Bravery In Beowulf

There are many pieces of literature that have been written down through the course of time. Many of these pieces were written in Europe, and depict epic quests and fantastic journeys. The earliest piece of European literature ever printed was a piece of Anglo Saxon poetry known as Beowulf. The Anglo Saxons were a Germanic tribe that had many values and ideas that their people lived by and kept sacred in their day to day lives. These values include; bravery, loyalty, generosity, and heroism. Beowulf, the main character in the poem Beowulf is the man who has all of these values, and is the epitome of the Anglo Saxon. Beowulf is the image of bravery throughout the story Beowulf, and there are two examples from the story that depict his bravery best. The night Beowulf fights Grendel, before the actual fight Beowulf claims that he will fight Grendel without his sword or his armor, nothing but his bear hands against Grendel’s hell forged claws. In the end Beowulf prevails due to Grendel’s hide being impervious to swords, but Beowulf making the claim that he would willingly
The definition of a hero is “A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” Beowulf is undoubtedly comprised of all of these qualities and clearly falls under the category of a hero. Beowulf has inimitable courage, and has incredible abilities that can be matched by no other man; such as immense strength and the ability to hold his breath underwater for hours on end. Beowulf is admired by all; his name is heard all around the world. His brave deeds such as the defeat of Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the fierce dragon all contribute to his fame and his heroic status. Selflessness is a quality that a hero must also possess; a hero must put the needs of the many before themselves. Beowulf shows his selflessness when he dies in battle fighting the dragon that was terrorizing his