Beowulf Character Analysis Essay

Words: 999
Pages: 4

Grendel is considered one of the oldest recorded writings in our history. It’s unbelievable to think that the anonymous author who wrote this tale could relate it so well to the lives of people today. In the story there are three different battles which can translate to three different stages of our lives. In the battle with Grendel, Beowulf is cocky and almost arrogant, much like a child or a teenager. When he goes to fight Grendel’s mother, he has matured and is more humbled. This is much like when a student leaves high school and goes out on their own for the first time. When he fights his final battle against the dragon, he is an old man who has embraced the lessons he’s learned over the course of his life.
This stage is the younger
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This relates to real life in the way that when a person grows old they begin to look at life in a new light. Based on the experiences throughout their lifetime how they react to situations is differed from person to person. In the battle Beowulf knows that he cannot defeat the dragon alone and so he brings some of his men along with him. This shows that he has humbled throughout his lifetime and this is similar to when an elderly needs the assistance or support from their family members. When Beowulf is injured in the last battle all of his men leave him except for one, Walgaf who stays behind to defeat the dragon in place of injured Beowulf. After the battle the riches found in the dragon's cave are passed down to Wiglaf and he is named king of the Geats. This can represent how after death a person's belongings are divided up amongst the family in a will. When going into this battle Beowulf knew he was old and he knew he needed assistance to fight the dragon. The one thing that everyone battles is death and going into the battle Beowulf was happy with his accomplishments in his lifetime and overcame the fear of death and that is a battle that everyone faces and must