Examples Of A Hero's Quest In Beowulf

The story of Beowulf is about a mighty warrior that saves the land and defeats the monster. In the story Beowulf is the warrior who does the great deeds for the safety of his land and others’ land. Within Beowulf, the plot of the story follows a mythological or archetypal hero quest. A hero quest is a pattern, or motif, that describes the average journey of a hero. The hero will endure three major parts of this quest which are the departure, initiation, and the return. Each of these major parts have smaller steps within them that are parts of a task the hero takes on. Now Beowulf is of course the hero of the story. He goes out and volunteers to fight Grendel for the Danes who had been dealing with him for twelve years nonstop. Beowulf also goes and defeats Grendel’s mother when she awakens from her den and tries to avenge her son. Then after fifty years of ruling a country, Beowulf goes and fights a dragon who wreaked havoc on Beowulf’s homeland. The hero in a hero quest is the character which is larger than life

When Beowulf goes to fight Grendel, he is called to the adventure by the word of Grendel’s attack being spread from country to country. Beowulf then goes to Daneland to tell the King Hrothgar, he is there to defend them. He crosses the first threshold by walking into Heorot and waiting for Grendel to attack again. In the story Beowulf, Beowulf does not encounter any temptresses or any ladies that could deter him from his quest. Hrothgar though does give Beowulf his blessing in fighting Grendel, and then that time comes. The fight with Grendel happens and when it is over Beowulf is celebrated for winning against the heinous demon. When he returns home, his is greeted by his people and is crowned king of the Geatland, ruling for fifty years before the fateful fight with the