Motivations In Beowulf

“Beowulf” is a renowned Anglo-Saxon tale that has survived ages of being retold by first the Anglo-Saxons, then people all over the world. While the original creator of the legendary poem is unknown, it is recognized as an amazing heroic epic, made up of 3,200 lines of alternative verse that is both pagan and laced with Christian theology. The characters in the poem are not discussed very heavily; even the main hero, Beowulf, exhibits only the basic poetic epic hero qualities: courage, honor, ambition, etc. There are only three great battles in the poetic epic: the battle with Grendel, the battle with Grendel’s mother, and the monstrous dragon at the very end that ultimately brings about the hero’s demise. Three motivations, one motivation per battle (though they can be seen lightly in all of the battles), could be perhaps glory, honor, and duty. The first motivation of Beowulf is glory, which is seen by how the young warrior responds to the news of the Danes in need of assistance with a terrible brute of a monster called Grendel. He rises to the occasion, seeking to not just show respect and perhaps to strengthen an alliance between the Geats and the Danes, but to also earn glory by not just fighting the monster, but by also showing off his inhuman …show more content…
Warriors constantly tried attaining further glory and often fought for not just their honor, but perhaps for the honor of those surrounding them and out of respect and duty. Beowulf is a simple yet complex hero, exhibiting all the typical attributes a warrior may have, but also shows deeper messages and motivations by his actions. Three motivations, one motivation per battle (though they can be seen lightly in all of the battles), could be perhaps glory, honor, and