: Explain Beowulf’s reasoning behind the method he will use to fight Grendel. What does this reveal about the relationship between warrior and leader? What details reveal Beowulf’s attitude toward Hrothgar? Why does he feel this way?

Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he will fight Grendel with his bare hands, as Grendel doesn't fight with weapons (it seems he can't even be killed with a blade). The only help Beowulf will get is the help of his warriors. Beowulf is aware that the lives of all his warriors are at stake, and anticipates that Grendel will eat them if they fail, but he is still eager to do this. This reveals that the leader is always the first one to fight, in front of his followers. But although he vouches for their lives, they must follow him to death, if need be.
Just like Beowulf is a leader to his warriors, Hrothgar, as a king, is the spiritual leader of the realm. Beowulf yields to him and wants to fight and even die for him, as Hrothgar represents the God's will on Earth. When the realm is physically endangered by a murderous, devilish villain, it means that the God's order on Earth is symbolically endangered, and it takes a hero to restore it.

annyksl annyksl · Answer 2 · 2021-09-17T13:45:43+02:00

Beowulf decides he will fight Grendel using his bare hands, without the use of weapons. One of the reasons he did this was to protect his warriors, as Grendel was not a weapon wound.

Beowulf felt a great responsibility to the warriors who accompanied him, as he believed that as a leader, he should take responsibility for protecting them.

Beowulf also saw Hrothgar as a great leader, as Hrothgar was the protector and the lord of that place. Beowulf referred to Hrothgar with a lot of respect, for he knew that a leader should be treated that way.

Importantly, this question refers to the epic "Beowulf." By reading this Epic, we can reach the following conclusions:

Beowulf is a great hero, honorable, and with superhuman strength.
He uses his talents and abilities to do good, killing monsters that harm people.
He decides to face the monster Grendel and help Hrothgar and his people who are constantly attacked by this monster.
Grendel was a very powerful monster and nobody could stop him, mainly because he was immune to weapons attacks.
Beowulf decides that he will fight Grendel using his bare hands so he has a better chance of defeating him, protecting the warriors who accompanied him and impressing Hrothgar.