The Refinement Of A Hero In "Beowulf"
...Beowulf earns them himself. The development of the character into perfection is seen throughout the poem. Beowulf begins as a young warrior and develops into a heroic king who dies for his people. Through three major battles, Beowulf develops into the heroic king that fights to the end for his people. In the poem, "Beowulf," the development of the character Beowulf from a youthful warrior into an isolated hero then finally a heroic king is marked by the three major battles fought by the warrior.
Beowulf's first fight with Grendel proves that Beowulf is prepared to endure hardships in order to help society. As a warrior, Beowulf must be prepared to fight. As J.R.R. Tolkien suggests in his essay, "Beowulf: The Monster and the Critics," that "In the struggle with Grendel one can as a reader dismiss the certainty of literary experience that the hero will not in fact perishÂ…" Beowulf says, "Fate will often spare a man not yet destined for death, when his courage is good" (500). This line reassures the reader that the outcome of the fight will most likely be a happy one. Beowulf is also reassured by one of his men that if he wins the fight he will have everything he has ever desired. In the battle between Grendel and Beowulf, Grendel sneaks up on Beowulf while he is asleep. Beowulf is awakened and he grabs Grendel to drive him away from him. Grendel realizes that the grasp is stronger than his is and he wishes to get away, but it is too late. Beowulf not only kills Grendel, he rips off his hand, arm, and shoulder. Although Beowulf succeeds in killing Grendel he is not yet a true hero. As Jacqueline Vaught explains in her criticism entitled "Beowulf: The Fight at the Center" the hero must be free of society's hand:
Â…although he attempts to fight Grendel alone and without arms, Beowulf does not fulfill his quest as the hero-precisely because he is still...
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