Taliah Cofer

3rd period
10/19/2015
Argumentative essay
Bravery is like a very trusted friend, it will never let you down. That
statement holds true in the great epic of "Beowulf." "Beowulf" is the story of a great
hero who comes to the aid of a troubled king. Beowulf hears that king Hrothgar is
having trouble and immediately comes to help with no questions asked. He defeats
the monster, Grendel, with his bare hands. Beowulf then defeats Grendel's mother
along with a dragon until he is fatally injured. Bravery is a very admirable
characteristic that few people possess.

First of all, Beowulf came to help Hrothgar on his own free will. Hearing of the
troubles that Hrothgar was having with a monster terrorizing Herot, his mead hall,
Beowulf bravely offered his help not knowing what he was up against. When he
arrived, Beowulf did not ask the king for either money nor fame. The only favor that
he asked of Hrothgar was that he and his men were to fight the monster, Grendel.
Coming away from one's homeland to help get rid of a man-eating monster and
asking for nothing in return takes much courage and is an extremely brave deed.

Next, Beowulf decides to fight Grendel with his bare hands. He could have
easily obtained some kind of weapon to fight with. Beowulf was the first warrior
ever to have enough sheer bravery to go up against such a monster with neither
help nor weapon or shield to aid him. he was a warrior that believed somewhat in
fate and in God. Believing that God made the decisions and was in control, Beowulf
trusted that his life was in good hands. Defeating Grendel with his bare hands,
Beowulf not only proved his bravery but also his loyalty.

After defeating Grendel, Beowulf came back twice in order to kill Grendel's
mother and a fire-breathing dragon. Although during his bout with the dragon,
Beowulf was fatally injured. As his services were needed, he always prevailed;
Beowulf's bravery never tired. He even had to fight and kill these monsters in their
homes where nobody had ever ventured. Successfully defeating Grendel's mother
lead Beowulf into his third and final battle with the last monster. He had to fight a
fire-breathing dragon and with the help of one faithful companion, Wiglaf, they
slayed the dragon. During this encounter Beowulf was killed, but on his deathbed he
was still the brave warrior he had always been and he was thinking of his people
and not death. As a brave warrior should, Beowulf died doing a righteous favor for
someone else with his weapon in hand.

Taliah Cofer
3rd period
10/19/2015
Argumentative essay
An admirable characteristic that few people possess is bravery. Asking no
questions, the great Beowulf came to Hrothgar's aid fearlessly. Defeating Grendel
weaponless was another display of magnificent bravery. He kept coming back and
defeated Grendel's mother along with a fire-breathing dragon until he was fatally
injured and killed. Bravery should not only apply to warriors but also to everyday
people.