Is Beowulf A True Hero

True heroes are brave and bold. They often sacrifice themselves in order to save many others. In a multitude of works of literature, heroes are common and often symbolize the good of humanity and the strength of self. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the character Beowulf, the defender of Geat and Herot, clearly exemplifies the traits that mark an ideal hero. Beowulf’s strength, quest for glory, and egocentric personality characterize him as a true hero.

Beowulf, now an old man, says in his final boast, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again” (lines 607-609). Beowulf realizes the dangers of going into battle as an old man, and despite still knowing that his strength and fighting skills were not what they used to be still goes into battle against the ferocious dragon in order to protect his homeland from the villain. Unfortunately, as Beowulf was fighting saw that “for a time (the shield) held, protected Beowulf as he’d planned; then it began to melt, and for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against him, with glory denied him. He knew it, but he raised his sword and struck at the dragon’s scaly hide/And the Geats’ ring-giver did not boast of glorious victories in other wars” (lines 666-671/678). As Beowulf fights the dragon, he comes to realize that he is not going to win and is going to meet his fate. All the battles he had previously fought had him fighting alongside fate, not against it, but now he realized that this is the battle he would not win. Still, Beowulf fights on knowing he would die. He, as stated in the quote, does not seek any pride nor has he in any of his battles and would valiantly fight until his death. These actions Beowulf has portrayed ultimately

Being a hero can be defined many different ways. Several qualities like courage, respect, and strength can define heroism. A hero is noted for his or her actions for being brave, powerful, and acting with honor. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the main character Beowulf shows all of these characteristics by defending the Danish king, Hrothgar, and his people. He is a true hero by honoring his country and exerting his power and strength to protect others. Beowulf embodies the qualities of bravery, being powerful, and demonstrating his honor; therefore, he can be considered a true hero.

Beowulf is from a time where heros never die. They would live on through stories. There would be amazing tales, poems recited, and songs sung about what the hero had done. To be a hero you had to follow the Anglo-Saxon codes. Which meant showing respect to those who had raised you and in turn helping them when they are in need. It means proving yourself and doing what was expected of you, even when it is something like dieing for your people. To live on through stories, Beowulf fought because of his duty, for glory, and as a sacrifice.

Beowulf proves himself to be a shining example of a hero by constantly doing things to further the higher good. Beowulf uses his courage to protect others and he was willing to put his life in danger for the greater good and to die for his people. Beowulf is a courageous man and is motivated by a desire to prove his valor to others. He demonstrates his bravery through three deeds in the poem.

First of all, Beowulf's identity entrusts him with innate glories not only as one from an inherent royal lineage, but also as one instinctive warrior with divine strength. He is born

Beowulf had come to realization that he was not stronger than the dragon, but he still did not back down. One last heroic characteristic that Beowulf possesses is his absolute righteous justice of sense of duty. In explanation this means Beowulf was always devoted to his people, his king, and their protection. What would be a great example of this is when he goes face to face with the alone when his soldiers abandoned him, he realizes that he will probably not be returning victorious from the battle. Beowulf's fate was soon to run and he would die in battle. Beowulf had to and did go along with this because he was the king and it was his duty of responsibility to protect his people. Beowulf did not have to do stay and fight the dragon he could have ran away like the others. Overall, a true hero is a person that has distinguished qualities that goes against adversity to accomplished good deeds despite the consequences of what could happen to them. Beowulf committed things out of honor, bravery, duty, and much more, not for any rewards. Beowulf the hero of Anglo-Saxon is someone who is a true hero that reaches out and accomplishes good

Beowulf shows more care for his companions and people than for himself throughout the story, from his dive into the mere to his final battle. Before diving into the mere to fight with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf requests of Hrothgar, that “If he came to harm, his gifts should remain with the Geats and his friends should be protected.” Beowulf has no self-interest in the wealth of others after his death, yet he thinks of the well-being of his people and his companion when his is threatened (44). As Beowulf grew older, so did his thoughts of others. Many years into Beowulf’s reign, his kingdom is being terrorized by a dragon. He opts not to send a militia to their doom, but instead chooses to fight the beast himself. More so than his previous battles, Beowulf is unsure of his ability to survive the skirmish: “await on the barrow the one of us two / who shall better able to bear his wounds / after his onslaught.” Once again, Beowulf thinks more of others than himself; he would rather that he die than his people (IV. 21-23). Selflessness is not the only aspect of a hero, as the ability to persevere after through selfless decisions is equally important.

