Beowulf
In Beowulf, the hero from which this poem takes its name fights battle after battle; proving his heroism and ridding his people of the evil which disrupts their lives by physically battling it. Three specific encounters of this sort occur in the poem: Beowulf's battle with Grendel, with Grendel's mother, and with the dragon. In each battle, it seems as if Beowulf has a slightly different motivation for fighting, although the reasons why this change of motivation happens are left somewhat unclear. There are several possible reasons: perhaps Beowulf's hubris is a part of it, or maybe material rewards such as treasure affect his motivations. It may be that the cause for which he fights changes. Also, it is possible that Beowulf begins to realize his impact when he fights, and, in this way, gains a perspective on the situation. It appears that Beowulf's motivation for being a hero and battling evil are a combination of both selfish and selfless reasons. In Beowulf's first confrontation, which is against Grendel, it appears that Grendel is challenge to face both physically and as a way of proving Beowulf's heroism to Hrothgar and his kingdom. It is very essential that Beowulf proves himself to Hrothg
fine barrow overlooking the sea; let it tower high on Whaleness as These last words justify Beowulf's worth to himself, and he takes comfort in knowing that even though he is very near death, he is a very wealthy man. Therefore, even though Beowulf may secretly really be doing it for the treasure, he makes it appear through his boasts that his intentions are purely altruistic. Finally, even though Beowulf could be considered a martyr, he wants to make sure those who live after him remember him as a martyr, and thus extend the fame he has worked so hard to build after his death. Beowulf also speaks of a monument to be built on his behalf, so that all will remember what he did for the Geats. ar. This is because previously, Beowulf's father had done a great deal of fighting for the people. Now, Beowulf's proving himself is almost a test, which he must pass so that the honor that was afforded his family in his father's time may be continued. In his initial boast, Beowulf speaks a great deal of his fame and status among other kingdoms so that Hrothgar might gain more trust in him. from the fight when I destroyed five, a family of giants, and by night "'Command the battle-warriors, after the funeral fire, to build a a reminder to my people. And let it be known as Beowulf's barrow
Some common words found in the essay are:
Geatland Unferth, Grendel Grendel's, Finally Beowulf, Lord Hrothgar, Motivation Beowulf, Wealtheow Hrothgar, material rewards, grendel's mother, beowulf's fighting, beowulf speaks, future generations, people beowulf's, hrothgar people, reasons beowulf's, noble noble, people geatland,
Approximate Word count = 1401
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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