Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Many people aspire to have the qualities of a hero, but few achieve these ambitious goals. The Anglo-Saxons idealized many of the qualities in men that we should still idealize and honor today. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf possesses most, if not all, of these qualities. Beowulf was a great warrior who was honored by the Anglo-Saxons for his extraordinary abilities and the possession of his idealistic characteristics of generosity, strength, and loyalty. Beowulf is generous throughout the entire novel. He thinks about others before himself and wants to protect his people more than anything. Before Beowulf leaves to fight Grendel’s mother, he tells king Hrothgar that if he is to die during battle to send his treasures that Hrothgar has given him to Higlac, his king back in Geatland (70, ll.1482-1488). He thinks of the Geats’ great lord instead of himself or his family. This shows that Beowulf is very generous in giving away something that he had already won in battle. Even when Be