10/06 Beowulf #6

Character Changes
Beowulf, throughout the piece, is shown to be a very strong character. Not only does he have an impressive physical prowess, but Beowulf also displays strong leadership and intellectual capacities. However, he does show a change in character from the time he is a young man fighting Grendel and his mother to the time that he is an old king fighting the dragon. His change in character is seen in his motives for fighting each beast. When Beowulf goes to fight the trolls, he does not state that he is doing it for personal glory, but simply to come to the aid of a friend. However, when Beowulf goes to fight the dragon, while it is acknowledge that is doing it to defend his kingdom, one reason is mentioned over and over again. Personal glory. Beowulf and the narrator state several times that he is facing the dragon "for the glory of winning," and that he was "inspired again by the thought of glory." The desire for personal glory later in his life is much different from his motives in his younger days when Beowulf seemed to be fighting for causes less for his own merit and more to help others (and then secondarily himself).

Heroism
While Beowulf does not fit into some of the model of the Medieval hero, he does match it in several ways as well. Beowulf does not fit into the Medieval Code of Chivalry and idea of the hero in one important way. All Medieval knights were expected to "love the country in which they were born." We see in Beowulf as this is not necessarily true, as shown by the one that Beowulf passes down the crown to at the end of the story is from a rival tribe. Also, Beowulf himself, when fighting Grendel, first set off not for his own country, for an old friend's. However, besides this, Beowulf fits very well into the idea of a Medieval hero. Like all Medieval heroes, Beowulf was from not from noble birth, but instead a more common birth. Though he later works for the title of king. Also, Beowulf was often fighting as a "test of manhood and loyalty to the liege lord." Beowulf is a great example of warriors being loyal to their lords, or "ring-givers," through the other characters and Beowulf himself. Lastly, Beowulf is a good example of a Medieval hero because he shown to have an upright character. He is said to be "thoughtful and self-controlled," along with having impressive physical skill. These are characteristics that show Beowulf's moral character. So while Beowulf does not fit into the Medieval hero in one aspect, he does fit into the role in many other, more important ways.