Beowulf

The story of Beowulf has been around since the 11th Century. Beowulf is not only the first English literary masterpiece but is also the earliest European epic written in the native language instead of Latin. Although this poem is not factual, a reader can consider Beowulf's actions to help in their decisions they make in life.

Beowulf is important because of it's historical value and for being a moving epic of great literary quality. It has also served as an inspiration for many other writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien, William Morris, and Seamus Heaney.

The most important theme used in Beowulf is loyalty. In every step of Beowulf's life, loyalty is his main quality he shows. One example of his loyalty is the family debt to Hrothgar. Hrothgar kept Beowulf's father from harm so Beowulf was proud to lend his loyal services to Hrothgar. Another example is Wiglaf's loyalty to Beowulf during the battle with the dragon. Wiglaf remained loyal to Beowulf after all his other followers fled to avoid death. Although they kill the dragon, Beowulf dies and he passes on his kingdom to the brave and loyal Wiglaf. Now-a-days, most people don't remain loyal to anyone. They mostly use themes such as envy or revenge. People are to worried about what other people think than being concerned about other people.

Beowulf can be compared to King Arthur in several ways. They both show the concern for their society by putting their life on the lines to protect other people, even though they don't have to. They also strive for love and respect by protecting the people. By entering into a battle somewhat alone, much like Beowulf, Arthur gains great respect and praise by fighting alone, even though it is not necessarily the smartest thing to do. Beowulf and King Arthur are not afraid to die and they show this by their courage to their adversaries and peers. They both demonstrate a great love for others as they both tried to do good things for people. Although Beowulf is the greater hero of the two, they both did their best to protect and serve their societies.

Beowulf promotes social order by showing that he would rather be a hero than a king. Beowulf was offered the crown of his native land but refused it so he could act as guardian and counselor to the boy-king, Heardred, until he grew old enough to rule. In several events, Beowulf showed his loyalty to his whole society to keep them out of danger. When