Beowulf Characteristics Of An Epic Hero Essay

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 illustrates the both powerful bravery and strength that define the heroic code. The poet describes the Geat warrior as a “man whose name was known for courage” (Beowulf 330). Beowulf knows he is strong and declares himself capable to King Hrothgar stating, “I battled and bound five beasts, / raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea / slaughtered sea-brutes” (Beowulf 420-2). His testimonies of strength and battle achievements are not to boast for personal glory but to credit himself worthy and capable of defeating Grendel. Beowulf succeeds in mortally wounding Grendel, but the demon’s mother threatens Hrothgar’s hall again with another attack. Beowulf does not turn away from this set back but rises to the challenge and encourages Hrothgar to avenge the death of his friend, Aeschere . Beowulf explains to Hrothgar, “It is always better / to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. / For every one of us, living in this world / means waiting for our end. Let whoever can / win glory before death” (Beowulf 1384-8). Beowulf’s concerns are largely of loyalty to his lord and obtaining glory no matter the risks. Critic Joseph Weidenboerner writes, “the clan hero is always conscious of the ‘other,’ focusing on his service to persons or powers greater

What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.

The character of Beowulf demonstrates several characteristics that make a great epic hero. Throughout his lifetime he displayed several characteristics such as honor, bravery, physical superiority, leadership, and glory. These characteristics all formed how the Anglo-Saxons believed one should live their life. Along with the valorous deeds that Beowulf accomplished he is considered to be a prime example of an epic hero. Beowulf would have even been considered a model human to the Anglo-Saxons due to how he consistently demonstrated these qualities.

Not only is Beowulf honorable and well respected, he is brave as well. His courage is shown by not hesitating to risk his own life to pursue the Dane’s enemies. By being self-assured, Beowulf is able to successfully defeat the fiends, Grendel and his infamous mother. At the time Beowulf is planning to pursue the vindictive dragon, the epic poem states, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, If the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.”(ll. 2511-2515). He feels no fear, is confident in fighting the dragon alone, and has no qualms in risking his life to save others. He declares his bravery by saying, “When he comes to me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins... No one else could do what I mean to, here, no man but me could hope to defeat this monster.”(ll. 2525-2534). In his actions, Beowulf’s bravery is clearly shown throughout the poem.

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.

Throughout the story, Beowulf displays many attributes of a hero. In the story Beowulf shows many characteristics of hero such as strength, courage, and intelligence. In the story, Beowulf displays these qualities of a hero in battles that he is involved in during the story. The battles Beowulf is involved in is how Beowulf earns his fame and gains these characteristics. In the story, Beowulf fights and defeats monsters around the different kingdoms in the story protecting the other humans in the story which leads to him being king.

The last battle that Beowulf partook in was perhaps the most heroic of all. Although the battle ended his life, it proved that of all the men in the story, Beowulf was the only true Anglo-Saxon hero. All of his troops proved to be fickle. They abandoned him in a time when they were needed the most. Though his men lived, they lived as cowards, yielding to the dragon apprehended by all the Geats. Never the less, Beowulf’s strength of heart and mind gave him the will to fight the dragon, although none of his men were there to help him. In this part of the tale, Beowulf was older and his physical strength had dwindled. But despite this, his tremendous heroism remained. He fought the dragon to his death and died with a pride, gallantry and chivalry that no man at the time had

When discussing epic heroes, some of the more prominent ones that come to mind are Beowulf (from Beowulf), Hektor (from The Iliad), and Achilleus (also from The Iliad). These are all characters from literature who have displayed a multitude of the characteristics embodied in epic heroes. Each one of these literary figures has exhibited necessary traits needed to be considered an epic hero. Whether those traits are some of the common ones such as strength, honor, loyalty, perseverance, and bravery, or some of their own such as pride, intelligence, and morality. Whatever the case, these three have undergone difficulties and shown ties to the values held by their cultures within how they deal with issues. In this essay, I will attempt to

The Anglo- Saxons always strived for fame, a warrior was always prepared to die as for one could become famous for his feats on the battlefield. “I’ve avenged their crimes, and the Danes they’ve killed. And I promise you that whoever sleeps in Herot- You, your brave soldiers, anyone of all the people in Denmark, old or young - they, and you, may now sleep without fear of either monster, mother or son. (75)” Receiving fame through a great feat in war was a best way for a warrior to achieve honor in death. Each character was defined by a status, and that status was in a formation of their fame, their accomplishments. In this case, Beowulf’s fame was created by the many great deeds and battles he’s fought. “Of sea-huge monsters I killed. What man, anywhere under Heaven’s high arch, has fought in such darkness, endured more misery or been harder? (41)” In the Anglo-Saxon culture, it was so important for the warriors to be proud of what they did and sought fame from them.

In Anglo Saxon times, Beowulf is considered a well known epic hero. “Epic heroes are literary characters from ancient mythology and other stories, which were written down in the form of long, narrative epic poems. The hero is the main character, or protagonist of the poem”("Epic Hero: Definition, Characteristics & Examples."). The epic hero usually battles for accomplishments to a set of tasks to complete important goals. Beowulf is described as an epic hero because of his honor, bravery, and intelligence.

In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf holds many traits of being an epic hero. A epic hero is a brave and noble character, admired for great achievements. Beowulf takes charge and kills Grendel and his Mother, rules Geatland for the best, and finally gets defeated by the dragons. Beowulf holds a strong standing as an epic hero in this poem. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf shows the real meaning of being strong, on a quest, and ethical.

It is hard to be a hero, just have to be selfless and put the needs or well being of others ahead of yourself own. Heroes also usually present themselves in times of need when nobody else does, which makes them stand out, because they are selfless and put other people ahead of themselves. Beowulf showed many signs of being a hero and also showed that he was selfless. A modern day hero that could be related to Beowulf who showed the same heroic traits is Martin Luther King JR.

Beowulf was actually willing to die in order to save others. Bravery is making serious sacrifices that may hurt, but will be worth it in the end. Beowulf showed bravery by continually sacrificing his life.

In the story Beowulf, the character, Beowulf shows a lot of characteristics of a hero. The story Beowulf is a story that has been told for generations. The story is about a brave warrior who slays monsters other mythical creatures with his bare hands. Throughout the story, Beowulf shows many signs of being a heroic person, such as his bravery, his strength, and his confidence and humbleness.