Beowulf's Heroic Actions

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Within the text of Beowulf, many events lead to heroic actions. One hero in particular, Beowulf, runs into conflicts with many creatures and defeats them all to protect the kingdom and the people within it. Not only does Beowulf show strength, but also loyalty, compassion, bravery, leadership and courage.
For some time, the kingdom of Danes enjoyed peace and prosperity. Eventually, one night, Grendel, a demon descended from Cain, emerged from the swampy lowlands to listen to the nightly entertainment at Heorot. Watching the bards’ songs about God’s creation of the earth angered Grendel. As stated in the text of Beowulf, “To see how the Ring-Danes were settling into it after their drink, and there he came upon them, a company of the best asleep …show more content…
The death of Grendel turned the mood within the kingdom from dark and eery to joyous and cheerful. Although, just as things started to turn around in the kingdom, Grendel’s mother appeared in the kingdom. She came to achieve revenge from the death of her son, and broke into the mead hall. She seized a sleeping man, Hrothgar’s trusted adviser, Aeschere, and Grendel’s arm. By the time Beowulf arrives at the hall, she is gone. Beowulf gets instructions from Hrothgar, telling him that if he fights Grendel’s mother, he will give Beowulf chests of gold. Of Course, Beowulf agrees to the fight, reassuring Hrothgar that Grendel’s mother will not get away. Beowulf’s motivation for the attack could have been the protection of the people from Grendel’s mother, assuming she will continue to come back to achieve revenge for the death of her son. Also, Beowulf wants to prove his strengths to Grendel’s mother and the people of the town. Beowulf went into the battle with armor and a sword he had gotten from Unferth. He swims to the bottom of the swamp and fights Grendel’s mother. While fighting her, he gets the sword that Unferth gave to him. The sword was a runting sword, but when Beowulf went to skill Grendel’s mother during the battle, the sword would not work. Beowulf had to get an enchanted sword off the wall from the swamp and kill Grendel’s mother. Cutting the head off of
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