The Epic Of Beowulf, Grendel s Mother, And The Fire Dragon

Throughout the epic of Beowulf there are three main battles; the battle with Grendel, Grendel s Mother, and the Fire Dragon. While there are notable differences be- tween the battles, common motivations and themes exist. The epic s protagonist King of Geats Beowulf, is a great warrior who fights with courage and honor to fulfill his role as a hero. The sense of duty associated with being a hero inspires him to fight, but ultimately leads him to his demise. Beowulfs battle with Grendel is the first major battle in the book, and we learn a lot about Beowulf from it. Grendel, a man-eating monster who lived at the bottom of mere had been devouring men from the King Hrothgar s mead hall every day for many years. This was problematic for†¦show more content†¦After the battle, the Danes celebrate by displaying Grendel s arm as a trophy in the mead hall. Then King Hrothgar showers Beowulf with gifts and respect to honor his end of comitatus. Shortly after Beowulfs battle with Grend el, Grendel s mother begins to terrorize Herot for killing her son. Beowulf is agitated by this, and agrees to fight Grendel s moth- er. Before the battle Beowulf swims down into the lake with his sword. He meets Grendel s mother in her lair, and they fight. Grendel s mother manages to trap Beowulf, but he is saved by his chainmail. Beowulf then kills Grendel s mother with an ancient sword hurunting which never loses. This battle shows a progression of Beowulfs character, because he fought with weapons this time instead of fighting unarmed. It s also important to note that he almost lost this battle, which is foreshadowing his demise in the battle with the Fire Dragon, as battles are won by narrower margins After the battle with Grendel s Mother, Beowulf says his farewells to King Hroth gar, who ends up breaking down into sudden tears, because he knows that he will never see Beowulf again. When Beowulf returns home, he presents his treasure to Hygelac. Unfortunately, Hygelac and his son die in battle, which leaves Beowulf as the king. For 50 years, Beowulf rules his kingdom undisturbed. After 50 years, the fire breathing dragon which guards the treasure becomes very angry when his goblet is stolen. TheShow MoreRelatedBeowulf, The Epic Hero1373 Words   |  6 Pages12, 2015 Beowulf, The Epic Hero In Anglo Saxon times, Beowulf is considered a well known epic hero. â€Å"Epic heroes are literary characters from ancient mythology and other stories, which were written down in the form of long, narrative epic poems. The hero is the main character, or protagonist of the poem†(Epic Hero: Definition, Characteristics Examples.). The epic hero usually battles for accomplishments to a set of tasks to complete important goals. 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