What Makes a Hero?

A detailed Summary of What Makes a Hero?


After spending over a week reading the story "Beowulf", we can all come to the conclusion that he is a hero. Sure, he saves countries from monsters, has incredible strength and wisdom, and is fearless- the typical fictional hero. However, when I hear the word hero, I think in terms of an everyday hero. In my mind, a hero is someone who performs courageous acts even if the consequences can be fatal. A hero doesn't have to be some big muscled guy who beats up bad guys. My example of a hero is a fireman. He/she knows that they might be killed rescuing someone from a burning building, yet they still go in. Why? Probably for the honor and glory that people will give them.

Now that we know my definition of a hero, we can take a closer look at the Beowulf's life to determine if he is a hero by my standards. We first encounter Beowulf when he hears about the troubles the Danes are having with an evil monster named Grendel. Beowulf, knowing that this evil monster might be able to kill him, voluntarily packs up some stuff, gathers some of his men, and leaves the Geats to go help the Danes. When Beowulf arrives to Danish king, he is peacefully invited to the mighty mead hall. When there, Beowulf tells the kin


After Beowulf kills Grendel, he is faced with another fierce monster - Grendel's mother. Beowulf was not expecting another monster so he was a caught by surprise a little. Also, Beowulf had a harder time defeating Grendel's mother than he did with killing Grendel. In this fight, I think Beowulf was fighting more in self-defense than in a heroic sense. He really had no choice other to fight. If he didn't fight, however, he would be considered a chicken. So, is Beowulf a hero for killing Grendel's mother? Yes and no. Yes, because he knew that fighting Grendel's mother could kill him. No, because he was really fighting in self-defense.

g that he would like to fight the evil monster. The king, knowing that he has nothing to lose, lets Beowulf fight the monster. Is this guy begging for attention or what? What man in his right mind would go to another country to fight a vicious monster? Beowulf wanted the honor that he could obtain if he killed Grendel. That is why he went. Also, the king told him that if Beowulf could defeat Grendel, he would have anything his heart yearned for. So, the answer to the question if he qualifies as a true hero is yes for this part. He knows he can die if he fights Grendel, but he still does it.

So, as I come to my conclusion, you can see why I consider Beowulf a

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 886
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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