Beowulf, the Epic Hero

A true Hero risks his life to fight for a noble cause. He does not run away in the face of danger, but faces it with courage to help people live better lives. Beowulf is an epic poem that tells a story of a legendary hero who fights for the greater good for all people. Heroes all exhibit bravery, courage, loyalty, honor, and leadership when faced danger. Beowulf displays all the qualities and characteristics needed to be an epic hero throughout the epic.

To honor the Beowulf’s heroic life and battles, I’ve been assigned as one of his closest warriors to exclaim his appellation and share the stories of his battles. One of the citizen came up to me and asked, “I heard that Beowulf was an amazing guy, but I never fully knew him. Could you tell me more about him?” I was extremely excited as this man was the first person to ever ask me about Beowulf. “Beowulf was a strong leader and a great friend. Although he might not have been a very humble man, he was nowhere near being a bully. He’s the type of man that would belittle anyone who hurts the weak and innocent. Beowulf was mettlesome and was never intimidated by any menace.” The man’s eyes were already widen. “He sounds like a guy I would wanna be protected by,” the citizen said, “Can you tell me about one of his battles?” I prepared myself as I was about to begin a long lecture of how strong Beowulf was.

Beowulf son of the famous soldier Edegtho, comes to the rescue of Hrothgar. Hrothgar king of the Danes, which his land is being attacked by a treacherous monster named Grendel. Beowulf is described as a vigorous, fearless man of the Anglo Saxon times. Beowulf comes from a past generation of tenacious warriors. Like Beowulf’s dad, a famous soldier known far, and leader of many men. The Danes now see why Beowulf is such a fearless warrior. In Beowulf, the hero decides to fight without a weapon for three reasons he wants to be glorious, he is fearless, wanted to help the people of noble place and he wants to honor his people. Beowulf faces many conflicts fighting these dangerous monsters, but manages to defeat Grendel and his mother.

As a matter of fact, Beowulf is a strong man who takes it upon himself to protect others and commit many acts of courage, bravery, and pride. At the same time,

The defining characteristics of Beowulf is his bravery, and his strong desire to demonstrate it to others. He travels to the land of the Danes to prove his courage by destroying Grendel, and he then fearlessly pursues Grendel's mother into her underwater lair. Even late in his life, he dies fighting against a dragon that is terrorizing his homeland. Beowulf is also concerned about loyalty and honor, all of which are related to the self-sacrificial nature of his courage. Virtues celebrated by Anglo-Saxons and revealed in Beowulf include loyalty, generosity, brotherly love, and heroism. Beowulf is loyal to Hrothgar and seeks to help his kingdom despite the fact that he is not a Dane. He displays generosity by bringing gifts bestowed upon him from the Danes back to his own uncle and king of Geatland. Brotherly love is seen most in Beowulf's relationship with his men. Rather than assuming a position of honor after the defeat of Grendel, he chooses to

"[Fifty] winters" after Beowulf earns his reputation across kingdoms and crowned as the king of Geatland, he becomes" old /With years and wisdom "(l. 470-472). During his late ages, when "a dragon [awakens] from [its] darkness/ And dreams and [brings] terror to his people", Beowulf rises in furious resistance( l. 472-473). He claims to defend his people and honor with everything he owns, including his precious life. Beowulf states that "[He has] never known fear;/as a youth [he fights]/In endless battles.[He is] old, now,/But [he] will fight again, [seeks] fame still, If the dragon hiding in [its] tower dares To face [him]”(l. 484-488). He strives the dragon bravely that"......when [the dragon] comes to [him][he] means to stand, not run from [dragon's] shooting/ Flames, [stands] till fate decidesWhich of [them]wins. [his] heart is firm,/ [his] hands calm: [he needs]no hot Words"(l. 497-503). Beowulf combats arduously, with wounds and blood. Even when he is beaten by the dragon in his neck, "the blood-stained old king/ Still knew what he [is] doing. Quickly, he [cuts]The beast in half, [slits] it apart"(l. 625-628). Till his last moment, with no second thought, Beowulf completes his destiny as a sage king and glorious warrior selflessly. He implements his responsibility and obligation perfectly in life till his

She gained the upper hand on Beowulf but his woven mail shirt saved him once again. He then seen a giant sword hanging on the wall hammered by giants and blessed with their magic and decapitated her head. He takes Grendel’s head as a trophy symbolizing Grendel ’s end on hunting humans. In his final battle Beowulf must face a mighty and dragon.

When Beowulf was asked to slay Grendel, he showed profound bravery. No weapons could do so much as scratch Grendel because of a spell that was cast on them. Beowulf was brave enough to battle Grendel with his bare hands and save Denmark and the king’s men. Beowulf also proved his bravery by fighting the dragon, even in his old age.

The epic poem Beowulf tells the story of a warrior's feats throughout his life. This warrior, Beowulf, had superhuman strength and unequaled courage. Beowulf was the perfect example of what a king and a warrior of his time should have been. He was completely unafraid of death, loyal to his clank, generous to his king and to his people, and he had a drive for praise and reward. These traits show up throughout the story.

Beowulf, the English Epic, gives knowledge to the reader regarding virtues of the Anglo Saxon society. In Beowulf, a man’s heroic qualities are recognized. Beowulf possesses the virtues, mannerisms, and knowledge that was respected in the Anglo Saxon time period. He displays these traits during different events in the course of the tale. Beowulf proves himself to be an epic hero by displaying intelligence and courage, while becoming a great warrior, and a national hero, jeopardizing his safety in order to complete his quests.

In the book of Beowulf, he has three big monsters to kill. Using different methods, techniques, and weapons to win different “trophies” each time. One of the big monsters is Grendel, the man eating monster. Next there is Grendel’s mother, a great Sea monster. Finally the biggest fight, the Great Dragon.

However, bravery and strength are the centerpiece of the Anglo-Saxon way of life. Beowulf embodies this characteristic on multiple circumstances. He fights Grendel with no armor nor weapon other than his bare hands. After he kills Grendel, he fearlessly jumps into the evil lake and holds his breath underwater for hours until he finds Grendel’s mother and kills her. Beowulf’s confidence in his abilities gives him the courage needed to fight and conquer these evil beasts.

Most warriors, when faced a killing murderous monster, would run away in fear. Beowulf on the other hand stands up in courage to put an end to this beast’s reign of terror. The hero stands up against the

Beowulf is a very old man by now and although he is, in the end, fatally wounded, he manages to deliver the final blow that kills the dragon. His lack of fear to fight the dragon by himself, is portrayed when he tells his friends to stay outside so they will not get injured. Even as an elderly person, Beowulf still has the same extraordinary courage and strength as earlier in the poem. And even with age, he has not lost the qualities that make him universally well known, and an outstanding hero. These battles are examples of epic folklore during pagan times.

Beowulf ‘s confidence in his abilities and courage to carry out his mission exhibits how he could be considered an epic hero. He proves himself a capable warrior, both in vigor and strength. Beowulf does not shy away from his abilities, instead exhibiting an unwavering self-assurance as he recalls how he “battled and bound five beasts” to King Hrothgar (Heaney 420). There is no fear or reluctance in his attempts at glory, and this inevitably sends him on a journey to overcome two tremendous obstacles that pose a threat to an entire nation’s way of life. The repercussions of the impending battle not only affect Beowulf’s reputation; they will determine whether the Dane’s are able to return to a state of peace. Beowulf proves himself to be a capable victor for the Danes, and he remains loyal his mission, regardless of