Beowulf fights only for the glory that comes with being victorious, nothing more. Unlike many other good kings that have put their people first, Beowulf acts more on the lines of a good warrior, rather than a good king. In the four competitions/battles that Beowulf part takes in from his early life to the day that he dies, he strives to be the standout of the fight. Not only wanting to be the person who personally kills the monster but Beowulf fights in certain ways that makes him look more godlike than ever. He will do anything to be praised by the people of Hrothgar’s kingdom and of his kingdom.
In Hrothgar’s mead hall, Beowulf argues with Unferth about the success of the swimming competition between Beowulf and Breca. In an attempt to shame …show more content…
In both the battle with Grendel and the battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf puts glory before death. As he grieves with the king, he mentions how “it is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark” (Beowulf, 97). While promising to the king that he will avenge the death of Aeschere, he again speaks of gaining glory before death comes to take them away. Similar to other hero’s in different epics, Beowulf accepts that death will come and that it is the best protection. Again, instead of worrying about being out powered by Grendel’s mother, “Beowulf got ready, donned his war-gear, indifferent to death” and dove down into the water by himself, not even worrying about being the only one facing Grendel’s mother (Beowulf, 101). This is very similar to the case of Grendel and how he only had a small band of soldiers that he fought with. But here, he would rather take all the glory of killing the monster rather than sharing it with other soldiers. This is part of his quest to find the greatest possible amount of glory. He needs to achieve as much glory as humanly possible before any hint of death becomes
In Hrothgar’s mead hall, Beowulf argues with Unferth about the success of the swimming competition between Beowulf and Breca. In an attempt to shame …show more content…
In both the battle with Grendel and the battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf puts glory before death. As he grieves with the king, he mentions how “it is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark” (Beowulf, 97). While promising to the king that he will avenge the death of Aeschere, he again speaks of gaining glory before death comes to take them away. Similar to other hero’s in different epics, Beowulf accepts that death will come and that it is the best protection. Again, instead of worrying about being out powered by Grendel’s mother, “Beowulf got ready, donned his war-gear, indifferent to death” and dove down into the water by himself, not even worrying about being the only one facing Grendel’s mother (Beowulf, 101). This is very similar to the case of Grendel and how he only had a small band of soldiers that he fought with. But here, he would rather take all the glory of killing the monster rather than sharing it with other soldiers. This is part of his quest to find the greatest possible amount of glory. He needs to achieve as much glory as humanly possible before any hint of death becomes