Beowulf, The Epic Hero

Throughout history there have been many examples of the epic hero. From the earliest Greek mythology to the modern superhero, this motif has been recycled countless times. There are many interchangeable qualities that define an epic hero, such as bravery, honor, and strength as well as more literary aspects such as accomplishing impossible feats, escaping from an abysmal situations and needing atonement. One of the first written accounts of such a character is Beowulf. Beowulf, the main character of a story by the same name, fits the mold of an epic hero perfectly; he was the prince of Geats, had super human strength, and was a incomprehensibly powerful warrior.

“The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men and their story is not given only on stone over their clay but abides everywhere without visible symbol woven into the stuff of other men’s lives,” said Perculus (PR). You’re born, you live a little, and then you die. There is no simpler way to sum up life. Often times this is done through oral tales, paintings, and various other ways. For those whose lives were truly something great, something memorable, their stories are transcripted into writings. Whether these are simple biographies or symbolic fictional works, stories are often based on someone greater than the writer. These “epic heros” are protagonists that fulfill their potential of greatness through using their bravery, strength and

An epic hero is someone who is of great importance, they have supernatural abilities, have some form of connection with the Gods, and accomplish great deeds. In Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is the epic hero in his tale and he is considered great by those who know of his life. There are two versions of his story which portrays him in a certain way. The video version does not do its best to portray him as an epic hero but instead show that he is a liar, a womanizer, and a coward. The written version does not portray him as such, it portrays him as someone who is strong, brave, and fearless. The written version best portrays Beowulf as an epic hero by showing his actions involving superhuman deeds in battle.

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

Beowulf is considered to be an epic hero. An epic hero is a character in an epic poem who is noble, brave, and is affected by great events or admired for his achievements. Beowulf was a dedicated person and devoted to his kingdom. Throughout the story, Beowulf achieved many accomplishments and goals. While overcoming achievements such as killing monsters and saving Heorot, Beowulf was beyond brave, strong, and heroic.

The main character in the epic poem “Beowulf” is Beowulf. An epic hero is one that has superhuman qualities and who beholds values of his society and is braver than life. “Epics are stories told on a grand scale, with armies, heroes, gods, and the brutal forces of nature depicted over long character arcs and sweeping landscapes.” (Rebecca Ray 1) Beowulf is a selfless warrior that puts the kingdom of Herot first and tries to rid evil for the people.

The most classical epic hero journey is one that was passed down by oral tradition. This is the epic poem of Beowulf. Unlike most epic poems, the author is unknown. It is believed that it was written between the 8th and 11th century. Joseph Campbell, a scholar, created a cycle to track the journey, and only a true hero follows it. During the time period of Beowulf, the concept of the epic hero journey was born. Beowulf, the strongest man of his time, follows the hero cycle many times during his life. From being prideful and selfish, to overcoming his fatal flaw and doing heroic deeds for the sake of his people, to finally receiving his reward, which is being honored after he defeats the descendants of Cain. These are the characteristics of an epic hero, that Beowulf embodies.

An epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. In the story Beowulf ,the main character is a prime example of an epic hero. Beowulf being the main character of the story Beowulf, depicts the characteristics of an epic hero because he is filled with supernatural abilities such as strength, he values honor, glory, and fame, and he is courageous and brave. Throughout the story Beowulf shows many supernatural abilities that help point us toward the fact that he is an epic hero.

Satoru’s long journey allows him to meet a comrade and the murdered children, who exemplify him as a Beowulfian epic hero. After seeing his mother alive again, Satoru determines to save her by any means necessary, even though he does not have a cohesive plan yet; however, he realizes that the serial killer would not target his mother if the victims live. The following day as he walks to school, he sees Kayo Hinazuki, the serial killer’s first victim. Satoru knows that the series of killings will start in one month because in the present, a report states that Kayo had not had her birthday yet when her mother noticed her disappearance. Throughout the school day, Satoru watches Kayo and notices clear signs of abuse. Meanwhile, he meets his old

Beowulf was a man who was always coming to the rescue and always willing to lend a helping hand. Ultimately that could have been his downfall and part of the reason for his demise. He was admired by many, especially by his men and followers. Many looked up to him and aspired to be just like him, hoping to obtain some of his traits. Beowulf displayed qualities of both an epic hero and a tragic hero. He constantly displayed the four virtues of an epic hero which are wisdom, strength, loyalty, and courage but had many shortcomings close to his death which makes him also a tragic hero.

The Anglo-Saxon narrative poem Beowulf displays the common characteristics of an epic hero. The first Germanic tribes (Anglos, Saxons, and Jutes) cross the Northern Sea to invade England in 449. The Roman empire fell and left the Celts defenseless, allowing the Germanic tribes to easily defeat the Celts and establish the Anglo-Saxon civilization. Beowulf defends the Anglo-Saxon leader in order to examine the characteristics of the epic heroes' superior or superhuman strength, encounters with supernatural forces, and risking death for glory or the greater good of society.

An epic hero is usually the protagonist from an epic poem. These epic heroes possess the traits and qualities deemed noble and important by society. They are who everyone looks up to and wishes they could be. For example, an epic hero is one who excels in skill, strength, and courage, battles monsters, accepts challenges in far off places, invites problems, and are the most loyal of people. Epic heroes usually do good for the welfare of others, but most importantly does good for self-glorification. Heroes from this time were usually born holding some importance in society, possessed super-human characteristics, and admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. Epic heroes, like Beowulf, usually have some kind of extraordinary physical ability. For Beowulf, that happens to be remarkable strength, and unmatched courage. As seen in the poem after which was named after the epic hero, Beowulf pursues the King of a town at which a terrible beast rampages. He

Since the beginning of time we’ve always needed a hero. Beowulf is an epic hero in the Middle Ages because he has superhuman strength, he is ethical, and most importantly he puts his life in danger to protect the safety of others. Beowulf was famous amongst the Geats, his people, for his bravery. Beowulf fought in many battles and showed his great character to others.

An epic hero is a person that is admired for great achievements and inspires great events. Beowulf certainly fits into both of those categories with his incredible displays of physical strength, selflessness, courage, pride, and loyalty. An epic hero typically goes on a quest to fulfill his destiny by accomplishing a goal that has been bestowed upon him by fate. By completing this quest he gains everlasting fame and undying glory. "Beowulf" shows perfectly the style of an epic poem.

According to Cascio (n.d), epic heroes are heroes who are on a mission, and they exhibit various kinds of superhuman powers displaying generosity, loyalty, as well as courage. The epic story Beowulf is generally an epic that is well known and is described as one of the best epic stories. The epic hero Beowulf in the novel Beowulf illustrates characteristics of physical strength, courage, self-confidence, wisdom, as well as loyalty, much like today heroes.