An Analysis of the Character Beowulf

The character Beowulf proved himself to be a hero from the very beginning of the story. He would recite his achievements in battle and would explain the monsters he faced. Some would say Beowulf is ignorant because it would seem like he brags constantly about his strength and skill in battle. Back in the time this story was told, it was common for warriors to tell stories about their battles and achievements. When I first started reading Beowulf, I thought Beowulf was ignorant because to me it sounded like he was bragging. After I got half way into the story, I started viewing it as him trying to prove himself to be a true hero.

The character Beowulf seemed too strong to be human and made the story unrealistic. In the beginning, Beowulf defeated Grendal without using any weapons. This seemed impossible because many warriors before Beowulf fought Grendal with weapons and died. It wasn’t until the end of the story that I felt Beowulf was not indestructible. When he battled with the dragon, he had trouble defeating him. He wasn’t able to survive the battle, and he needed help from Wiglaf. The reason Beowulf lost the battle was probably due to his old age, which helped the story seem more realistic. I believe if Beowulf never died in the story and was able to defeat the dragon easily, the story wouldn’t have been interesting. The character has to show some sort of weakness so the reader can connect to him better. Even though Beowulf was an extremely skilled warrior, he was still defeated.

In the story, I was able to watch Beowulf live his life from when he was young, to when he matured into a king. I believe that there were two phases in his life. One when he was young and incredibly strong. He would try to prove himself of being the best warrior alive and would rise up to any challenge. Then he entered a new phase when he became much older. He took the throne and became king. He was no longer as strong as when he was young, but he showed heroism by supporting other kings and trying to help others. Even though he didn’t survive the battle with the dragon, just the idea of him rising up to the challenge is still heroic. I believe that Beowulf fulfilled his duty as king to try and protect his people just for their sake. I don’t believe he fought the battle for his own glory, I believe he did it because he knew the dragon was going to destroy Geatland if Beowulf had not stopped the dragon.

He started out as a warrior and then he became king, which could have affected the way he handled certain problems. An example of this is the fight with the dragon. Beowulf was used to fighting monsters that others felt was impossible to beat. Since Beowulf was king, he had to protect his people. He viewed himself as the solution to save his people. He was known as a strong warrior so he would risk his own life in hopes that he could save Geatland. Whether or not he was aware that his old age would affect the battle, he still was obligated to protect his people even if it was obviously suicidal.

The character Beowulf is a hero throughout his life. He is a hero in the beginning due to his great skills in battle. He is a hero when he is old due to his great leadership as king. It shows that you don’t have to have strength to be a hero. I fell that Beowulf was a greater hero as a king and matured a great deal during the time between the fight with Grendal and the fight with the dragon.