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. Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They show great bravery, intelligence, strength and resourcefulness. They have a strong admiration for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they …show more content…
This shows Beowulf’s strength, courage and fearlessness. Through this it is evident that he possess courageous traits. Beowulf’s strength is exemplified many times in the story. Beowulf was said to have “the strength of thirty men in his mighty handgrip.” He fought in numerous battles and returned victorious from all but his last. In his argument with Unferth, Beowulf explains the reason he lost a swimming match with his opponent Brecca. Not only had Beowulf been swimming for seven nights, he had also stopped to kill nine sea creatures in the depths of the ocean. Beowulf is also strong enough to kill the monster Grendel with his bare hands by ripping off his arm. When Beowulf is fighting Grendel’s mother, he is able to slay her by slashing the monster’s neck with a giant sword that can only be lifted by a person as strong as Beowulf. When he chops off her head, he carries it from the ocean with no difficulty, but it takes four men to lift and carry it back to Heorot. This strength is a key trait of Beowulf’s heroism. Another heroic trait of Beowulf is his ability to put his people’s welfare before his own. Beowulf’s uncle is king of the Geats so he is sent to help kill Grendel. His actions toward Grendel show that he is willing to help others. In an epic it is usually found that the hero often determines the fate of a nation or group of people. He uses his super-human physical strength
Author, the character Beowulf portrays several traits of an epic hero .The first trait of an epic hero Beowulf demonstrates is superhuman strength. The narrator describes Beowulf as the strongest in the world ‘’Beowulf, Higlac’s follower and the strongest of the Geats – greater and stronger than anyone in this world’’ (line 110, pg23).This quote from the epic poem goes to show Beowulf’s superhuman strength makes him an epic hero, furthermore, without his strength he would not fall into the category of an epic hero. In the next example of how Beowulf possess traits of an epic hero is his bravery. Beowulf is not afraid to chase monsters ‘’I drove five great giants
Eventually, Grendel (the demon Beowulf was sent to kill) makes an appearance and battles Beowulf. Using possibly his greatest characteristic of strength, Beowulf defeats Grendel. This is seen in lines 814-817 where it states, “The monster’s whole body was in pain, a tremendous appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted the glory of winning…” We really see the strength held by Beowulf in this line as he rips off Grendel’s arm thus making him the victor.
The first thing that Beowulf is known for his almighty strength against the foul beast named, Grendel. Grendel can not be defeated with any one man’s weapon, so Beowulf decides to fight him with his bare hands. In the battle he fights the beast, holding on to his arm with all his might. He will eventually rip Grendel's arm off ,which no man has ever done, and forces Grendel into submission. Beowulf would show great strength against Grendel’s mom killing her with a giant's sword which no other man could even lift, not to mention a swift blow to her neck.
In “Beowulf,” Beowulf shows his courage in several ways. “Dripping with my enemies' blood, I drove/ Five great gains into chains, chased/ All of that race from the earth.” (Beowulf 419-421). Beowulf shows that he is confident in his impressive accomplishments. “In the blackish of night, hunting monsters/ Out of the ocean, and killing them one/ By one; death was my errand and the fate/ They had earned” (Beowulf 422-425). Beowulf goes on bragging about his bravery of his adventures.
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.
Proof that Beowulf was an epic hero is in every aspect of the poem. He risks his life constantly for the greater good of his people, and his kingdom. His inhuman strength and his large amounts of bravery and courage also set him apart from normal worriers. Beowulf fought demons with his bare hands, killed a witch underwater, and slayed a dragon single handedly. He has earned his place among the heroes and has proven himself worthy of the title, epic
Beowulf fits the model of a hero because throughout his journey, he follows the steps of the monomyth. Beowulf had many battles in his day, the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. All of the battle he wins can be seen as heroic in the sense of a epic hero in literature. Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around. Many of the great epic heroes in literature have been strong and noble warriors. In his youth, he personified all of the best values of the heroic culture. When being young, he of course is in the peak of his physical abilities and could be this great warrior. Later, in his old age, he proves a wise and effective ruler because he couldn’t be the warrior he once
Mighty strength, fame, and honor. The great Beowulf takes on all danger and proves himself to be an epic hero. Beowulf is an Epic hero who posses many heroic qualities. He is a powerful hero who shows loyalty to others, strengths that no one else can reach, and fearlessness. Beowulf was courageous and he would devote his life to help and save others from all the monsters. One quality that a hero must possess is bravery. Bravery shows that a hero has the courage to go out and do something that no one else would. Beowulf possessed this quality and fought off the monsters and saved lives. Beowulf’s heroic quality can be compared to Malala Yousafzai. She has loads of bravery for her stand on women’s education in these third world countries. In order to be called a hero they must possess the quality of being brave and facing your fears, danger, and doing the right job to help others.
The author, Raffel, casts Beowulf as an epic hero, as he embodies all the characteristics of a hero. He was willing to risk his life for the love of his people because it was imperative for him to protect them from any danger. Beowulf’s agility and strength worked towards his advantage to defeat mythical creatures.He proved his worthiness and capability to defeat creatures, in order to protect the Danes, by displaying a warrior conduct of loyalty.Although he undergoes a downfall, he is a true hero who persevered until the
In “The Coming of Beowulf” translated by Burton Raffel section of the epic, Beowulf shows all the aspects required to be an exemplary epic hero: doer of a brave deed, a warrior who possess attributes that are valued by society (wisdom and courage), has a supernatural power, fights and overcomes evil, saves a race of people, and has noble blood running through his veins. First off, Beowulf is performing a brave deed by going to the kingdom of Dane, ruled by King Hrothgar, and helping them fight off the murderous spawn of Cain, Grendel. Beowulf is an epic hero because even though Grendel has wiped out a vast amount of Dane warriors, Beowulf still goes to Dane to help even though he knows that by doing so he’s putting the life of his warriors and his own. Additionally, Beowulf possess courage, that allows him to fight off
In conclusion, Beowulf was a true epic hero. He had extraordinary strength. Beowulf took on the task of doing things that he knew he could have lost his life over, but because he wanted to give back to people, he faced his fears
Beowulf can be considered an epic hero, because he has did so many different things. For instance, Beowulf killed Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, all of which are heroic deeds that no one else was able or willing to take on. Some of Beowulf’s most important traits as a hero include bravery,
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.
When describing the protagonist of the epic poem Beowulf, the narrator says, “Thus Beowulf bore himself with valour; / he was formidable in battle yet behaved with honour” (2177-2178). From this characterization, it is clear to see that Beowulf fits the mold of heroism. Not only was Beowulf an honorable and brave man, but he was also a fierce warrior. Certainly, these are qualities any great hero must possess, and they are what qualify Beowulf as a hero. Beowulf’s boldness and fortitude in battle are some of his most recognizably heroic qualities, and he displays them through his battles with Grendel and his mother and through his loyalty to King Hrothgar.
Textual analysis: Beowulf The definition of an epic hero is someone who is extremely courageous and takes pride in and embraces the morals and values of his society. Along side that, an epic hero is remarkably brave, free from the fear of dying, has superhuman strength, strong ethics and immense love for his people. In this epic the hero is Beowulf. He seems invincible and posses all the predetermined traits an epic hero is expected to have. Beowulf’s heroism is a not only a result of his superhuman abilities but also because of his Christian virtues (faith, hope, and love), loyalty, and pride.