Beowulf: Mythological And Archetypal Hero's Quest

Beowulf is a literary work from the Anglo-Saxon time period in which the mythological and archetypal Hero Quest is portrayed. Like every literary work that includes a Hero’s Quest, the call, the obstacles, the climax, and the return are all crucial parts. The main character, Beowulf, depicts a hero in this time period. As a leader of the Geats, Beowulf is called to multiple challenges throughout his lifetime, such as killing Grendel, in order to help the Danes. Beowulf takes on multiple quests and obstacles throughout his life, not for himself, but for his people. Beowulf is a leader of the Geats who was called by Hrothgar to help with a deadly monster named Grendel. Beowulf, thinking about the lives of others, decides to pursue on this dangerous journey. However, Beowulf soon learns that fighting and killing Grendel is only one of the …show more content…
His decision is made irreversible by his ship sailing to Denmark. Once Beowulf arrives in Denmark, the preparation begins. During the preparation, the hero often meets a mentor who helps him throughout his quest as well. As Beowulf arrives, Hrothgar and his warriors see him as a brave and courageous hero. Hrothgar prepares Beowulf to fight the mighty Grendel. The King and his warriors host a feast for him in the Mead Hall as part of the preparation. This is a crucial part of preparing for Beowulf due to the fact that he will receive life-saving knowledge to help fight Grendel. Beowulf may be considered a mentor to his people, but throughout his lifetime, he also has multiple mentors leading him along the way. Hrothgar is one of the most significant mentors throughout his preparation and the quest. Hrothgar is king of the Danes who calls Beowulf to help fight Grendel, and eventually Grendel’s mother, to save his people. Hrothgar expresses in the story that he sees Beowulf as a son, which is the most obvious sign of him having a significant