Bravery vs. Fearlessness

When I was in high school, one of the major literary works that we read was Beowulf. Now, I’ll be honest: I did not like it one bit. Poetry has never been my forte, and seeing an entire book made out of it made me squirm. Its language was way too difficult for me to understand and, frankly, from what I did understand, Beowulf was an egotistical superhuman whose most used power was vanity. However, I will admit that perhaps I did not give Beowulf the chance it deserved a few years back.

            Upon rereading it, I found myself actually enjoying the pace and language of the story. Since high school, I have become more involved with poetry and while it is still not my strong suit, I have a deeper appreciation for the art. With that said, I must continue to support my previous statement of Beowulf being egotistical.

            Throughout the book, Beowulf is regarded, except for a select few, as a great hero who is courageous, strong, and brave. He is boastful about his past achievements, believing that he can do anything, beat any foe who comes his way. He is fearless. And it is at this point that a red flag is raised in my mind.

            Is Beowulf truly brave?

            Bravery to me is facing your fears. It is jumping head first into something even though you are scared. Fearlessness is exactly as it sounds; one does not have anything to fear. Therefore, if Beowulf is fearless, as he certainly seems to be when boasting about his past victories and his decision to fight Grendel not only without his sword and shield but completely naked of any sort of armor, it is difficult to prove that he is also brave.

            When I think brave, I think of Helen Keller who, despite her disabilities of being both deaf and blind, dedicated her life to improving the world’s view and treatment of deaf people; Martin Luther King, Jr., who was part of the Civil Rights Movement and lead the fight against racial discrimination; and, Mother Theresa, who dedicated her life to helping the unfortunate in Calcutta facing both poverty and disease.

            Without fear, there is nothing to overcome.

Beowulf cannot be considered brave. Arrogant, fearless, determined, strong, superhero-like? Yes. Brave? Not a chance.

Now, the question that I am truly stuck on: Is Beowulf a true hero?

It is impossible to say that Beowulf does not do amazing things. He defeats Grendel, saves many people, and let’s not forget the ocean battle with at least nine sea-monsters. However, I always thought that a hero was brave. So, if Beowulf is not brave, is he a true hero?