Beowulf isn’t worried about his death. He is more worried about what happens to all his things when he dies and that his men are safe. In his eyes, fate is something that happens and he would rather be prepared for his death than believe he will live and not be prepared. Beowulf is selfless and puts his men first rather than himself because he cares more about what happens to his

The third quality Beowulf had was respect. He showed the most gratitude towards two: his king, who he pays his respects after defeating Grendel, and his men, who he treats with respect and encouragement as they prepare to face against the monsters ahead of them. Beowulf was also very brave, shown throughout time as a fearless warrior who showed no mercy when it came to battling against evil forces. Even when his army was creeped out by Grendel’s creepy appearance and held back, Beowulf showed no sign of acting cowardness and fought against the monster himself, believing he thought he had what it took to fight it off. Beowulf was also humble enough to return to his home to pay his respects to his king and bring him gifts given to him by the villagers for defeating Grendel. Beowulf went down as an iconic character of not only for his strength and bravery, but because he and his men fought for glory and freedom from the monsters that terrorized the lands.

In Beowulf, the main character, a Geat warrior named Beowulf, possesses extraordinary qualities: “He was the strongest of men alive in that day, mighty and noble.”  Upon spotting Beowulf approaching, the sea-guard of the Danes says, “Never have I seen a greater man on earth…”  King Hrothgar of the Danes says of Beowulf, “Seafarers who took gifts to the Geats say that he has

Epic poems consist of heroes who complete deeds of valor or extraordinary courage. “The captain of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the earth. Every bone in his body quailed and recoiled, but he could not escape” (Beowulf 749-753). This quote shows that Beowulf’s strength is so great that even a monster cannot escape from it. As I have said before, Beowulf is not afraid to die. He faces death fearless and bold and prepares himself for battle.

Beowulf recognized that he possessed an unusual ability, strength that would enable him to do things that ordinary men could not do. Instead of using his strength for his personal good, he uses it for the good of his country. In defeating his country’s enemies, he made it a safe place to live and helped it to prosper. When he saw another country across the sea facing the dangers of Grendel and Grendel’s mother, he volunteered his service to a king who was unable to subdue them. Knowing his strength, he fights unarmed against a terrible monster and succeeds. Even more frightening is his venture into the murky waters and the depths of hell to fight the mother of Grendel. Showing no fear or cowardice, he bravely faces dangers with no thought of himself. Beowulf is proud of his accomplishment, but he is justified, for he has done something no one else has dared to do. He saw evil and danger in Grendel and his mother, and he destroyed them. Just as soldiers of today go to faraway countries to give them peace, so Beowulf does this for Hrothgar and his country. He was given valuable gifts and that praise was heaped upon him, but he had placed his life in danger. It is uncertain whether he offered his services because he longed for more glory or whether he wanted to go to Hrothgar’s country to repay Hrothgar for the help that Hrothgar had given to Beowulf’s father in the past. Beowulf does what a true hero does when he sees someone in need; he goes to their aid. Even when he was old and ill, he still wanted to be of service to his country and once again put his life in peril. Although he died as a result of the battle, he put his country before his own well-being. Only as he lay dying, did he make a request that his life might be remembered. He asked that his remains might be buried on a cliff overlooking the sea. He asks Wiglaf to construct a barrow on the coast that would be visible to

Part of the reason that Beowulf gained his fame is because of his superior or superhuman strength. Beowulf is honored by

Brave, a hero must be willing to face their fears and put their safety last. Beowulf protects those who are weaker and fights for the good of society. No matter the foe, Beowulf fights to protect and ignores death. He clearly demonstrates his courageous actions during the second battle against Grendel’s Mother and the final battle against the dragon. During the second conflict, Grendel’s Mother mourns to her son’s death and promises to avenge him. Angry she is,