s not come with him, but instead sits suddenly meaningless. The narrator even goes on to write “Easily may treasure, gold in the ground, betray each one of the race of men, hide it who will” (63). The fact that these passages come directly following Beowulf’s desire to spy the treasure hoard is not coincidental. To say that this one glimpse of Beowulf’s greed spells his failure as a hero is untrue. One must look at why he went to face the dragon in the first place. Before departing for battle, Beowulf speaks: “Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle” (59). He is not facing the worm to plunder its treasure hoard, but to once again perform his duty as defender of his people. And, as he takes his last look at the dragon’s mound of gold, he shows his intentions of sharing it with his people: “I speak with my words thanks to the Lord of All for these treasures . . . that I might get such for my people before my death-day” (63). While Beowulf could not resist the calling of the riches, his intentions were good. Protector of his people for fifty years, he is remembered as a brave and just king.Beowulf’s life was truly epic struggle. The monsters he battled made it so. Grendel and the dragon, capable of crushing men physically, stood for evils that could just as easily crush men in spirit. These two beasts represented society’s greatest fears, as well as detriments, and Beowulf fearlessly took them on. Grendel taught the hero a valuable lesson about maintaining one’s humanity in a world dominated by the dogs of war. The dragon, showed Beowulf’s mortality, his imperfection, but the hero eradicates it nonetheless, saving his people from not only physical threat, but sin. Bringing in such spiritual and moral dimensions, these two beasts certainly give the story of Beowulf depth....
