Examples Of Courage In Beowulf

Most societies throughout history have famous figure that are carried on in time. These figures can be famous for living admirable lives, famous for horrendous deeds, and have been used to warn later generations. Each society have different standards for good qualities and less desirable qualities, depending on what the community values. Beowulf showed admirable qualities like courage and loyalty to his community. His lust, pride, and confidence, however, made him less commendable to his society and became cautionary tale about hubris. The warrior culture in Beowulf is quickly set up to make courage an admirable trait in people. The very first lines of the story state “So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns”(Heaney, lines 1-3). Courage is equivalent to greatness, and many will tell about “the greats” of their time. With this attitude, it is not surprising that Beowulf acted so courageously when attacking monsters and impossible tasks. Beowulf understood the importance and significance of courage, “often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked”(Heaney, lines 571 -572), as a way to design your own fate. People want to be remembered and important; in a culture where …show more content…
Later in his life, the lust of pride and fame is again shown by how Beowulf addresses his men before facing the dragon on his own. In his address, Beowulf proclaims “Men-at-arms, remain here on the barrow, safe in your armor… The fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth. I shall win the gold by my courage…” (Heaney, lines 2529-2537). Through his proclamation, Beowulf has gone against everything Hrothgar warned him to be wary towards; his “bloom fading”, aging, and death coming to sweep him