How Is Beowulf Justified

Throughout the epic, Beowulf has various conflicts in his values and morals as a hero and as a human. Due to the fact that Beowulf is mortal, he is held to a higher standard than others due to his status as a hero. However, the hero is a warrior, so when he is victorious in battle that means his opponent has fallen. Even though Beowulf is a murderer, he is adored by the villagers and Hrothgar. As a victorious hero Beowulf’s actions must be found reasonable and fair. If Beowulf’s actions were not justified, then there would not be a significant difference between Grendel and himself. In the story of Beowulf, there is a blend of Christian and Pagan influence. Although in modern times there are many Pagan attributes to Christianity, in this time …show more content…
Fifty years after killing Grendel’s mother, Beowulf is faced with a new issue. A man who stole from a dragon had been killed by the beast and now Beowulf must make the decision of if he should battle with the dragon. Beowulf understands that it is attacking people, but his days as a warrior are behind him, he is now old and gray. After giving it thought, Beowulf decides that he must battle with the dragon. This legendary beast which sit in a cave of treasure, represents greed. As the king of a prosperous land, Beowulf cannot fall to greed. As a man who is more than capable of conquering the monster, the treasure is his. Beowulf did not fight for the treasure, he fought for what was right. Beowulf went to the cave and battled with the dragon, eventually being fatally wounded. Being the great hero that he is, Beowulf manages to kill the dragon with his sword before he meets his demise. After the battle, with both dead, Wiglaf is now the king. As Beowulf requested, the treasure is distributed throughout the kingdom to the people. Wiglaf says, “Yet Beowulf’s gaze at the gold treasure when he first saw it had not been selfish.” (page 207) Although Beowulf had physically died, he did not fall to the greed that the murderous dragon represented. He rose above the idea of selfishness. Beowulf encountered many difficult decisions throughout his days as a warrior and as a king. Some choices were questionable but were justified as they were for the greater good. The killing of Grendel was Beowulf’s triumph over evil. Defeating Grendel’s mother showed Beowulf’s ability to overcome revenge and hatred. The final battle between the aged Beowulf and the dragon show his selflessness. Before the fight Beowulf understood that he was