Beowulf A Hero Essay, Research Paper

By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. Exceptional quality does

not begin to describe the hero that is Beowulf. Of the tale of the same name,

Beowulf could be described better as a saint, or a savior. His self-imposed

purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in

doing so. In the short time period in which we have joined Beowulf, more heroic

acts are presented than any normal man can have accomplished in his entire

being. Beowulf?s motive for crossing the sea to visit Hrothgar was to repay a

favor that was owed by his father, Scyld Scefing. Known to Beowulf was the chaos

that which had been implemented by the demon, Grendel, on the kingdom. His plans

were to rid the people of this nuisance. But this feat would not be as simple as

first thought. Beowulf was able to overcome Grendel with minimal effort, but

this was only the beginning of his quest. Next, the demon’s mother had to be

rid, and the battle was not as simple. Finally, Beowulf was to face the Dragon,

who not only was the hardest battle, but also would be the end of Beowulf. The

combined efforts brought peace to the kingdom once again. Destroying the

presence of evil in the kingdom of Hrothgar is an exceptional feet, but what

makes Beowulf stand out is his purpose. He fought, neither for the glory nor

riches, but for his father and the sake of the people. Beowulf sought no

compensation for his services; the mere satisfaction of helping others was well

enough. This quality alone is exceptional enough to make Beowulf a hero among

heroes.