When Beowulf goes to fight the dragon, it has been fifty years since his fight with Grendel. He knows that this battle will be different, so he takes the bravest and strongest warriors with him. He knows that this time he will need a sword and shield to fight the dragon. When the men get to the dragon’s cave, he tells the men that he doesn’t want them to fight with him. Instead, he wants them to stay close but only watch him fight the dragon.

Wait for me close by, my friends.
We shall see, soon, who will survive
This bloody battle, stand when the fighting
Is done. No one else could do
What I mean to, here, no man but me
Could hope to defeat this monster. No one
Could try. And this dragon's treasure, his gold
And everything hidden in that tower, will be mine.

This could be a very strange decision for the reader. Beowulf is older now, and the dragon will be a difficult enemy to overcome. There are several reasons why he may have told them to stay behind. As their king, it would be Beowulf’s duty to protect his people. Anc he’s already admitted the danger in this mission, so he could be looking out for their safety.

It is more likely that Beowulf wants to fight the dragon alone in order to get fame from his victory. In Anglo-Saxon culture, a warrior is remembered because of the brave deeds they do. As he reaches the end of his life, Beowulf understands the importance of winning in order to be remembered. If he wins, the men will be able to tell the story of his brave victory. If he loses, the men will be able to tell how he died fighting bravely in battle. Beowulf’s last directions to Wiglaf ensure that they will remember him long after he has died.

Have the brave Geats build me a tomb,
When the funeral flames have burned me, and build it
Here, at the water's edge, high
On this spit of land, so sailors can see
This tower, and remember my name, and call it
Beowulf's tower, and boats in the darkness
And mist, crossing the sea, will know it.