Beowulf: The First True Hero

           When thinking of a true hero, we generally tend to think of someone who is selfless and loyal to his or her lord.  More often than not, the hero is the star of the story, and frequently displays acts of kindness, bravery, and fearlessness.  Beowulf has been described as the first heroic character in literature, and the inspiration for the creation of all heroes that came after. 

            Before Aragorn of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there was Beowulf, and many have even said that Tolkein received much of his inspiration for the series from the poem itself.  Beowulf is a hero, who despite the lack of request, travels from Geatland to Denmark to defeat the monster, Grendel.  His idea to travel across the sea is initially for sport, but it is also to free Hrothgar’s people from the ever-present fear of Grendel’s attacks, thus showing his first act of kindness. 

            Beowulf is brave, as he is well aware of the horror stories, which have sprouted from Grendel’s slaughtering of Danes, yet he still goes into battle with full confidence in his victory.  Although Beowulf is fearless, he is not recklessly so.  His character thinks before he acts, and if something happens to go awry in his battle, he is quick to assess the situation in an attempt to salvage the outcome.  When Grendel attacks and Beowulf finds out that he cannot penetrate his skin with his sword, he bravely hurls himself at the best and tears its arm off. 

            A hero is known for his or her loyalty and selflessness, and one of the most remarkable moments in the story—in my opinion—is when Beowulf is about to dive into the water to face Grendel’s mother.  He acknowledges the fact that he may not win this battle, and if that be the case, his men will not longer have a leader, or someone who will look out for their well-being.  That being said, he asks Hrothgar to make sure that his men are taken care of, should he perish, and that his prizes earned in Denmark be taken back to Hygelac, his king, as a sign of respect.

            After freeing the Danes from the demons that terrorized their land, Beowulf and his men return across the sea to Geatland, and Hygelac’s kingdom.  Upon returning, Hygelac’s speech to Beowulf makes it seem as though he did not have much faith in Beowulf when he initially began his venture across the sea, which gives the impression that Hygelac does not respect Beowulf as the Danes did.  Despite what our feelings might be when we read this, we notice that Beowulf remains loyal to his lord in all times, in all opinions.