Why Beowulf Is Not A Hero

Beowulf, an epic Anglo-Saxon poem, details the audacious adventures of a warrior wishing to obtain lof. In the story, Beowulf is celebrated by his fellow people after killing Grendel’s mother and slaying a dragon. Despite being portrayed as such, Beowulf is not a hero by today's standards. Beowulf, who predominantly desires to be remembered after death, becomes far too conceited in his efforts. A hero, as described by the standards of today, should be someone that is selfless and thinks of others before themselves. Contrary to this belief, Beowulf actively seeks out opportunities that will gain him both glory and fame in life and in death. Grendel’s mother, who does nothing wrong, is persecuted and eventually beheaded by a Beowulf hungry for recognition. During his confrontation with Grendel’s mother, “Beowulf longed only for fame” (37). This proves that he is not battling her because he thinks it is morally just or wants to help the people of Herot, rather he simply wishes for his actions to be remembered as
Clashing with this modern hero formula, Beowulf openly takes trophies to show others his heroics and even requests treasures when he is near death. After being mortally wounded, he instructs Wiglaf to bring him “ancient silver, precious jewels, shining armor, and gems” (44). This request reveals the true greedy behavior of Beowulf, as he is not longer pleased by simply gaining the respect of others. In addition, he also beheads the deceased body of Grendel and takes it back to the Geats to display as a “terrible trophy” (38). By decapitating Grendel’s body, Beowulf is exhibiting his greediness for recognition, since he takes the head even though the Geats already accept that he has slain the beast that has been tormenting them, but he does so because he still desires more glory for his