Epiphany In Beowulf

Life is an epiphany! No matter what we achieve in life disaster or tragedy will strike and destroy it but this does not mean you have to throw the towel. Values such as; courage, bravery, strength, loyalty, and reputation allow individuals or communities to face such adversaries and survive in spite of them. Beowulf is an example of how individuals survive adversaries in life regardless of endless challenges that one face in life. The character of Beowulf in the poem Beowulf demonstrates courage, bravery, strength, loyalty, and reputation regardless of adversaries Beowulf faces, showing that life will always have challenges, but what matters is what you do to deal with such challenges. This essay will show how individuals or communities face …show more content…
This shows that life is indeed apocalyptic, after having achieved something disaster or tragedy has a way of sinking in and destroying our achievements, just like what we see happening in the poem Beowulf, but courage and bravery can overturn disaster. The character of Beowulf portrays a man that is courageous and brave in the mist of adversaries “When he heard about Grendel, Hygalac’s thane was in his home ground, over in Geatland. There was no one else like him alive in his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, high-born and powerful. He ordered a boat that qould ply the waves. He announced his plan.” Beowulf (193-198). This shows a character that is not reluctant to face adversaries, his courage and bravery is what motivates a person to act in times of trouble. Like the character of Beowulf, who takes it upon himself to address the tragedy that has befallen the Danes. One can see that having the value of courage and bravery goes a long way. At the end Beowulf is able to defeat the monster named Grendel, after many had failed. Some people were even afraid to face this monster, but having courage and bravery shows that anything is possible if you are willing to face it head on. It takes courage and bravery to change situations in life, fear does not change the situation around you, but …show more content…
People have proven to hold an enormous value when it comes to their reputation or preserving their name. As in the Anglo-Saxon pessimism that life is transient, everything that is good will eventually get destroyed, but one thing that may remain is one’s name. Thus in the poem Beowulf the value of reputation, and upholding a good name plays a significant role in how Beowulf strives to overcome the challenges that he and the people around him face. We constantly see how the character of Beowulf is obsessed with about his name, and his reputation. How people will remember him when he is no longer alive is more important than anything, thus he strives to face all the challenges that present themselves head on. This teaches us that having the desire to maintain a good reputation can help us overcome adversaries in life. “Hygelac’s kinsman kept thinking about his name and fame: he never lost heart.” Beowulf (1529-1530). Here it shows that what kept motivating Beowulf to continue fighting was because he valued his name more than anything because he knew that his name was the only thing that will speak for him even after his death. Having good name does not only brings you fame, but it also brings you honor. Life will always bring challenges, as it has proven in the poem Beowulf, but striving to uphold a good reputation motivates you to face such challenges head on, and to continue to take