In “Beowulf” translated by Burton Raffel, the character Beowulf is portrayed as a brave, courageous, and very pious man. In the pagan tale the underlying motif of Good versus Evil accentuates these characteristics to the point where Beowulf appears as a symbol of God and Christianity. He battles “the demon” Grendel (ln. 16), Grendel's mother, and a ferocious dragon, all to save those who need help, primarily Herot's people. This is also very Christ-like in that he serves those who are less than him for the sole purpose of doing the right thing. Although Beowulf is always very brave, he becomes boastful and greedy from the moment he first fights Grendel until he faces the dragon. Upon arriving in Herot, Beowulf initially asks permission to face the beast, "...we have come seeking thy prince, son of Healfdane, protector of this people, alone in friendship: instruct us, watchman, help us with thy words ! Our assignment is important, our affairs with the glorious race of Danes are not secret, there is nothing dark or hidden in our coming. You know (if we have heard the truth and have been told honestly) that yours country is cursed by a strange and ferocious creature that hunts only at night and that no one has seen. It is said, guardian, that it has massacred your people, bringing terror into the darkness way to cast out this devil...” (lines 179-192)This kind offer of help is so noble on Beowulf's part, and truly shows the characteristics of what a true warrior should be However, Beowulf's perfection begins to vanish in the second story where he faces Grendel's mother who is full of revenge. Before descending into the depths of the fiery lake to face Grendel's mother, Beowulf gives orders to Hrothgar, some spiteful remarks to Unferth, who questioned his ability before fighting Grendel, and then abruptly jumped into the lake without responding to his words . This shows Beowulf's arrogance coming out because he openly shows his pride and boasts about what he will do to the beast that awaits him in the depths. Somehow the story takes a great leap forward by jumping fifty years forward to when Beowulf is now an elderly king of the Geats. Now a ferocious dragon has settled in Beowulf's kingdom and declares that he will face him.