When he arrived at the Danish land, Beowulf was a man seeking adventure and glory. Beowulf was famous among his people, the Geats, for his bravery. Beowulf fought in many battles and as a result showed his great character to others.
Beowulf had many characteristics which helped him to succeed in battle. Beowulf was known as the strongest man alive. His strength allowed him to succeed in battle. If wasn’t for his pure strength, he would not have been able to defeat Grendel because his weapons wouldn’t work. By fighting Grendel without weapons, he opened himself up to greater praise. Beowulf’s strength could not be seen as a disadvantage, while the results of his strength could. Beowulf’s strength allowed him power in battle, but it also made him vain. While his cockiness allowed him to be sure of himself in battle, some of his peers found it to be a character flaw. Unferth saw Beowulf as cocky and vain. So, while his cockiness was a flaw in the eyes of others, Beowulf saw it as a self promise and used it to his advantage.
Beowulf also had a strong spirit of adventure, his spirit of adventure was part of the reason that Beowulf went to fight Grendel. Beowulf’s strength and spirit of adventure had also led him to victories in many battles, including the battle with Grendel. Beowulf used his glory in earlier battles to prove himself when coming to help Hrothgar. In addition, his self assurance and known bravery probably guided his decision. Beowulf’s spirit of adventure gained him a lot of fame; however, it could have gotten him into danger, if he were to have taken an adventure too far.