Beowulf: The Ideal Epic Hero

We have heard of those princes' heroic campaigns.” (1-3) These lines show that courage is seen as a type of greatness. If Beowulf would have not been blessed with the courage that he has, the kingdom would not have viewed him the same way as a hero. It takes a lot of courage to be brave enough to stand up to a demon that has been terrorizing a kingdom for twelve years. Luckily, Beowulf had this courage and defeated Grendel which made him a

It was a hero meant to give a morale boost to warriors, a hero meant to bring all the glory home to his family and his home country. This hero was meant to boast his accomplishments and do it in an honorable way. It was a hero meant to be hospitable and loyal to the very end. What better book and character to demonstrate this than Beowulf. Beowulf before the events leading up to his spotlight in his story had the dream job of any warrior

Beowulf is the perfect hero, both tragic and epic. He is larger than life with his impressive strength and drive that helps him defeat an assortment of monsters, such as Grendel and Grendel's mother. His overconfidence and pride makes him a tragic hero. In lines 678-684, Beowulf boldly states, "When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous as Grendel. No weapons... unarmed he shall

Heroes need weapons to defeat their enemies, and it is no different for the hero Beowulf in the epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf uses all sorts of weapons throughout his many battles with monsters. Each weapon that he uses there is attached a cultural significance. There is a cultural significance attached to each weapon that he uses, ultimately aiding him in his survival and his killing of the beats. As he grows older, he needs to wear more armor and fight with stronger weapons to be able to kill his enemies.

Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/

Not only did he put himself at risk against grendel later plans to during his final battle against the dragon, he tells his people, “When he comes to me, I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins.” He is very determined on winning this last treacherous battle and killing the dragon even if it will cost him his own life. He even goes into the battle knowing death is a probable factor. His tone and the context of his speech shows it when he his talking to his people, it 's almost as if he saying goodbye. When it comes to our modern day heroes, fighting to the death is in their arsenal as well.

Beowulf possessed the poised demeanor necessary to defeat all evils by the arrogant swing of his sword. The commitment shown by lending his life to the welfare of his people was imperative in order to be called a flawless warrior. Beowulf embodied the determination that Anglo-Saxons saw as unmeasurably valuable. If nothing more than just fiction, Beowulf is the ideal hero of the people from who he originated. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”

This trait shows courage because it shows that beowulf is very powerful just by his strength alone without no weapons. To sum it up beowulf won over his fame by showing that he will never fear anyone and believing only on

Throughout the history of mankind there have been many books and stories written which preview a hero doing dangerous, epic deeds for the good of others. The same is true in the story of Beowulf, titled Beowulf. Beowulf was written by the Anglo Saxons by an unknown author. In the book Beowulf, Beowulf follows the role of the archetypal hero and fulfills it by going on epic quests to help, and save kingdoms. This is shown whenever Beowulf sets out to fight Grendel, an awful beast who is terrorizing Hrothgar’s kingdom.

Throughout the poem, Beowulf fights three different monsters and in each of these situations he chooses to begin the fight without their help. He enters into combat with his men by his side, but when the actual fighting begins he defeats the monsters with very little help from them. Beowulf’s strength and physical prowess was unlike any other man in comparison to his height and incredible grip. Furthermore, Beowulf can be categorized as an outcast based on his personality traits. The main character is set apart from the other warriors because of his courage and humility.

In the beginning, Beowulf was introduced as a young and powerful warrior whose heroism is defined by his great strength.

This proves that he is strong and brave because no one else could kill Grendel let alone face him. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands and without armor on. Other warriors could not even kill him with a sword and armor. “Beowulf’s intention to fight Grendel with only his strength proves that he carries the characteristics of a true hero”(Hailey).

Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be

Christopher Reeves once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Although Beowulf was human, he was not an ordinary individual, hero, or king, for he was a man who displayed superhuman qualities in his efforts to protect the Danish and Geatish people. Beowulf, who was established Geatish warrior that spent his life in battle, showed these extraordinary characteristics that made him an epic hero, one who possesses superhuman, almost god-like qualities. Being constantly on a quest, risking his life for glory and the greater good of society, and being superiorly intelligent, courageous and strong are the three most important reasons why Beowulf deserves such a notable

Beowulf is one of the oldest and most well-known epic stories throughout the world. The main character in this story is Beowulf himself. Beowulf is a true and epic hero, who ultimately loses his life while trying to protect the he cared for. Beowulf was a man of great strength, which allowed him to defeat monster and make him the hero that he was. He did not have this strength on his own accord, but was assisted with some divine intervention.