How would you describe Beowulf as a hero?
Beowulf. In his youth, Beowulf is a great warrior, characterized predominantly by his feats of strength and courage, including his fabled swimming match against Breca. He also perfectly embodies the manners and values dictated by the Germanic heroic code, including loyalty, courtesy, and pride.
Why does Beowulf refuse to use any weapon against Grendel?
Beowulf refuses to use any weapon because he holds himself to be Grendel’s equal. When Grendel enters the hall, Beowulf, who has been feigning sleep, leaps up to clench Grendel’s hand. Grendel and Beowulf battle each other violently. Beowulf’s retainers draw their swords and rush to his aid, but their blades cannot pierce Grendel’s skin.
How does Beowulf become king of the Geats?
Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by the monster Grendel. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel’s mother attacks the hall and is then defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland ( Götaland in modern Sweden) and becomes king of the Geats.
What is the relationship between Beowulf and God?
Hrothgar and Beowulf sometimes refer to a single, all-powerful God; there are instances of symbolic rebirth in the epic. Grendel and his mother are described as descendants of Cain. The Beowulf poet may have been an educated Christian, and his audience in eighth-century England had been exposed to the religion.
How is Beowulf’s death a personal failure?
The poem suggests that, by sacrificing himself, Beowulf unnecessarily leaves his people without a king, exposing them to danger from other tribes. To understand Beowulf’s death strictly as a personal failure, however, is to neglect the overwhelming emphasis given to fate in this last portion of the poem.
How has Beowulf changed as he grows older?
Beowulf’s experiences have changed him. He had a rash, impatient self-confidence when he was younger: he went off to fight monsters against his lord’s advice (ll. 1994b-95), [3] and dove into the mere without waiting or caring for a response to his boast (ll. 1493b-94a). Growing older, he has slowed down, become more gloomy and thoughtful.
What does Beowulf have to do with Grendel’s mother?
The warrior Beowulf must fight and defeat the monster Grendel, who is terrorizing Denmark, then Grendel’s Mother, who begins killing out of revenge. The warrior Beowulf must fight and defeat the monster Grendel, who is terrorizing Denmark, then Grendel’s Mother, who begins killing out of revenge.