The heroism represented by Anglo-Saxon heroes was defined by many different and diverse qualities. Most importantly, the heroic figures of German history all shared one common trait: they are all extremely selfless and put others before themselves. Although some may argue that Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon hero given his selflessness demonstrated in fighting the dragon, nevertheless, throughout the story, Beowulf continually illustrates his conceited nature of selfishness, making him a hero in a small measure. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayFirst, due to his greed to secure his name and fame, Beowulf impulsively decides to fight against the dragon, bringing a dark future to the Geats as they lost their beloved king of the last fifty years, proving that he is no hero. After learning that the dragon was brutally attacking his people and that the throne room of the Geats had been reduced to ashes, Beowulf said: "Now I am old, but as king of this people I will continue this fight for glory to win. » . Without considering the dire consequences, Beowulf immediately gathers the best weapons and armor he could find to prepare, announcing that he will fight again. In doing so, he could gain the fame he covets by slaying the dragon, as he states "fight for the glory of winning". This highlights Beowulf's strong desire to maintain his legendary appearance as a heroic figure. However, he underestimates the dragon's combat ability. Although he kills the dragon and brings the people peace and treasure, he is bitten on the neck and dies from the dragon's poison. To ensure his glory, he orders his comrade to bring back the treasure to share with his men. Instead of enjoying the treasure that their king had brought them, the Geats burned his last gifts, "they let the earth keep this ancestral treasure [...] as useless to men as it has always been". As evidenced by Beowulf's decision to fight the dragon disappoints his people. Although the king himself believes that his treasure would be useful to his people, he claims that the treasure is "useless", suggesting that Beowulf's sacrifice is unnecessary from the Geats' point of view. After Beowulf's death, the kingdom is immediately led into an unknown future without its experienced king who has ruled for fifty years. As illustrated, Beowulf's selfishness prevents him from taking responsibility for leading his people. Instead, he fought the dragon for his desire for glory, leading to the collapse of his kingdom. Opponents might suggest that Beowulf should be categorized as an Anglo-Saxon hero because of his selflessness expressed when he cut up Grendel's corpse in memory of the dead. comrades during his battle with Grendel's mother. Certainly, Beowulf decides to take revenge for Grendel's actions that he committed and then cuts off his head to settle the score. Yet as Beowulf returns home and celebrates his victory with his people, it is declared that "his courage was proven" and "his glory was assured." Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper from our expert now. By presenting Grendel's corpse to the people and to Hrothgar, Beowulf raised his fame and ensured his glory because he not only killed Grendel's mother, he also took revenge on Grendel for all the innocent lives Grendel took. carried away. Clearly, instead of bringing Grendel's severed corpse in memory of his lost comrades, Beowulf puts his ambition before his people. There..