Beowulf as an Epic Hero

Christopher Reeve once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endures in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In other words, a hero is a normal person who is able to be strong and persevere despite difficult obstacles preventing them. In the book, Beowulf, the the nephew of the king of the land of the geats, helps Hrothgar, another king, kill a series of monsters that threaten his kingdom. He helps Hrothgar kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Firedrake. Beowulf is a hero because he is just an ordinary person who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite the overwhelming obstacles preventing him from doing so. Beowulf embodies Christopher Reeve’s definition of a hero because he defeated the flesh-eating Grendel, who could not be stopped even by groups of elite soldiers. Beowulf also killed Grendel’s mother, a much eviler being who lived in a cave in an endless pool of blood that led to hell. Finally, he defeated The Firedrake, who swelled up and breathed fire when angry.

Beowulf accomplished what may be the most difficult of all challenges in today’s times, he was able to aid other countries in times of need and respectfully communicate with them as well. After hearing word of Grendel’s attack, Beowulf decided to sail to Denmark and help defend Hrothgar’s people. In doing so, Hrothgar praised Beowulf and vowed to him that there was to always be an alliance between the Geats and the Danes from that day, forward. Beowulf was also idolized for the great amount of riches he brought to his people. After defeating Grendel, Hrothgar indulged Beowulf in a tremendous amount of riches. Instead of keeping the generous reward for himself, he took the riches home and gave them over to his king, Higlac, in hopes that the gifts would benefit his people. Beowulf was designated the king of the Geats for 50 winters, and always went to great lengths to protect his people. When dangerous situations arose, he stepped up to the plate and defended his people, no matter what the cost. In his old age, Beowulf made the ultimate sacrifice. He battled the dragon, and eventually met face-to-face with death. As a leader, Beowulf sacrificed his life in protection of his people; his heroic sacrifice is the ultimate demonstration of how an epic hero defends their people and serves as a positive influence in their culture.

What do Achilles, King Arthur, Harry Potter, and Beowulf all have in common? They all demonstrate the qualities of epic heroes. Beowulf represents several characteristics of an epic hero and demonstrates the values of the Anglo-Saxons. He is the main character of his story, he has a main goal, he travels and fights with a group of people, and he accomplishes many valorous deeds; the values of the Anglo-Saxons are also shown through the actions of Beowulf, such as courage, loyalty, and fame. For example, when Beowulf heard a cry for help in a far off land, he answered. He fought larger than life monsters, and won. His exceptional strength proves his epic courage and heroism.

Throughout his reign as the ruler of the Geats, Beowulf is a benevolent leader bringing peace and power to his nation as Hrothgar instructs him to do after the great warrior defeats Grendel’s mother. Hrothgar relates to him as “King of the Danes”, who brought little joy to the Danish people, only death and destruction. He tells Beowulf to learn from this and understand true value. Hrothgar intends that this information can be carried on with Beowulf. Hrothgar was a brave and strong-minded man.

Beowulf is an epic poem telling the story of Beowulf, a legendary Geatish hero who later

First Beowulf went on to fight Grendel, without any help from the Danes because, he wanted all the glory to himself. Foster, Edward states, “When he hears the

An Epic Hero is a brave, noble character in an epic poem, and they are admired for great achievements or affected by a grand event. In another point of view, A Epic Hero has to have strength, faith and Braveness in order to perform heroic deeds. In the story Beowulf , Beowulf is an epic hero because he kills Grendel the monster, Grendel’s Mother and a dragon that no one else could have defeated. All the things Beowulf did throughout this story showed evidence of an epic hero, also with his personality and dedication. Beowulf is an epic hero because of how he sacrificed his life to perform heroic deeds. Also for his extraordinary strength, Braveness, and Faith.

