A Different Hero

A Different Hero

A Different Hero
When has it ever occurred to a hero to boast about triumph when it is other people he is helping? Beowulf is the subject of the epic poem that is named after him. Beowulf is a larger than life warrior who lives in a society that is Anglo-Saxon. One important belief is that a warrior needs to be known and needs to tell his tale to achieve immortality. A hero should not be defined by how strong he is, what weapon he uses or how many monsters he has killed.
In Beowulf’s culture it is important to have a story to tell all about. Meade halls were a place that warriors, and/or chivalry men would gather and tell accounts of so called acts of heroism to one another and get heavily intoxicated. It was the Meade Halls that served as the binding fiber of the mentality of men like Beowulf. They were meant for warriors and warriors only. They were so exclusive that jealousy among non-warriors was common. Nevertheless, it was not only the warrior that felt self-righteous, but also all the other warriors around him. “Warrior who brave bravely does battle with the creature hurting our people, who survives that horror goes home bearing our love” (P. 53). The Dutch had no problem giving their full trust to Beowulf. They trusted him fully and put the responsibility of the task personally and squarely on his shoulders. It was the manner in which Beowulf carried himself that caused him to gain everyone’s full trust. In conclusion it was other people that influenced Beowulf aside from himself.
Wherever Beowulf went, he was backed by his loyalists. He has a network of followers with him on the journey to Denmark who treated him like he was the last hope of humanity. It was his loyal followers who looked at him as though he was the definition of mighty. He thought of himself as the warrior most deserving of praise. If it meant risking his life to achieve that praise, he would not hesitate. In addition to that, Beowulf felt as though he was completely obligated to...

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