Selflessness In Beowulf

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than them. A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Beowulf is the first of his kind showing his heroic traits and behavior throughout the story. He showed that he was a hero by giving his life to something bigger than himself and by inspiring another hero to rise to the occasion. In the story Beowulf shows that he is selfless with courage and always has unshakeable loyalty. There are many people in the world that help others, but there is a thin line between being a hero and a good person. The line that separates them is called selflessness. In the story, Beowulf embodies selflessness. He is concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with his own; he is unselfish. Even when Beowulf went to go fight for honor and glory he still fought selflessly. Beowulf knew that he would not return from his battle with the dragon. The passage even says “Beowulf uttered his final boast … Then he said farewell to his followers.” Beowulf could have not fought the dragon in his old age; he could have just given up the man who stole the cup and tried to make a …show more content…
Courage is force that few truly have; some have moments of bravery, but to have true courage is a powerful attribute for a hero. Throughout the story Beowulf showed that he had unshakeable courage. An example of his courage and bravery is when he said: “Have watched me rise from the darkness of war. Dripping with my enemy’s blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all that raced from the earth, I swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean and killing them one by one” (247-254). In addition to his example, he displays another level of courage. When he went face the dragon he knew that he could not survive the battle, but he had the courage to go through the