Beowulf Qualities

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

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.

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.

Being a hero can mean many different things. A modern day hero might be someone who has a strong moral code or someone that has extraordinary powers and abilities but, looking back in time the meaning of a hero has changed slightly. During Anglo-Saxon times, being a hero meant being loyal to their lord and god, having a sense of duty, being selfless, having honor, being intelligent, and boasting. It also meant being brave and having courage, having a sense of justice, and having larger than life strength. A great example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf from “Beowulf,” written by an unknown author. In this poem, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he was brave and courageous, he had superhuman strength, and he had a unique sense of justice.

Beowulf shows loyalty to his men, responsibilities, and Hrothgar. "...you would always be in a father's place for me when I am gone: be guardian of my young retainers, my companions, if battle should take me. The Treasure you gave me, beloved Hrothgar, send to Hygelac." (46) This quote from “Beowulf” shows Beowulf’s loyalty to his men. In case he would not return from battle, he told Hrothgar to take care of his men and pass down his riches to Hygelac. He shows his loyalty to his responsibilities by always delivering the promises he makes. When he comes to the rescue of the Danes, he boasts about his ability to defeat Grendel. Lines 407 to 426 detail Beowulf asking permission to fight in Hrothgar’s honor. Beowulf’s father was a friend of Hrothgar’s. Hrothgar actually saved his father’s life and that is why Beowulf comes from the land of the Gaits to defeat Grendel and his mother soon after.

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 art of leadership… consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention” (Adolf Hitler). Although Adolf Hitler may have been one of the worst men in history, he had a similar rise to power as the Geatish warrior Beowulf did. He gained his leadership by showing up to Germany in their time of need and telling them that he can fix their economic depression after WWII. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf demonstrates a leadership style that is very effective; however, it has failed many leaders and their cultures in the past, and it is often carried on today. This also ties into Beowulf’s hero model, which shows us how drastically the idea of heros have changed throughout history.

As the Martian Manhunter once said, “The future is worth it. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight”. This modern day superhero mentality, that fighting the good fight is worth it because it is the right thing to do is seen everywhere today. Movies, comic books, and videos games come out yearly featuring superheroes who fight for justice using their superhuman abilities. They possess characteristics such as bravery, strength, a stong moral compass, and loyalty. Interestingly, these modern day superhero traits can be traced all the way back to the Anglo-Saxons were the first hero ever, Beowulf lived. It is Beowulf who not only exemplifies modern day hero traits, but he more importantly shows the ideals of an Anglo-Saxon hero. Without a doubt, Beowulf demonstrates the traits of an Anglo-Saxon hero.

Throughout the epic of Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf exhibits all the traits of an epic hero, but the most astonishing quality is supernatural strength.

Coming to The Danes in promises to protect Hrothgar and his men is an example of good leadership. Beowulf brings his band of warriors with him to The Danes to help bring revenge on Grendel, something they needed help doing, and have needed it for a long time. (Post) On the first night the monster came to Heorot, he seized 30 of Hrothgar’s men and swiftly carried them away, bringing terror to The Danes every night for 12 years. (McDowell) Beowulf heard about the fright, and made it a quest to go out and find this mighty Grendel, and put the terror to rest.

History has many characters that show character traits that have a positive or negative effect on people around them. The character Beowulf from the epic poem Beowulf has three character traits that stand out including strength, loyalty, and bravery.

Beowulf exemplifies heroic qualities that convey his nobility and courage. The poem named Beowulf has no known author. The author of the poem is known to be a Anglo-Saxon poet. The poem, "Beowulf", is an Old English epic poem. The character, Beowulf, is a noble hero who offered to help King Hrothgar by fighting a demon named Grendal. He fought many enemies before and while becoming a king. Beowulf is a loyal and noble hero to the people of Geats and Danes. Epic heroes are defined with specific qualities that this particular literary epic hero fits into. Many literary heroes are described with particular characteristics, and Beowulf fits those standards in order to be considered a hero. Beowulf expresses many heroic qualities that depict him as a noble and loyal leader.

Frequently, throughout the story of Beowulf, the attributes of a good king or leader are discussed, illustrated through retellings of epic tales about men who had come before Beowulf and Hrothgar’s time. Hrothgar, an old man in the story and a wise and well-respected king, has much advice to offer to the younger Beowulf. He sees greatness in the warrior but is eager to caution him against the mistakes made by others before. These stories serve as vehicles to express what traits were desired in a leader at the time, and figuring foremost among them are a lack of pride and generosity to one’s people. Through generosity is presented as an ideal stemming from the old Germanic culture of gift giving, interestingly, it and pride also tie into Christian ideals.

Throughout the epic poem of Beowulf, the main protagonist Beowulf is shown to thoroughly exemplify all of the traits of the epic hero. His heroism is displayed in two distinct sections of the epic, contrasting his original uninhibited heroism and later, his aged mature heroism. The multiple quests undertaken over the course of his life serve to display the Beowulfs qualities and the application thereof to the monomyth. In the beginning of Beowulf, Beowulf was portrayed as the pinnacle of the young, brave, chivalrous knight-like warriors expected during the Anglo-Saxon period.

During the medieval times Vikings were known as warriors or heroes. These heroes were known mostly for their superhuman strength. Most stories tell the journey of these warriors and how they are honored after defeating an evil creature. A prime example of this would be the poem of “Beowulf”. Beowulf is known for his superhuman strength as the Vikings or warriors once were. However, Vikings were not only known for their physical qualities, they were also known for their leadership in battle and their interaction with those they serve as well as the courage they displayed. In this poem, Beowulf displays many characteristics as that of a medieval warrior through his acts of bravery, loyalty, generosity, courage, and an accomplishment of a great task.