1. Shaunteri Skinner
Response Paper #3
REDI 2016
The Dualism of Heroism?
Beowulf represents the quintessential hero in this epic poem, fitting the archetype of
figures that we associate with traditional heroism. The words used to describe his ushering into
this honorable position follow a pattern that commonly identifies the dominant Anglo-Saxon
champion. Some heroes come from a lineage of greatness that all hail for their masculine
qualities that display a strength that can be unmatched with a battle at the center of their
narrative. The audience is introduced to Beowulf as such: “A boy was later born to [Scyld
Scefing],/ young in the courts, whom God sent/ as a solace to the people---he saw their need,/
dire distress they had endured, lordless,/ for such a long time...” (Lines 12-16). The religious
implications and the glorifying essence of this passage provide a tone that establishes Beowulf’s
character before he can commit an act that definitively reflects this perception of him.This
unwavering perspective of greatness reveals the medieval perception of heroism as an
unquestionable entity. The honor that the poet bestows upon Beowulf shows the biases of the
‘narrator’ as well as the society that he inhabits during this period of time. The tone of the poem
conveys the perspective of the people that Beowulf associates himself with, portraying an
essence of perfection with an angelic glow to top it off.
Protecting the people, earning their respect and maintaining a ‘balanced’ sense of
morality describe the values that this heroic figure cherishes. Heroism is depicted as a function of
both one’s motives and beliefs, and it is also dependent on heroic acts. Beowulf is born into an
environment with such expectations and fits this perfect mold of a hero, but Grendel drastically

2. counters this. He is not a hero, but he stands as a reflection of an element of humanity, a monster,
someone that everyone can relate to at their core: “This grim spirit was called Grendel, mighty
stalker of the marches, who held/ the moors and fens; this miserable man/lived for a time in the
land of giants,/ after the Creator had condemned him among Cain’s race---when he killed Abel/
the eternal Lord avenged that death” (Lines 102-108). From the beginning, Grendel’s character
shows up as the protagonist, Beowulf’s foe and opposite introduced through violence and
darkness. In the tale of a hero, the representative of evil is usually presented as such in order to
further propel the heroic persona that the poet perpetuates through literary devices to convince
and convey to their audience. This common thread can be found across generations and in
modern day where much is done to emphasize the charitable qualities of a hero and diminish or
use their fallibility to their advantage in most cases to humanize them.
The dualism of heroism can be seen in the people that I call heroes if we gauge this
duality on the continuum of traditional heroism and infuse it with a counter-traditional
perspective. They can be seen as both Grendels and Beowulfs as they grow up in environments
that shape them into monsters, but somehow reshape their images through revelation. Social
attitudes about heroism have both changed and remained constant with this constant tug of war
that reveals the confusion about these formulas for heroism. Though I believe that Grendel is the
anti-hero, I still believe that some of the qualities of evil in his character can be found in some of
my heroes. They are not untouchable and free of fault. Indeed, I feel that heroes need to be
viewed in a more practical sense rather than through a lens of exaggeration and awe.