The Characteristics Of Beowulf As A Classic 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

What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.

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.

The character of Beowulf demonstrates several characteristics that make a great epic hero. Throughout his lifetime he displayed several characteristics such as honor, bravery, physical superiority, leadership, and glory. These characteristics all formed how the Anglo-Saxons believed one should live their life. Along with the valorous deeds that Beowulf accomplished he is considered to be a prime example of an epic hero. Beowulf would have even been considered a model human to the Anglo-Saxons due to how he consistently demonstrated these qualities.

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.

Beowulf is known as an epic hero because he has many great leader qualities. Beowulf is loyal, generous, and brave. He shows these characteristics in different ways within the story.

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.

In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf holds many traits of being an epic hero. A epic hero is a brave and noble character, admired for great achievements. Beowulf takes charge and kills Grendel and his Mother, rules Geatland for the best, and finally gets defeated by the dragons. Beowulf holds a strong standing as an epic hero in this poem. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf shows the real meaning of being strong, on a quest, and ethical.

It is hard to be a hero, just have to be selfless and put the needs or well being of others ahead of yourself own. Heroes also usually present themselves in times of need when nobody else does, which makes them stand out, because they are selfless and put other people ahead of themselves. Beowulf showed many signs of being a hero and also showed that he was selfless. A modern day hero that could be related to Beowulf who showed the same heroic traits is Martin Luther King JR.

Beowulf’s bravery, strength, and loyalty present him as a hero. Beowulf showed he was a brave hero from youth to death. He always puts his life in the face of danger in order to protect innocent people. Beowulf even tells the Queen of Danes “This was my thought, when my thanes and I/ bent to the ocean and entered our boat,/ that I would work the will of your people/ fully, or fighting fall in death,” (Beowulf, Chp 9).

Beowulf is the story of good vs, evil and shows unbelievable courage, and strength battling 3 different monsters. Beowulf battled Grendel, Grendel’s mother and a Dragon. I believe that Beowulf has every characteristic of an Epic hero because he does everything in his power to protect others. Beowulf is heroic in many ways he slew Grendel, to rid Hrothgar of this creature. After the battle with Grendel, Beowulf made peace with Grendel’s mother creating the third monster, the dragon.

Many heroes have been known for being brave, courageous, and strong; Beowulf is one of these heroes. Every hero is brave, some heroes may not start out that way at first. Heroes become brave by fighting in battles and slaying their enemies. Courage is not only a trait of heroes everyone has some courage somewhere deep inside them. Heroes use their courage to slay dragons and fight monsters just like Beowulf did. Not every is physically strong, but also strong minded. Heroes have to pay attention to their surroundings in order to stay alive. Heroes use their strength to save their kingdoms, if that hero is lucky they might even become king just like Beowulf. All of these traits help to make up a great hero.

Beowulf is an epic poem of a man’s adventures, wherein he defeats monsters. Beowulf is introduced when he is called to defeat the evil monster Grendel. Soon Beowulf defeats the monster, the monster’s mother, and later in the story he defeats a dragon. Upon defeating the dragon, Beowulf dies, thus ending his story. Just because his life ended, the memories of his incredible strength, boastful stories, and his courage were all recorded into his epic poem. I believe Beowulf is an epic hero according to definition and here’s why.

Beowulf had many traits of an epic hero. “This can be proven by the fact that Beowulf does anything Hrothgar asks without any hesitation, such as the battles against Grendel and his mother” ( Yee Ling Lam). this quote tells how Beowulf was loyal to the king and how Beowulf would fight for the king if asked. “ Beowulf displays his great strength time after time. Whether he is fighting sea monsters, Grendel's mother, or a horrible fire-breathing dragon” (Gracia).

In the story Beowulf, the character, Beowulf shows a lot of characteristics of a hero. The story Beowulf is a story that has been told for generations. The story is about a brave warrior who slays monsters other mythical creatures with his bare hands. Throughout the story, Beowulf shows many signs of being a heroic person, such as his bravery, his strength, and his confidence and humbleness.