The Heroic Values Of Beowulf - 986 Words

Heroes make themselves known. They share characteristics such as, courage and selflessness that have always been valued. Overtime society has changed the way these values are portrayed. In Beowulf, the main character in the anonymously written poem Beowulf, he shows the importance of being courageous and selfless. Beowulf is courageous enough to fight Grendel, the monster that terrorized the Danes. Beowulf is also selfless because he is willing to sacrifice his life in order to stop Grendel from attacking anymore innocent people. Values like courage and selflessness are defined differently today. Courage is stepping out of one s comfort zone and taking action on achieving personal goals. Being courageous today is going against society s norm or trends. Being selfless means putting others before yourself. It means devoting help even if there is no reward, unlike Beowulf who acted selfless but expected to be praised. Today many people value selflessness and has become more of a moral c haracteristic. There are differences in the way heroic values are portrayed in Beowulf and the way society interprets values today. Beowulf is eager to gain a glorified reputation and is constantly challenged to be courageous.Beowulf was not asked to fight Grendel, but still arrives to Herot to aid the Danes from the evil Grendel. Beowulf is welcomed by the Danes and immediately lists his accomplishments and boasts, They have seen me boltered in the blood of enemies when IShow MoreRelatedHeroic Values In Beowulf731 Words   |  3 PagesBeowulf, written by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet, displays heroic and demonic behaviors. Taking place in the Anglo-Saxon era between 449-1066 A.D. Within this era, three civilizations arose; The Anglos, The Saxons, and The Jutes. Anglo-Saxon Invaders took control over most of England, becoming the earliest civilizations to settle on England. 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