Beowulf

The Germanic heroic epic Beowulf, titled after the lead character, tells the story of a man who defines the meaning of hero. The character of Beowulf exemplifies the traits of the perfect hero by combining both courage and honor. The poem explores his heroism in two separate phases, his youth and his age, and also through three separate and increasingly difficult conflicts with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. Although we can view these three encounters as Beowulf’s duty to fulfill his role as a hero, there is a clearer division between Beowulf's youthful heroism as an indomitable warrior and his mature heroism as a reliable king. These two phases of his life, separated by fifty years, illustrates how Beowulf makes the transition from one to another and his different models of virtue.
In his youth, Beowulf is a great warrior, characterized by his feats of strength and courage, including his fabled swimming match against Breca. He also perfectly embodies the manners and v...