You could say it is a coincidence, but I don’t think it is. He knows Hrothgar is in trouble, so he comes to fight the monster. He knows that it is his duty to protect and he needs to be brave. It is not often that we think of fighters as heroes, but just like many would think an American Soldier is a hero, Beowulf is too. Beowulf and soldiers both demonstrate bravery. Both go into unfamiliar situations just knowing that they need to keep everyone else safe even if their own lives are in danger. Heorot is an important place, so he takes initiative and defends it. He also did it with just his bare hands, no weapons needed “Hand-to-hand / is how it will be, a life-and-death / fight with the fiend” (Beowulf 31). When he kills Grendel, he tears off his arm and hangs it in the hall. It is like a token of pride for him. This is only one of Beowulf's acts of heroism. After her son is killed, Grendel's mother is out to get Beowulf and his entourage. …show more content…
She attacks Hrothgar's mead hall just like Grendel did. His mother is trying to seek revenge. She takes his arm back because she can't stand the fact that Beowulf is proud to have killed her son. When she retreats to her lair, little does she know that she has a big storm coming. Beowulf is not going to let Grendel's mother get away with this and he knows that she is a threat to all his people. He knows that again, it is his duty to take care of it. His sense of fearlessness and need to protect the community leads him to attack her in her underwater lair “he dived into the heaving / depths of the lake” (Beowulf 103). Beowulf has never lost and he doesn't lose this time. If his people didn't believe in him and he didn't feel passionate for the people, he couldn't have defeated her. The fact that he feels that he owes it to his community, is what gave him the strength to win his battles. Finally the land of the Danes is free of monsters. If it wasn't for Beowulf's fearlessness of all the fights and monsters, he would not be the celebrated hero he is. Lastly, Beowulf is loyal. Loyalty is being faithful to one's government or commitments. It is one of the best traits a leader can have. Having trust in someone and faith that they won't betray you is very important. If a soldier isn't loyal to their country, they can be highly punished. If the public doesn't think a presidential candidate is loyal to the country, would they be elected? After Beowulf defeats Grendel and his mother, it is his