Examples Of Heroism In Beowulf

Stop and think for a moment, what is your idea of a hero? What characteristics make up this hero? When reading the story Beowulf it can be discovered that a hero has strength, loyalty, and courage to endure all of their battles. There are qualities that make this epic poem have more Christian aspects, such as when Beowulf gave thanks to God for his safety and rewards in battle, the character Grendel is used symbolically as descendant of Cain, and Beowulf is a Christ like figure. “They gave thanks to God for their easy crossing” (143). The sentiment exposed in the quotation embodies the view that Beowulf gave thanks to God instead of his men for getting them there safely across the sea. Another example of thankfulness to his God Almighty would be, “For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth… Still came to my lips” (815-820). This just goes to show that through the
Grendel kills people because he was jealous just like Cain did with Abel. “Marshes, made his home in a hell not hell but earth… The Almighty drove those demons out, and their exile was bitter” (18-24) because of the curse on Cain by God that the ground would not bear fruit to him, it’s safe to say that it probably decayed into marshland as the years went by. Another significant factor in how Beowulf is a Christian poem is that Beowulf is a Christ-like figure. An example of that would be how everyone looks at him; “Bold and strong minded, had driven affliction off, purged Herot clean. He was happy, now with that night’s fierce work; the Danes had been served as he’d boasted he’d serve them; Beowulf, a prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel” (400-404). Beowulf is set at such high expectations, since he sacrificed his life to protect his people just like Christ did when he died on the