The Importance Of Proverbs In Beowulf

Proverbs are short sayings that offer a general truth or good advice. Joseph P. Kennedy said one proverb that is quite significant: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This phrase simply means that strong people do not give up when a challenge arises, but rather, they will work harder to overcome it. Beowulf epitomizes this maxim during his battles with Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the Dragon. The first battle in the epic poem Beowulf involves the main character, Beowulf, and an evil monster named Grendel. Grendel was a devilish creature that terrorized the Danes, making everyday life for a Dane a nightmare. Beowulf heard word of this horrid beast, and resolved to conquer it himself. After Beowulf arrived in Denmark, he realized how tough and frightening life had become for the Danes. As any epic hero would do, he decided to overcome the colossal and evil enemy that was Grendel. After a difficult and strenuous battle, Beowulf emerged as the victor. After Beowulf killed Grendel, it was shown that Beowulf remained strong even in the weakest of times, however Grendel was not the last enemy that Beowulf …show more content…
After Grendel was killed, Grendel’s Mother sought revenge against Beowulf. Beowulf recognized that he would be a coward if he backed down from a duel with this critter, so he decided to swim to her lair and quarrel with her. During the fight, Beowulf could not use his weapon, and despite being at a large disadvantage, he began to combat Grendel’s Mother using his bare hands. It looked as if the evil creature was going to win when she was sitting on Beowulf trying to stab him, but Beowulf stayed tough and used his observance to spot an ancient sword. He subsequently swung it at the beast, and she was killed. As Beowulf started to loose in the fight, he summoned his strength and put the brute to death. The strength he summoned was present due to his young age, but his youth was quickly fading