Are You a Hero?

What qualities define one as a hero? The poem “Beowulf” and novel Grendel both debate on this issue with contrasting characters. In “Beowulf”, the fierce Geat leader, Beowulf, is portrayed as the dauntless hero. He supposedly possesses the strength of thirty men and is able to defeat three powerful monsters: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Yet in the novel Grendel, Grendel and Wealtheow are characterized as heroes. Grendel is defined as a hero because he goes through the journey of descent and enlightenment. He reaches his descent when he gets stuck between two trees and is attacked by a ram.  In other words, he loses his innocence by realizing “that the world [is] nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears” (Gardner 21 and 22). Grendel later reaches the final point of a hero’s journey when he encounters the dragon. The dragon, who symbolizes Grendel’s subconscious, convinces Grendel that he is “mankind, or man’s condition” providing a purpose to Grendel’s life (73).  The dragon/Grendel’s subconscious deliberately takes advantage of Grendel’s craving for purpose in life. Therefore, Grendel becomes enlightened by the encounter with the dragon and becomes a “brute existent” (73).  By becoming a “brute existent”, Grendel believes that he is improving and shaping humans into intelligent, thinking creatures. He basically considers himself as a god who enlightens people. (Grendel’s “enlightening” actions can be considered ironic since he even confesses that he found himself “killing [humans] on and on and on, as if mechanically, without contest” (81). Basically, he is killing humans without even thinking about the consequences. In my opinion, he is not as “enlightened” as he claims to be.)In contrast, Wealtheow is portrayed as a hero due to her sacrificing acts and her ability to unite people. Wealtheow is depicted as a sacrificing individual who “surrendered herself with the dignity of a sacrificial virgin” to Hrothgar (100). Wealtheow willingly sacrifices her innocence and virginity to prevent the battle between the Helmings and Danes. It can be also said that she represents a Christ figure because she willingly faces loss of innocence for a greater purpose. Furthermore, Wealtheow has an extraordinary ability to unite people which is a commonly found characteristic in heroes.  For instance, she unites people in the meadhall by carrying a “mealbowl from table to table” which magically silences and unites the Danes (102). The mealbowl represents an object of unity and a new beginning. Therefore, Wealtheow carries this object around the Danes to remind them of peace and comitatus.  So far we have analyzed three heroes who are considered extremely unlike each other. Yet, I have found a common ground between these heroes. All of them desire to be surrounded by people. Beowulf wishes to save the Danes from Grendel in order to earn respect and their loyalty. Grendel “enlightens” the humans because it serves as an opportunity of social interactions with humans. Wealtheow represents a Christ figure who wishes to unite people for faith and comitatus.