Beowulf : An Epic Hero

Every epic hero acquires certain heroic characteristics. The poem, “Beowulf, is about the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon period. Beowulf is a warrior from Geatland that comes to help Hrothgar, the king of Danes, defeat the monster Grendel who has been killing men in their kingdom. Beowulf defeats the unstoppable beast, Grendel. Then Grendel’s mother comes to try to avenge Grendel’s death, and Beowulf slaughters her in her underwater lair. After 50 peaceful years of ruling the Geats, Beowulf in his old age fights his last battle with a dragon. He defeats the dragon, with help from Wiglaf, but dies as a result. The main character, Beowulf exemplifies many characteristics that an epic hero possesses. Beowulf’s characteristics include

Beowulf is the most famous poems in old English. There are three cases/conflict Beowulf encounters, first the battle with Grendel then the battle of Grendel’s mothe and the battle with the dragon “A hero is a person, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” “Epic heroes posses qualities that mere mortals lack, the epic hero often battles for good, or accomplishes a set of tasks to complete an important goal.” This hero gets his qualities at birthright; Beowulf is the ultimate hero who put his life in danger for another kingdom. Beowulf’s heroism was seen when he takes his 14 of his men to help Hrothgar, he was Beowulf father’s closest friend. Hrothgar’s kingdom had been cursed by attacks for the last 12 years that threatened the whole kingdom.

Countless people have tried to say that Beowulf represents the qualities required of an epic hero, but many people also suggest that Beowulf does not show any of these qualities. While Beowulf shows heroic characteristics in all of his acts, both pride and greed motivate his actions. The story of Beowulf contains all of the information needed to show this, but people do not notice that which they do not want to see.

Throughout all the battles he is fighting, and the outcomes of them. Beowulf shows he is courageous, has strength, and is honorable. Beowulf demonstrates these characteristics of an archetypal epic hero, In the epic poem “Beowulf”.

An epic hero is someone who is of great importance, they have supernatural abilities, have some form of connection with the Gods, and accomplish great deeds. In Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is the epic hero in his tale and he is considered great by those who know of his life. There are two versions of his story which portrays him in a certain way. The video version does not do its best to portray him as an epic hero but instead show that he is a liar, a womanizer, and a coward. The written version does not portray him as such, it portrays him as someone who is strong, brave, and fearless. The written version best portrays Beowulf as an epic hero by showing his actions involving superhuman deeds in battle.

Beowulf is a courageous, strong individual whose honor is show through his many great and valorous deeds. Throughout “Beowulf”, Beowulf shows off the ways that he affects others around him, whether it be through a courageous act, giving details of his honor, or just showing off how strong he is. He shows his traits well and often.

The main character in the epic poem “Beowulf” is Beowulf. An epic hero is one that has superhuman qualities and who beholds values of his society and is braver than life. “Epics are stories told on a grand scale, with armies, heroes, gods, and the brutal forces of nature depicted over long character arcs and sweeping landscapes.” (Rebecca Ray 1) Beowulf is a selfless warrior that puts the kingdom of Herot first and tries to rid evil for the people.

“A hero had to be strong, intelligent, and courageous” ( Garcia ). This quote tells what an epic hero is to another author besides Raffel who translated Beowulf. Beowulf is an epic hero for his bravery to fight three battles for another group other than his own, he has the traits of an epic hero, and he followed the hero cycle. Beowulf fought three battles; the battle of Grendel, the battle of Grendel’s mother, and the battle against the dragon.

An epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by great events. Beowulf, an epic hero in the epic poem Beowulf, is a prime example. Beowulf was an epic hero, because he was significant and glorified, on a quest, had superior strength, and was an ethical man. He also, risked death for glory, performed brave deeds, was a strong and responsible leader, and lastly, reflected the ideals of a particular society. Throughout the epic, Beowulf managed to show all of these characteristics while protecting his people and battling heinous monsters.

We all grow up wanting to be like our hero. Some want to be like their mom or dad, others want to be like their favorite fictional superhero. Whomever it may be that you envy, for whatever reason you admire them, all of these heroes have a few things in common.The traits all leaders share: bravery, strength, mental and physical, and they are glorified by others. The hero in this essay is Beowulf. A great warrior, leader, and role model for all.

Beowulf is a poem that tells the story of a hero’s victories and defeat, first killing a demon and his mother and after being defeated by a dragon. This poem shows how spectacular epics were at this time and as the Anglo-Saxon literature took a long a long time ago. Furthermore it shows how important and recognized the heroic deeds were, so much to the point to write about the hero with qualities and characteristics that were a little overdone such as the strength of Beowulf that with one fist he tore Grendel's arm off. In the epic, the reader can witness that willpower and loyalty are more important than physical strength in battle as these allow him to be willing to face a very strong and terrifying enemies and defend his principles and friends.

“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”( Brodi Ashton) Beowulf is one of the bravest heroes as he kills monsters throughout the poem. He was leader of the Anglo Saxons society. The concept of fate was that he embraced his fate by honor, loyalty, and bravery. Beowulf is an epic hero because he is significant and glorified for his actions, he has superhuman strength, and he is ethical.

Due to being an epic hero, Beowulf had a well-respected reputation, superior strength, and extreme courage. His great reputation is indicated numerous times within the passage. For example, he was known as “the strongest of the Geats-greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (ll. 110-111). Beowulf’s strength was revealed in the way that he was able to execute Grendel by ripping his arm from his body. “Grendel saw that his strength was deserting him, his claws bound fast, Higlac’s brave follower tearing at his hands.

The poet describes Beowulf as the mighty protector of men, exaggerating that he of all men is strong and brave enough to defeat the great monster Grendel. The author writes, “He was happy, Now, with that night’s fierce work; the Danes had been served as he’d boasted he’d serve them; Beowulf, a prince of Geats, had killed grendel, ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering, forced on Hrothgar's helpless people by a bloodthirsty fiend” (Beowulf 349-355). This demonstrates Beowulf’s courage and his ability to defeat this monster and protect his people from evil. Clearly, Beowulf is an epic hero, for he uses his trait of being courageous to mentally have the will to physically defeat the monster

The English epic Beowulf is a story in which the characters and their actions display the values of the Anglo-Saxon society. The main character is a great warrior who embarks on many journeys and faces many foes. The epic was written during the Anglo-Saxon period and demonstrates many of the values including the hero in Beowulf. In the epic, Beowulf displays the characteristics of an epic hero including being a great warrior, facing supernatural foes and being a national hero throughout the sections.