Beowulf's death

Even in his old age, Beowulf is able to take on and kill a dragon. Beowulf does not die from getting his throat bitten by the dragon, but instead poison from the bite undertakes him. For everything that he has done, this is a wimpy way to die. I don't understand how he can get his neck bit and not die, but mere poison kills him. There is only one explanation for this, I think Beowulf chose to die. He wanted to die with honor and getting killed in action was the only way to guarantee that. He had already killed sea monsters, Grendel, Grendel's mother, and now a dragon; his life was a never ending battle. He constantly proved to others that he was the mightiest. Beowulf was strong enough to fight off the poison, but he was smart enough to know that while he was alive, he would always have to prove his strength. So he did the inevitable; he died. By letting himself get conquered by a dragon (after he took it out), he got what he wanted. He was able to protect his people, but most importantly, he died with a lifetime's amount of honor. His funeral showed how brave and honorable he truly was. Yes, Beowulf died, but his death actually made him a more illustrious hero.

In our society, our heroes don't die. It is not so much that they can't die (most of them actually can), but that we don't want them to die. Does death make someone less manly or not a hero? I don't think so; actually, I think the complete opposite. I think that someone who dies protecting what he or she believes in is more of a hero than a character that doesn't die. Mel Gibson in Braveheart is a great example. Sir William Wallace rallied Scotland to defend itself against the king of England. He died fighting for freedom for his people; his death doesn't make him less of a hero, but more. If Wallace had lived, he may not have been able to gather everyone together to win the war. His death made the Scottish join forces and fight back the English. Because he was fighting for his people Wallace became a hero, but he became a legend because his death indirectly brought freedom.

When a hero dies, it is viewed as a weakness. This is only true for some situations; it depends on how he or she died. If the hero died fighting for his honor or to protect something, then it is not a weakness. It is a sign of strength because despite the odds, the hero kept on fighting. If he defeated the villain, then he would definitely be a hero, but he would be a bigger hero if he had died fighting. His death would show his courage and in that, he would be recognized. On the other hand, if a hero died because of old age, he would be considered less heroic than someone who died fighting. A hero is bound to be more memorable if he died for an honorable cause then simply dieing. This is the case for Beowulf; he died protecting his self image and people. His death helps us remember him as a brave, courageous man.