Beowulf : The Characteristics Of An Epic Hero

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 accomplished what may be the most difficult of all challenges in today’s times, he was able to aid other countries in times of need and respectfully communicate with them as well. After hearing word of Grendel’s attack, Beowulf decided to sail to Denmark and help defend Hrothgar’s people. In doing so, Hrothgar praised Beowulf and vowed to him that there was to always be an alliance between the Geats and the Danes from that day, forward. Beowulf was also idolized for the great amount of riches he brought to his people. After defeating Grendel, Hrothgar indulged Beowulf in a tremendous amount of riches. Instead of keeping the generous reward for himself, he took the riches home and gave them over to his king, Higlac, in hopes that the gifts would benefit his people. Beowulf was designated the king of the Geats for 50 winters, and always went to great lengths to protect his people. When dangerous situations arose, he stepped up to the plate and defended his people, no matter what the cost. In his old age, Beowulf made the ultimate sacrifice. He battled the dragon, and eventually met face-to-face with death. As a leader, Beowulf sacrificed his life in protection of his people; his heroic sacrifice is the ultimate demonstration of how an epic hero defends their people and serves as a positive influence in their culture.

What do Achilles, King Arthur, Harry Potter, and Beowulf all have in common? They all demonstrate the qualities of epic heroes. Beowulf represents several characteristics of an epic hero and demonstrates the values of the Anglo-Saxons. He is the main character of his story, he has a main goal, he travels and fights with a group of people, and he accomplishes many valorous deeds; the values of the Anglo-Saxons are also shown through the actions of Beowulf, such as courage, loyalty, and fame. For example, when Beowulf heard a cry for help in a far off land, he answered. He fought larger than life monsters, and won. His exceptional strength proves his epic courage and heroism.

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 ‘s confidence in his abilities and courage to carry out his mission exhibits how he could be considered an epic hero. When he first hears of the Danes’ plight with the monster Grendel, Beowulf wastes no time in “his plan to sail the swan’s road and seek out that king” who desperately needs assistance in his troubles (Heaney 201-202). He eagerly accepts his call to action, wasting no time in ensuring King Hrothgar of his “awesome strength” and exhibiting an unwavering self-assurance as he recalls how he “battled and bound five beasts” (Heaney 418-420). In these first encounters with the hero, it is evident that Beowulf’s defining characteristics include his courage and pride. There is no fear or reluctance in his attempt for glory,

Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is the hero. He shows that he is a great man by always putting other things before his own needs. He is important and needed by his people and is known by many as a strong, courageous and a helpful person. He shows all of the qualities and traits that a true hero possesses.

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.

Beowulf’s wrath is swift and justified. He plays no games with his opponents. Beowulf even shows respect to his foe and honorably faces them with no undue advantage. A classic example of the honor usually associated with heroes lies in Beowulf’s decision to use neither sword nor armor when facing the monster Grendel in Heorot. Beowulf instead opted, in the name of fair play, to fight the monster on it’s own terms. Unsurprisingly Beowulf conquered his foe in true idolic form, tearing Grendel’s arm from his torso with only the strength of his grip and the power of his arms. This is what we cheer for in such stories, this is the satisfying victory over evil by the true embodiment of good: the hero.

“A hero had to be strong, intelligent, and courageous” ( Garcia ). This quote tells what an epic hero is to another author besides Raffel who translated Beowulf. Beowulf is an epic hero for his bravery to fight three battles for another group other than his own, he has the traits of an epic hero, and he followed the hero cycle. Beowulf fought three battles; the battle of Grendel, the battle of Grendel’s mother, and the battle against the dragon.

Epic poems, are about epic and big journeys. The story i will be talking about is ‘Beowulf’ Throughout his journeys, he has shown to great lengths to show his heroism, with or without his weapons. The kingdom of Wulfgar is in great danger, and word spreads quickly that they need a hero. Beowulf's heroicness and strengths clearly proves that the theme of the this story is heroism.

Being a hero can be characterized a wide range of ways. A few qualities like mettle, regard, and quality can characterize bravery. Beowulf is better than the normal individual in numerous regions, among them physical quality. Not exclusively is Beowulf fair and very much regarded, he is overcome also. His strength is appeared by not wavering to hazard his own life to seek after the Dane's foes. All through the ballad, Beowulf fulfills accomplishments that no other man would have the capacity to survive and demonstrates his vast may.

One’s outcome and outlook on life are determined by the many decisions that one must make throughout their lifetime. In the epic of Beowulf, the reader is introduced to a man, named Beowulf, who is later crowned as King of the Geats, reigning for fifty years. Throughout the poem, Beowulf seems to exhibit characteristics, long before he is King, that lead the reader to believe Beowulf will be a successful and impressionable king. Beowulf displays four key characteristics, courage, strength, knowledge, and respect/trust, which are extremely important to the plot, as well as for the life of the Geats, the Danes, and Beowulf’s true identity. From the beginning, Beowulf is viewed as the epitome of a true hero. He may have been somewhat selfish at times and boast about his achievements, but when it really mattered he is there for his people. These traits truly expose the heroic king he becomes.

Beowulf represents a type of protagonists rarely seen in the modern world of entertainment, the epic hero. For centuries their simplistic tales of overcoming evil and their demeanor have dominated Western notions of masculinity: Control over emotion, physical strength, arrogance, innate morality, and an alpha male mentality. It might be ideal for older cultures and the Anglo-Saxon warriors that needed a model of morality they need to idolize, but in our times we need more. The America we live in is more global, more diverse, more interconnected that any previous civilization. Our definition of masculinity has changed as we progressed and learned more about ourselves as humans. We are postmodern society, where good and evil are subjective, and we crave for empathy and connection. Berserk’s main character Guts, is such hero of our time. On the surface the two heroes share many similarities, they are both buff hyper-masculine males, they both wield enormous swords to fight fantastical monsters. Yet there are fundamental differences between the two. These became apparent after reading and analyzing both Beowulf and Berserk.

Beowulf is a poem that was written in Anglo-Saxon, between 700 and 1000 A.D., and is probably one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. It tells the story of the heroic acts in the life of our protagonist, Beowulf. It takes place in Scandinavia (Denmark and Sweden precisely), around 500 A.D.

A hero in the modern world is hard to define and in some places even harder to find. Stories such as Beowulf are continually told in order to help define what a hero should / could be. Heroes in these stories possess traits such as bravery, great strength, or great cunning. However, while a true hero needs some of these traits they don’t define that person as a hero. What defines someone as a hero is daring to go and do what ordinary men wouldn’t in order to save innocent lives, knowing full well they are putting their lives and their families livelihood at risk; they do all of this and don’t actively seek recognition, that is what a true hero is.