Blog 2:

Wiglaf has a lot of the same traits are Beowulf, but he also shows a few of his own traits. The main action of bravery we see Wiglaf complete is when Beowulf is fighting the dragon by his lonesome and he needs help. Before he enters battle to help his faithful Beowulf, he gives a speech to the deserting men. He says that Beowulf has spent his whole life protecting everyone else, and it is their duty to help him, but they are just being cowards. After this speech he enters the dragons layer to aid the hero. He tries to fight the dragon, and with the help of Beowulf, they end up killing the dragon, but at the cost of Beowulf. Wiglaf had alot of the same heroic traits as Beowulf. First off, he made a speech before he went to battle, which is very similar to what Beowulf did before his battles. Beowulf always made an elaborate speech about him being willing to die for the people he was fighting for, and his reason for fighting, and that was seen here as well. Also, he had some of the same heroic ideas as Beowulf because they are fighting the same Dragon. The basic hero values are all the same between the two men. The main place where Wiglaf takes it to another level is because of his reason for fighting. Sometimes we get the idea the Beowulf is fighting because he wants to become a hero, and he likes the fame behind it. Also, he is driven by the idea of fate. With Wiglaf, he is pushed by the desire to do right to Beowulf. He feels like it is his duty to help the person that has helped him so many times instead of just flee like the other men. He isn't trying to go into this fight to earn glory or fame, but he just wants to go and help a friend. I think this is what makes him more heroic than Beowulf. With Wiglaf, he is fighting with someone else in mind. Beowulf, on the other hand, is fighting to protect other people, but he has himself and his fame in his mind while he is fighting.