Beowulf Epic Hero Essay

The first fight Beowulf takes on, is with grendel in which he uses hand-to-hand combat. With this technique he tore off grendel’s arm this shows some of beowulf’s strength. Grendel is a creature believed to be ascended from hell, he is a demon who has killed many people. The people that tried to kill Grendel wore armor and used weapons but, beowulf did not he wanted to prove he

and one of his main qualities is his strength. He uses his superhuman power to defeat any monster that stands in his way. Beowulf?s strength is shown, ?Then he saw a blade that boded well, a sword in her armory, an ancient heirloom form the days of the giants, an ideal weapon, one that any warrior would envy, but so huge and heavy of itself only Beowulf could wield it in a battle? (l.1557-1562). Beowulf used his mighty arms to lift the sword that hung on the wall and stabbed it deep into the neck of Grendel?s mother. Being able to use a sword that no ordinary man was able to carry shows the great mass of strength behind Beowulf. This type of strength caused Beowulf to stand out from all other men and proves his heroism.

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.

This shows Beowulf’s strength, courage and fearlessness. Through this it is evident that he possess courageous traits.

In the epic “Beowulf” translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf exemplifies values that embody the ideals of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Some of these ideals are expressed through actions and words, while others can be expressed through the characters thoughts and appearance. The anglo-saxon culture respects bravery and they also value strength. Beowulf shows these attributes throughout the story and there are many examples of his character. Beowulf said,” I battled and bound five beasts, raided a troll-nest and in the night sea, slaughtered brutes.

The epic poem of Beowulf is a story filled with majesty and mourning. Heroes and villains, struggles and victory. Men die, all the time. Along with all of this there is an underlying theme ever present throughout the script. It is the basis for actions, the reason for such passion behind a man's own bloody sword, the lust in his hungry eyes for revenge and conquers. In this time where the afterlife is uncertain, and familiarity is only known to a name, true heroism is the only assurance of identity and remembrance.

In the poem, Beowulf decides to fight Grendel without weapons and to only use his bare hands. “Behind some broad linden shield: my hands Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster” (267-269).Using only your hands to battle someone not only shows the bravery of him, but shows super strength because bare hands have a small strength to them unlike swords that have an amazing amount of strength. Beowulf decides to show the other Geats how it is really done. Within the battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf uses a sword to defeat her named Naegling. “Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong and blessed with their the best of all weapons, but so massive that no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length. He drew it from its scabbard, broken the chain on its hilt, and then savage, now, angry and desperate, lifted it over his head and struck with all the strength head left, caught her in the neck and cut through”(530-539). Naegling is one of the most heaviest swords that needs a lot of power to hoist and obtain its strength. Beowulf used all of his might and God was able to give Beowulf the strength he needed to lift Naegling with its cover and use it against Grendel’s mother. Before even fighting in her lair, Beowulf uses his lung strength to stay underwater for hours while killing the other sea monsters. Normally, people cannot hold their breathe for so many hours underwater. Beowulf used his lungs which takes a lot of effort to hold his breathe and he was able to breathe successfully after he got out of the water once he defeated Grendel’s mother which proves that he has strength not only in his arms, but everywhere else in his

In the epic, “Beowulf”, Beowulf leaves a legacy of courage, wealth, and fame. In his battles with Grendel and the dragon, Beowulf shows courage and bravery. In the story, Beowulf hears about a villain, Grendel, and seeks out to defeat him along with Grendel’s mother. The story of his battle shows his bravery and skill, that

Beowulf’s battle with Grendel concludes with Beowulf breaking Grendel’s arm; the narrator states, “He twisted in pain… his shoulder snapped,” Beowulf takes Grendel’s arm and keeps it as a trophy. In Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother, he is able to defeat her using a sword held within her lair, it is the only sword that is able to penetrate her skin. Once Beowulf is able to obtain the sword, he is able to “[catch] her in the neck and cut it through.” Beowulf then takes another trophy as a representation of his win. Lastly, in Beowulf’s old age he is still able to, as the narrator states, “succeed in killing the dragon” with the help of his most faithful man, Wiglaf.

Throughout the poem, Beowulf conquers countless battles and proves himself to be the most powerful warrior against even the most dangerous creatures.

Beowulf’s last test of courage comes in his old age when his people are threatened by a “mighty” dragon. Beowulf felt as if something he had done had caused the irascible beast to wreck havoc on his people, “killing and destroying” them and their homes with its “molten” breath. Knowing what had to be done, Beowulf bravely faced the dragon, while all of his people, except for one, fled in fear. His last battle, which ended in death, displayed Beowulf’s unwavering courage, the type that every hero should possess.

Beowulf is an epic tale that teaches us about the value of strength. This epic is the showing of Beowulf’s strength throughout the entire poem. The poet tells us that there is no single man other than Beowulf who can complete the task of defeating the Danes greatest fear, Grendel. The author states, “… blunted every mortal man’s blade” (37).

Beowulf was a good king. He wasn’t greedy or mean or selfish, he put his people first. And it’s evident in the fact that he went to fight the dragon himself, when he could’ve got some other “hero” to do it. “...he saw nothing to fear, thought nothing of the beast’s claws,

Beowulf was a highly skilled and great fighter, but because of his over-confidence in himself the

Imagine that you are the hero of a village. You are the person that everyone looks up to- you have all the fame and fortune you could possibly want. But, this doesn’t just come to you on a silver platter. There are risks to take, challenges to overcome, and lives to be put at stake. You must defeat creatures of all sizes and strengths to gain this honorary title. This is Beowulf’s reality as he must conquer unbelievable tasks that nobody else would dare to face. Because of this, Beowulf is recognized as a boasting person, brave, and selfless; and rightfully so.