Scribd
Upload
281 views3 pages

Bravery or Greed

The document analyzes and compares the motivations of the heroes Beowulf and Bilbo Baggins. Both heroes undertake dangerous adventures for the promise of treasure as a reward. Beowulf saves another nation knowing he will receive their riches, rather than acting out of kindness. Bilbo reluctantly joins the dwarves' quest only after hearing of his potential share of the treasure. The document concludes that these literary works illustrate how the traditional hero is motivated by the promise of reward for their brave deeds.

Uploaded by

api-283770723
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
281 views3 pages

Bravery or Greed

The document analyzes and compares the motivations of the heroes Beowulf and Bilbo Baggins. Both heroes undertake dangerous adventures for the promise of treasure as a reward. Beowulf saves another nation knowing he will receive their riches, rather than acting out of kindness. Bilbo reluctantly joins the dwarves' quest only after hearing of his potential share of the treasure. The document concludes that these literary works illustrate how the traditional hero is motivated by the promise of reward for their brave deeds.

Uploaded by

api-283770723
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Jackie Cutts

10/4/12
H. English 2- A
Ms. Dinnen

Bravery or Geed?

The Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Haney, demonstrates


the traditional reward of treasure for a hero. One of J. R. R. Tolkien's novels, The
Hobbit, also demonstrates this, even for a meek hobbit like Bilbo Baggins. Beowulf is
the greatest warrior of his time and saves a nation other than his own in the knowledge
that he will receive treasure for his deeds. Bilbo Baggins is coerced into going on his
journey with the dwarves for a share of the treasure they set out to find. In both works,
the hero is motivated to to be the best he can be by the promise of treasure as a
reward.
Bilbo Baggins, the hero of The Hobbit, is all but forced to go on his journey with the
dwarves, but behaves admirably at the mention of treasure. In hobbit society
adventures come with a bad connotation. Bilbo, with all the rest of the hobbits has no
good to say about adventures. At this point in the novel, Bilbo does not want to embark
on a dangerous adventure. When Bilbo is presented with the opportunity to go on a
journey with the dwarves to reclaim their treasures from a terrible dragon, he was more
than reluctant to accompany them. However, he changes his mind when he hears that
his share of the untold riches will be. Bilbo learns this at a point in the novel when he

could still stay home, but he goes off with the dwarves despite his better judgement. As
he only does this after hearing about his share of the profits, it can be inferred that the
idea of riches helped his decision, much like it helped Beowulf's.
Beowulf aids a nation other than his own not out of kindness, but for the rewards that
go with acts of bravery for powerful nations. Beowulf, a great warrior in his own country
of Geatland, hears of the Danes' troubles and remembers their king's reputation as a.
Treasure giving in this culture recognizes both the hero's bravery and the giver's
generosity. After accepting Beowulf's help, Hrothgar assures him that. Before Beowulf
even goes into battle, he knows he will be rewarded handsomely for his victory. As a
great defender of Geatland, Beowulf would not care about saving another nation, but for
the riches and fame that go with it.
Each hero performs brave deeds in order to receive the treasure promised to them
before their adventures. Beowulf goes seeking riches and fame from a struggling, yet
rich country other than his own. Bilbo goes off on an adventure against his better
judgement purely seeking treasure. Both literary works illustrate the traditional hero
motivated to greatness by promise of reward.

Works Cited
Beowulf. Trans. Seamus Haney. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2000
Tolkien, J. R. R.. The Hobbit. New York: Houghton Mifflin & Co., 1996

You might also like