Beowulf still expects to be welcomed and when he is “free to move forward to meet Hrothgar”, he states that he is kinsman to the kings and that they soon shall be rescued from damnation by Grendel (395-396). Of course King Hrothgar and Beowulf have known each other since childhood, but Beowulf gives the people hope, or at least relief in that they do not have to deal with Grendel anymore now that he has presented himself to Heorot. Beowulf leaves the conflict between him and Grendel to fate, and he does not consider that “this Grendel envisions himself as something of an innocent victim” (Bauers).When Beowulf meets and fights Grendel, Beowulf sets out to carry out the promise he gave to the people of Heorot. When Grendel attacked the city, “Beowulf [fought] back, as Grendel complained like an athlete disputing a referee 's call” (Bauers). Beowulf was eager to win the fight against Grendel, he even refused to let him escaped just so he could kill him. Beowulf claims Grendel’s severed arm as proof to the people of Heorot that he could do what no other man or warrior was capable of doing. Beowulf was indeed proud of what he had accomplished and he wanted to put on airs for everyone to see. He wanted to make sure that the people know who their hero was, and “clear proof of this could be seen in the hand the hero displayed high up near the roof: the whole of …show more content…
Beowulf is alone when fighting Grendel’s mother because his men could not follow him to the bottom of the lake. When fighting the dragon, Beowulf’s men completely abandon him, with the exception of one brave comrade. Again, Beowulf is unaccompanied fighting another terrible creature. Disparately to his other battles, Beowulf does not succeed in defeating the dragon and finds his demise. Beowulf is no longer motivated by demonstrating to the people his strength and capability, but instead he needs to protect them from damnation. Revenge was a vital motive for defeating Grendel and Grendel’s mother, but now Beowulf knows the sensation of protecting one’s own and overcoming obstacles. Eventually he slays the dragon but at the cost of his own life, and he gazes at the sacred treasure the dragon guarded from anyone who