The Importance Of Heroic Code In Beowulf

In Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, the characters, Anglo-Saxon warriors, follow the heroic code, which is a way of life that consists of three main elements: Courage, Loyalty, and Reputation. These elements serve to rank characters and define them in their society. Throughout this poem, the protagonist, Beowulf, strives to cement himself as a pristine follower and unrivaled warrior of the code. Beowulf is loyal to his allies, plans his life in order to ensure a favorable reputation, and, most of all, exhibits courage in all of his endeavors. Courage, just like in Beowulf, has been essential in my life. Through my experiences, courage has manifested itself as the ability to stay authentic, profess one’s opinions in spite of opposition, and overcome the hardships of this world. Undoubtedly, courage is the most important element of the heroic code.

Last year, throughout the ninth grade, I attended multiple parties. When I arrived at parties,

I grew to be very good friends with Aidan over the past ten years. But in one disgusting, derogatory message, our ‘friendship’ was nullified. Aidan sent an image of himself smirking to some of his close white friends and captioned it, writing, “2 niggers fucking on a rock, picking cotton by the dock. I like sugar and I like tea, but do I like niggers, no sir-e.” Aidan used a term which demeans all black people and reminds us of a very horrid past in America. Furthermore, Aidan describes that the two black people (or black people in general) in his rhyme are cotton pickers, the grueling job given to slaves. Lastly, he declares that he does not like us. Therefore, he declares that he does not like me because of my skin color. Because of my skin color, I have been lied to for over a decade about our friendship. Aidan seemed to be a trustworthy and loyal friend just as Brutus was to Caesar; however, in the end, Caesar and I were fooled. We were