Beowulf Character Analysis

2. As you read, watch for the ways in which Beowulf develops and grows as a character. List some changes you see in his character.

In Beowulf’s earlier days, he was raised by his grandfather and moved through the ranks with his acts of strength and courage to become the hero we see in the book. Beowulf acts on impulse with hints of generosity. An example of this is when he decides to sail to Hrothgrar’s lands to defeat the monster, Grendel, which is terrorizing the people over there. It’s a kind act but he doesn’t listen to the advice of the Geats telling him not to go, and even once he returns they verbally say they thought he wasn’t coming back. In his later years, it seems that Beowulf puts more thought into his decisions and he has grown with more wisdom. In the epic, we see three

A promise Beowulf intends to keep is the downfall of the dragon. One of Beowulf’s main goals in defeating the dragon is to protect the people of his land. Earlier in his life, Beowulf would fight to gain glory and fame. He did want to help people, it just wasn’t his main goal. This shows another trait admired by modern times: protecting the weak. Whenever Beowulf goes to fight a monster, he takes his men with him, but he never forces to men to fight with him. A better way to describe them would be Beowulf’s loyal cheerleaders. Sympathy and kindness can be seen through these actions. It is common for a hero to receive awards, but Beowulf is a true hero to his people because he always decides to spread the wealth. Beowulf’s generosity to spread the wealth he gains can be seen throughout the epic. In order to prove his heroic deeds, Beowulf always takes a type of evidence, for example: Grendel’s arm and head. In modern times, most people refuse to believe something until it is backed with conclusive evidence. A prevalent example is in the court