Beowulf is a hero in the eyes of his fellow men through his amazing physical strength. He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious

When Beowulf hears about Grendel, he feels that it is his duty to stop Grendel from killing anymore, Beowulf leaves to go to Herot to destroy him. Beowulf is mostly being applaud for his long journey to face this terrible monster. Beowulf says, “Grendel is no braver, no stronger than I am! I could kill him with my sword: I shall not” (line 677). Beowulf feels

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that tells a story of a Geat hero named Beowulf who comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, and agrees to help his people defeat the monstrous Grendel. After successfully ridding the land of the beast, Beowulf eventually becomes the king of the Geats for quite some time until his own demise at the hands of another beast. The story was influenced by both pagan and Christian mythologies as it was written during a

“The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men and their story is not given only on stone over their clay but abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the stuff of other men’s lives,” said Perculus (PR). You’re born, you live a little, and then you die. There is no simpler way to sum up life. Often times this is done through oral tales, paintings, and various other ways. For those whose lives were truly something great, something memorable, their stories are transcripted into writings. Whether these are simple biographies or symbolic fictional works, stories are often based on someone greater than the writer. These “epic heros” are protagonists that fulfill their potential of greatness through using their bravery, strength and

A hero must do many things to be allowed the title of hero. However, there are some aspects a hero should not show. If these characteristics are shown, they should not be considered a hero. One attribute a hero should not display is selfishness. In the Knight’s Tale, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, Arcite and Palamon acted selfishly. They perceived a beautiful lady. They fought for the beautiful lady. They died for the beautiful lady. Nevertheless, they acted selfishly during this gripping story. For example, they fought for Emily, the beautiful lady, because neither could live without her. Nonetheless, neither ambitious young man could bother themselves to question her on whether she wished to marry either of these headstrong knights. She may not have desired to marry either of them. Therefore, they acted selfish and do not live up to one requirement of a hero. On the contrary, Beowulf, the main protagonist in the epic poem Beowulf written by an unknown source, did not act selfishly. Throughout the poem, he risked his life to fight horrendous monsters to save the good people living in the area. These actions define Beowulf as a hero. Contrarily, Sir Gawain, who starred in the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, embarked on a dangerous journey. The Green Knight had tasked him to find the Green Chapel. Before finding the chapel, the tired knight came across a castle tucked away in the peaceful forest. When he asked to stay for a night, his host proposed a trade. The host would

Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in Old English in between the 8th and 11th century. King Hrothgar who rules the Danes, is being tormented by this beast called, Grendel. For some time now, Grendel has been attacking Heorot Hall, a mead-hall, and has been killing off many of the Danish soldiers and sometimes even devouring some. The king didn’t seem able to protect the people in his village from this great demon. Until, one day, Beowulf shows up and actually offers to help King Hrothgar by volunteering to find and kill this dreaded monster.

Beowulf is an epic poem being cited as one of the most important works of Old English literature. Beowulf is an Old English epic poem. The poem is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf, a hero of Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Herot has been under attack by a monster named Grendel. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and is then also defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland and later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty years has passed, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is mortally wounded in the battle. After his death, his attendants cremate his body and erect a tower on a headland in his memory. Beowulf is clearly a hero because of his brave deeds, he is a strong and responsible leader, and his courage. Beowulf is a hero because of his brave deeds. Throughout Beowulf, Beowulf does many deeds which are considered to be brave during the Anglo-Saxon period.“Grendel is no braver, no stronger/Than I am! I could kill him with my sword; I shall not,Easy as it would be. This fiend is a bold And famous fighter, but his claws and teeth.../ Beating at my sword blade, would be helpless. I will meet him With my hands empty-unless his heart /Fails him, seeing a soldier waiting /Weaponless, unafraid. Let God in His wisdom /Extend His hand where He wills, reward /Whom he chooses!”. In his first battle, Beowulf fights Grendel. He fights without any armor. Also, Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother. He then

The epic poem Beowulf, is an Angelo Saxon tale that represents heroism and strength. This poem was written be an unknown poet between around 1000 A.D and showcases the heroic character named Beowulf who comes to save the land of Danes from the beast Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel and then faces his mother the evil monster who is killed as well and is viewed by all the people of Dane as a hero who can never be beaten. An evil Dragon comes and Beowulf is able to kill the Dragon but sacrifices his own life as he is killed by the Dragon’s poison. Beowulf is about more than heroism this epic poem shows true English narration, represents Angelo-Saxon religion, and depicts women’s roles in Anglo-Saxon society