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The Anglo-Saxon Hero In The Epic Of Beowulf

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The Anglo-Saxon Hero
Everyone is influenced by the world around them; the way one acts reflects that world. Every culture has their own hero and the way a hero reacts to certain situations reflects their upbringing and their values as a human being. In the epic of Beowulf, the main character Beowulf himself does not only portray characteristics of a traditional epic hero but he also displays the values and virtues of the Anglo-Saxon culture which include bravery, loyalty, selflessness, and honor. Bravery is a virtue not easily achieved, but throughout the course of this epic, Beowulf exhibits great bravery in everything he sets out to do. Before his battle with Grendel, Beowulf says, “My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid behind some broad linden shield: My hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster. God must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip” (Raffel 24). By saying this Beowulf decided that using a weapon or some sort of protection would lead to an easy, unfair fight. This statement also shows Beowulf’s bravery in light of the fact that he is letting everything fall into the hands of fate and letting God decide who the victor will be at the end of the battle. Beowulf’s state of mind before going into battle with Grendel in the mead hall was that if Grendal would not be using a weapon than it what not be fair for him to use a weapon on Grendal. Not only did Beowulf display

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