Two Sides of BeowulfIn the epic, Beowulf, Beowulf is characterized into two different identities: Beowulf as a humble and defensive warrior and Beowulf as an aggressive and offensive brute. Each of these identities define the ideals and vices of the allegorical hero and are portrayed in the battles between Beowulf and the antagonists. Despite his overwhelming heroic character, Beowulf eventually succumbs to the vices of materialism and aggression, strays from the path of the hero, and eventually dies during his battle against the dragon. In the beginning of the epic, Beowulf establishes his role as the hero and defender against Grendel, a remorseless monster who wreaks havoc in Herot. In this situation, Grendel, being the first antagonist, establishes the offensive. Due to the fact that Grendel strikes first portrays him as the aggressor. In the journey of the hero, the hero must not strike first, rather he/she must defend and refrain from seeking conflict (Kearney). Thus, Beowulf engages the monster for noble purposes; he intends to help Hrothgar and defend the Danes from Grendel. Beowulf refrains from attacking Grendel for purposes of aggression but rather takes a defensive position. As a result, Beowulf is portrayed as the humble warrior who does not seek out conflict, thus fulfilling his role as the hero.Once Grendel is slain, Beowulf then fights Grendel's mother. Similar to Grendel, Grendel's mother takes the offensive and strikes first: She had pounced and taken one of the retainers in a tight hold, then headed for the fen.To Hrothgar, this man was the most beloved...There was an uproar in Heorot. She had snatched their trophy,Grendel's bloodied hand. (1294-1296, 1302-1304)In this passage, Grendel's mother kills Aeschere and steals the hand of Grendel. As another antagonist, Grendel's mother provokes the first attack. Although Beowulf takes a defensive retaliation against Grendel's mother, he uses his sword against her. In the allegorical battle between good and evil, the hero must fight evil without his/her own weapons or the hero must use the enemy's weapon against them (Kearney). Beowulf strays from the path of the hero and uses his own weapon, resulting in no damage towards Grendel's mother. Beowulf then experiences ire, one of the seven deadly sins, as he throws his weapon away and takes the offensive. Due to the fact that Beowulf strays from the path of the hero and attacks Grendel's mother results in his near death. However, Beowulf takes a defensive retaliation and kills Grendel's mother with her own sword. Beowulf relies on her weapon as a defensive response, fulfills the requirements of the hero at the last opportune moment, and kills Grendel's mother. Finally, Beowulf fights the dragon in the second part of the epic. Similar to Grendel's mother, Beowulf makes the same mistake and uses his sword against the dragon. As a result of his reliance on a weapon, the dragon is unharmed, Naegling snapped, and Beowulf is bitten on the neck by the dragon (2690-2693). As a phallic symbol, the sword, Naegling, portrays Beowulf's masculinity. When the sword breaks in half, Beowulf's masculinity is broken and becomes vulnerable, thus allowing the dragon to poison him. Beowulf's offensive stance and reliance on a weapon resulted in his drifting away from the path of the hero and ultimately led to his death.The fall of Beowulf derives from the eventual failure of his ability to follow the path of the humble hero. Beowulf is victorious when he acts defensively and follows the path of the hero, however Beowulf succumbs to the reliance of weapons and the offensive character of the antihero and strikes against the antagonists. Through Beowulf, the status quo of human morality is established, promoting humble, defensive actions and rejecting aggression and reliance on material goods.

Works CitedBeowulf. Trans. Seamus Heaney.New York: WW. Norton & Company,2000.Kearney, James "The Cosmogonic Cycle" Marquette University High School. n.p. n.d.