Sarah Robb
October 16, 2012
Topics in Literature
A hero, and his or her development is mainly defined by the monsters they may face throughout their journey. The monster is the challenge the hero faces, and they bring out the character and define what kind of hero they are. Beowulf, as an example of this, has several monsters to face. Two of these monsters are Grendel and Grendel’s mother. These two monsters developed Beowulf as the hero he becomes throughout the story. The monsters particularly help Beowulf develop his loyalty, his courage, his cleverness and his readiness to fight.
Beowulf was called to fight the monster Grendel after he had destroyed and killed at the Great Hall. He immediately responded to his call to fight. When he arrived at Heorot he spoke, “Then news of Grendel, hard to ignore, reached me at home: sailors brought stories of the plight you suffer in this legendary hall, how it lies deserted, empty and useless once the evening light hides itself under heaven’s dome” (Heaney 29). This response Beowulf had to kill the monster Grendel shows that he is always ready for a fight. The fact that Beowulf is such a courage and ready hero shows how he is becoming a true hero. He also was faced with fighting Grendel’s mother. This fight tested his strength and his courage because Grendel’s mother was strong and motivated by her hatred and want of revenge for Grendel’s death. Beowulf tells of Grendel’s mother’s motivation, “Death had robbed her, Geat’s had slain Grendel, so his ghastly dam struck back and with bare-faced defiance laid a man low” (Heaney 145). Beowulf had to be extremely strong in order to win this fight.
Beowulf, having to face both of these monsters, had to become a better hero than ever before. He was tested in every way possible. He showed his true courage during his fight with Grendel. He used his wit, and went into the fight without any weapons. Beowulf was clever enough to know that weapons did not work in a fight with this particular monster. He was also courageous enough to go into the fight unarmed. Facing a monster like Grendel without any weaponry is not an easy task. He took a souvenir, Grendel’s arm, in order to show anyone that he was extremely strong and an amazing and successful hero. When he was fighting with Grendel’s mother he had to be clever. He relied on the sword that was given to him, and when it failed him, he had to figure out another way to kill the monster.
Beowulf is a character that began as a courageous and willing man but also developed as a hero throughout his entire journey. He is a hero because of his very obvious heroic characteristics. He is extremely loyal to his men, and they are there helping his development as a hero the entire way. Beowulf is a hero because he is always ready to drop everything to take up a fight. He is daring, and courageous and is willing to do anything for a fight. Every characteristic Beowulf possesses, is one that can be used to describe a hero. This was not always the case, however, his journey develops him into an amazing hero.
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