Beowulf

A detailed Summary of Beowulf

Beowulf was considered by many people throughout the poem to be a distinguished, noble leader. After his famous battle with Grendel, he became known as a hero who helped a troubled, helpless king out. It isn't until the end of the poem that we see any criticism about Beowulf at all. However, there are certain times in the poem where Beowulf does not seem to stand as a model of the heroic virtue. There are times where his intentions did not seem so heroic; instead, they seemed shallow, not filled with so much value or respect. Beowulf may have deserved more criticism than he actually received.

For many aspects of the word, it can be considered true that Beowulf was a hero. His first impression on people left them filled with awe and respect, solely by his appearance. His awesome strength and fighting ability left no doubt in anyone's mind that he was no ordinary soldier. He was a man unlike any other. His determination was very visible. These are all the qualities of a hero that Beowulf did possess. However, there are other characteristics of Beowulf that overlook these heroic qualities and give another perspective on Beowulf.

If he was truly a heroic king, he would have realized that the best way for him to win this battle, would be to send more able soldiers to fight and to make sure that his well being was kept safe. This way, he would be able to continue to rule the Geat people strongly for many more years. He did not have to enter into the battle. There were men who would have been willing to fight in his place. However, Beowulf still wanted to prove that he was able to fight in battles as he once had. He wanted to show his people that he was a king who had worked for the name and fame that he now held. The fact that Beowulf wanted to fight against the dragon himself shows that this last fight was more selfish and greedy than it was noble and honorable.

When Beowulf fought his final opponent, he did not give much thought to the people and the kingdom that he would be leaving behind. He did not think of the consequences that his actions would have. And Beowulf did sense that his death was coming. In his speech to his thanes, he set the tone that said he knew what he was up against; that he was old and this would be a hard battle to win. He seemed to give enough thought into th

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 787
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Beowulf

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