Beowulf
In the poem "Beowulf," the hero's ultimate goal is to achieve success and further himself. Beowulf is "fated" to be a hero; he isn't motivated to do what is right and good for the sole purpose of doing what is right and good. There is good and evil in the world; however, Beowulf fighting Grendel does not necessarily mean he is fighting a symbol of evil, while representing good. It is entirely possible that he simply fights a monster for the sake of making a name for himself. It is known that "No savage assault [could] quench his [Grendel's] lust for evil;" yet as soon as Beowulf hears of the monster's doings, he sets out with good omens to fight the monster (53, 118). To have good omens for an event is for that event to be fate; Beowulf doesn't really have control because it is meant to happen and, therefore, will have happen regardless of whether or not Beowulf actually desires to do so. When Beowulf and his men arrive in Denmark, he begins boasting immensely about himself and "the days / Of his youth that have been filled with glory" (142-143). While he speaks of these glory days, he mentions his "duty" that his people said was his and he speaks about his "strength" and all that he has accomplished on his o
Although he kills the dragon, with the help of Wiglaf, he dies as a result. When he finally beats Grendel's mother, he searches for the monster's body to seize it's head so that when he returns to the land of the Geats he will be able to succeed to the throne. It would make more sense for him to be more willing to set himself up in that position, if he were not able to defeat the monster. Beowulf is so confident in himself, he goes so far as to propose the rhetorical question, "What man / Anywhere under Heaven's high arch, has fought / In such darkness, endured more misery, or been harder / Pressed?" (308-311). This proves once again that Beowulf's main concern is his own fame and glorification. If Beowulf is truly concerned with just advancing righteousness and goodness, it would seem unlikely that he would sacrifice his own men as bait to seduce Grendel (409-411). These are not comments of a man solely concerned with advancing the right and the good of the world. He had to do them; just as he has to fight Grendel, the outcome of which "Fate will unwind as it must" (189). If all of these accomplishments came about because they were duties and Beowulf points out the fact that they were duties, he obviously did not do them just because they were right and good. Instead, he is driven by forces beyond his control.
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Acceptance Essays
