The heroism represented by Anglo-Saxon heroes was defined by many different and diverse qualities. More importantly, the heroic figures of German history all shared one characteristic: they are all extremely selfless and put others before themselves. While some may argue that Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon hero considering his selflessness demonstrated by fighting the dragon, however, throughout the story, Beowulf continually exemplifies his conceited nature of selfishness, making him a hero to a small degree. Say no to plagiarism. . Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayFirst of all, due to his greed to secure name and fame, Beowulf impulsively decides to fight against the dragon, bringing him a bleak future. the Geats who lost their beloved king of the last fifty years, thus proving that he is no hero. After being told that the dragon was brutally attacking his people and that the Geatish throne room was burned to ashes, Beowulf says, "Now I am old, but as king of this people I will pursue this battle for the glory of winning " . Regardless of the grave consequences, Beowulf immediately gathers the best weapons and armor he can find to prepare himself, announcing that he will fight once more. By doing so, he would be able to gain the desired fame by killing the dragon, as he states "fighting for the glory of winning". This highlights Beowulf's strong desire to maintain his legendary appearance as a heroic figure. However, he underestimates the dragon's ability to fight. Although he kills the dragon and brings the people peace and treasures, he is bitten on the neck and dies from the dragon's venom. To ensure glory, he orders his companion to bring back the treasure to share with his men. Instead of enjoying the treasure their king had brought them, the Geats burned his last gifts, “leaving the earth to guard that ancestral treasure […] as useless to men now as it ever was.” As highlighted, Beowulf's decision to fight the dragon disappoints his people. Although the king himself thinks that his treasure would be useful to his people, he states that the treasure is "useless", suggesting that Beowulf's sacrifice is unnecessary from the Geats' point of view. After Beowulf's death, the kingdom is immediately led into an unknown future without their experienced king who ruled for fifty years. As illustrated, Beowulf's selfishness prevents him from taking on the responsibility of leading his people. Instead, he fought the dragon out of his desire for glory, resulting in the collapse of his kingdom. Opponents might suggest that Beowulf should be classified as an Anglo-Saxon hero because of his selflessness expressed as he cut up Grendel's corpse in memory of the fallen. companions during his battle with Grendel's mother. Of course, Beowulf decides to take revenge for Grendel's acts committed by him and later cuts off his head to settle the score. Yet, as Beowulf returns home and celebrates his victory with his people, it is stated that Beowulf's "courage was proven" and "his glory was sure." Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay By presenting Grendel's corpse to the people and Hrothgar, Beowulf elevated his fame and secured glory for himself as he not only killed Grendel's mother, but also took revenge on Grendel for all the innocent lives that Grendel took away. Evidently, instead of carrying Grendel's cut corpse in memory of his lost companions, Beowulf puts his ambition before his people. The demonstration of his self-centered nature proves once again.