Characteristics Of Beowulf

A characteristic of an epic hero displayed through Beowulf is he is larger than life or as some see as a superhuman. He was known as the strongest man in the land and seemed unbeatable. Beowulf abused his power of being superhuman. He did it in a good way by helping the Danish people by killing Grendel and then later his mother. He did more than what he was capable of. He continued to fight the dragon even while he was hurt and only had one other fellow warrior. Beowulf could not overcome his internal struggle that his superhuman ability made him feel indestructible. Unfortunately, he did not

A hero is the central figure who has superior qualities and risks personal danger to pursue a quest. Beowulf is a great epic hero because he performs many brave deeds such as risking his life for the greater good of society, and is significant and glorified by all people. Beowulf boasts and boasts about all of his great doings, but in the end he proves to everyone that he is as great as he claims to be.

“Epic heroes possess qualities that mere mortals lack. Bravery beyond compare, superhuman intelligence, strength or skills and a driving desire to find success.” This is a description of what an epic hero is and it perfectly describes Beowulf and his actions throughout the story. Anglo-Saxon heroes are willing to risk their lives in order to do what’s right. Beowulf went to battle

In Beowulf’s fights against Grendel and his mother, Beowulf's intentions are noble and he i[s successful in defeating his enemies. For Beowulf, his strength represents more than his physical prowess; it also represents his capability in protecting the people around him and defending the weaker citizens. For example, when Beowulf fights Grendel, he is not only defeating a devil like monster, he is sacrificing his life for people that he barely has any connection to. When Beowulf expresses his fearlessness towards death proclaiming that he “shall fulfil that purpose /

Beowulf, the English Epic, gives knowledge to the reader regarding virtues of the Anglo Saxon society. In Beowulf, a man’s heroic qualities are recognized. Beowulf possesses the virtues, mannerisms, and knowledge that was respected in the Anglo Saxon time period. He displays these traits during different events in the course of the tale. Beowulf proves himself to be an epic hero by displaying intelligence and courage, while becoming a great warrior, and a national hero, jeopardizing his safety in order to complete his quests.

The definition of a hero from ancient times to present day has evolved greatly, but they often still possess characteristics synonymous across all cultures and timespans. In modern times, they are often thought of as role models for others to live up to, and are generally humble, honest, and not afraid to put others in front of themselves. In ancient times, more emphasis was put on strength and fearlessness, and epic heroes were often saviors of the land, sent down to Earth in its time of need by God’s hand. Beowulf, the main character in the epic poem Beowulf, is blessed with superhuman strength, a magical weapon only he can yield, as well as a fierce sense of loyalty to his people and an obligation

In the epic poem Beowulf, the character Beowulf demonstrates the majority of the characteristics of an epic hero. There are numerous characteristics of an epic hero, including being the central character of a story and going on a quest, which is a long, dangerous journey to prove heroism and win honor. They are a “larger-than-life” figure compared to the rest of the characters. An epic hero can be noble or semi- divine from birth and can demonstrate courage, skill, and virtue. Epic heroes often go against opposing or evil forces throughout the story. Occasionally, an epic hero can even be hidden at birth due to some power obtained. Once the hero is grown and the time has come, he will be released to complete the task he was destined to do.

Similarly to the great kings during the Anglo-Saxon time period, Beowulf is a great warrior who achieves many victories such as his battle with Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and the Dragon. He recognizes his own abilities and uses it to help others such as Hrothgar’s men, the Danes. The amount of strength that he has to battle one on one with the creatures that others deem unkillable is extraordinary. In his battle with Grendel, he uses his own tactics to gain victory and kill him. The text says, “The battle was over, Beowulf had been granted new glory: Grendel escaped, but wounded as he was could flee to his den…” (340-342)

The heroic ideal of the Anglo-Saxon culture, governed by traits of bravery, loyalty, and generosity, is a driving force which contributes to the creation of a legendary hero. Within the epic poem of Beowulf, the main character Beowulf displays bravery, loyalty, and larger than life characteristics (derived from the heroic ideal). For the Anglo-Saxon’s, their main goal after death is to be remembered, in all of their glory, as a hero. Because of this endeavour, Beowulf allowed his traits of bravery, loyalty, and larger than life characteristics to help achieve both honor and glory; it was his usage of the heroic ideal that allowed him to reach his full potential and become legendary after death.

Before the first battle with Grendel takes place the epic mentions that Beowulf “was loved by the Geats” (Beowulf l. 118) inferring that he was already nationally famous for his heroic efforts. Years after the battle with Grendel and Grendel’s mother, Beowulf being the famous warrior of the Geats earns him the throne of his people. Beowulf being the King of the Geats “has ruled in peace and prosperity for fifty years” (Beers, et al. 87), being a successful king has earned him even more admiration from his people. Even as Beowulf is dying, his heir to the throne Wiglaf promises to “build [him] a tomb” (Beowulf l. 208) in the shape of a tower “and call it / Beowulf’s tower” (Beowulf ll. 121-213) to show his loyalty and respect to his great King. The reaction of Beowulf’s death in Wiglaf and his soldiers demonstrate the loyalty and respect the Geats have for their heroic king. Overall, Beowulf becomes a national hero because of his capabilities as a warrior which later earns him the throne and the favor of his

The True Makings of a Hero In literature, heroes are painted to be brave, indomitable, and gallant. They are meant to portray someone that is “good” and that will always triumph over evil. In the epic Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, proves to be an epitome of a hero, for he is evidently beneficent to the Danes, he remains true to his cause, his King and God, and he displays a steadfast conviction in God’s plan for him. One of the main ideologies of a hero is the characteristic of being selfless.

Beowulf did not start out a hero but he was always strong in battle and he was the nephew of a king. It was not until he faced Grendel, who was half human and half monster did his hero status begin. Town’s people would get together in the evenings and celebrate, and during the celebrations Grendel would go to the festivities, kill and eat them. Beowulf encounters Grendel and they began to battle. Beowulf shows great strength when he rips Grendel’s arm off with his bare hands. Grendel makes it back to his mother where it then dies. His mother seeks revenge and

In the passage that we had just read in class the last few days, we were introduced to a man that was named Beowulf. He was introduced by some unforgetting moments that had happened in another town across the sea. They portrayed him as a man that was capable of withstanding all most anything that was put in front of him. In the passage, he makes landfall and meets the king and they talk about Grendel, Beowulf said that “ he shall bear neither a sword nor a shield, that all he would have is his own grip to face the fiend of Grendel.” Throughout the night, that’s what he does, he takes on the beast of a monster, with only his own two hands. He ends up “defeating” the monster that night by ripping Grendel’s shoulder out.

As the story develops. Beowulf’s attitude towards these battles changes. His first battle, with the fiend Grendel, was done entirely unarmed. Beowulf believed using a weapon would be unfair of him. He used his strength alone able to overwhelm and defeat the creature. Many years later, when he is fighting the dragon, he has come to grips with the fact that he is older and far less strong but still fights, even when others cower away. The fight leads to his

I chose to create a board game based on the Old English Poem, Beowulf, because through creating the event cards, I was able to analyze the characteristics of Beowulf which led him towards his valiant death. This was achieved by associating the moving figures (players) with a specific trait that Beowulf embodies throughout the poem; each trait was assigned a color which represents the characteristic connected to it in order to differentiate between players. For example, red is often used as a symbol to signify strength or power, blue is symbolic of loyalty, and so on. While the object of the game in simplest terms is to reach the end of the board and "die a hero's death", the