Beowulf As A Hero Essay

In the epic Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero however in today's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments. In the beginning, Beowulf was introduced as a young and powerful warrior whose heroism is defined by his great strength. As …show more content…
However, Beowulf didn’t pay the slightest attention but instead ignored what was happen. Finally when the dragon burns down Beowulf’s throne room was when Beowulf decide to deal with this dragon problem. In Beowulf's eyes, the lives of his citizens couldn’t even compare to his throne room. When Beowulf decided to fight the dragon he said, “Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning” (lines 2512-2514). Beowulf is telling us that he doesn’t value the lives of his citizen but instead values glory and is willing to fight for it. In the end, Beowulf slays the dragon but paid his life as the price. In conclusion, Beowulf is considered a great warrior but not a true hero. Although he accomplished many heroic deeds he never did any of them for the right reasons. Therefore, Beowulf is not a true hero but only a warrior who values renown and rewards. Although he should signs that he cares about the people he never fought for the people but for himself to the very end. Ultimately we see that Beowulf has the characteristic of a hero but his values differ greatly from that of heroes. It can even we concluded that the values of the people who listen to Beowulf hundred of years ago differ from us