Mahatma Ghandi
English 10
Ms. Lewis
11/01/04
From Boyhood to Manhood

As Beowulf progresses in the book, he develops into a more mature person.
Initially Beowulf chooses to fight battles which don't directly benefit himself or his people. He is arrogant and foolhardy by fighting Grendel with no weapons or armor. He tells his men of his decision on lines 436-441, "I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand to hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend. Whichever one death fells must deem it a just judgment of God." This passage shows how foolish Beowulf is, because he's willing to risk his life for a minor cause that doesn't affect his kingdom or his personal health. Aware of the consequences if he loses to Grendel, he still refuses to change his mind and fight with armor or weapons. Beowulf nervously knows what will happen if his foolishness causes him to lose, "If Grendel wins, it will be a gruesome day;......

Join Now to view the rest of this term paper!
Members: Login to view this research paper.

Title: Beowulf
Approximate Word Count: 992
Approximate Pages: 4 (250 words per double-spaced page)

With the Term Papers Lab Membership Pass, you get instant access to every essay on this site, including this essay on Beowulf, for as long as you remain a member.

Other essays sites charge almost $100 for a single term paper. At Term Papers Lab, you can get instant access to over 100,000 research papers for as little as $29.95!