Courage In Beowulf And The Bible

Courage is one of the most prominent underlying themes throughout Beowulf. It invests itself in every challenge faced in the warrior culture. The great heroes must go forth fearlessly into every battle, or hardship that awaits them in order to enhance their own reputation. Through Beowulf one can see how courage was much more than an attribute, but a lifestyle. The Bible has a much different take on courage, explaining that it comes from God and he is the one who gives mankind strength, how they alone cannot face adversity. Courage in the Bible and in Beowulf is one in the same, however very different. (Shmoop Editorial Team) Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as the following: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand …show more content…
Christians believe that courage is all about trusting in God, His nature, and His perfect plans. They believe that it comes from their confidence in God and his protection and guidance and not based on our own selves, but what God can do through us. Philippians 4:13 confirms this by stating “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Christians want and need God as the center of everything they do, all glory goes to him. Through times of difficulty and strife believers pray to God, asking for wisdom, strength, guidance, etc. in the book of Job one can read the story of a man who had everything he could ever want, and was extremely faithful to God, get stripped of everything as one giant test. Now this test is not like that of Beowulf but it still calls for courage. One of the many atrocities that afflict Job is the deaths of his sons and daughters. In verse 20-21 he replies with this, “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” This act of worship in a time so devastating takes something no man can muster up out of sheer willpower. More and more appalling travesties happen to Job such as the death of his wife, his livestock, his loss of friends, and huge boils that cover his body. This is not only a physical battle in a sense, but mental battle. No normal person would have the strength to stand up tall and give praise to the person who let this happen, not without intense courage. In Verse 11:18 God tells Job (and all mankind) that having hope will give you courage. One can see here how different courage is interpreted in the Bible and in