In the first part of the poem he proves himself to be an ideal warrior. His courage often verges on audacity. Not only does he dare to encounter frightening Grendel, but as the monster has no weapons, Beowulf chooses not to use any of them either. He is fearless and strong enough to trail Grendel’s mother to her lair and then crush her, winning a brilliant victory. He is loyal to king Hrothgar, paying back his father’s debts, and to king Hygelac and queen Hygd as well, sharing between them more than a half of his obtained treasures, thereby showing his generosity.
Once having established a name for himself it’s time for an ideal hero to become more mature and reliable. And that’s what Beowulf does. Instead of instantly coming to the power, he takes on the guardianship of young Hygelac’s son, presenting another gesture of loyalty and respect to the throne, and at the same time proving himself worthy of future kingship. When the ferocious dragon starts to oppress Geatland, Beowulf, already a king, doesn’t hesitate to face up to the beast to protect his subjects, even if he senses his approaching death.
Even the strongest and the most invincible man has to finally pass away for the one obvious reason – he’s only a man. Nevertheless, in that case his death is ideologically perfect – he lays down his life for his country. Yet Beowulf, being a man, has some of common human imperfections as well. For instance he’s frequently proud and inclined to boast, however it can be justified by the fact that his words aren’t empty, but they’re followed by deeds. Paradoxically, that mortality and slight shortcomings, which make him less demigod serve Beowulf pretty well, since he now may be perceived as more human, thereby endearing himself to the reader.
To conclude, even if Beowulf may not be ideal as a mortal man and even if not every single feature of him can be approved today, it’s still true to say, that for people of his day he has always been an ideal hero and in many respects he can be the ideal hero for us as well.
