Beowulf : An Epic Hero Essay

While the initial judgments of the main character Beowulf were that he was seen as the hero of the fictional epic poem “Beowulf” by an anonymous writer, this assertion may be skewed with the information of the reasonings alluded by the narrator as to why this character vanquished the monsters. The evidence of Beowulf showing that his actions of slaying the monsters were for the prominence of the title shows that Beowulf cannot be portrayed as a true hero for he did not have the selfless characteristics a warrior at this timeline would usually be seen possessing.

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 poem Beowulf presents the transformation of Beowulf from a brave warrior to an honorable King. The evolution of Beowulf shows how he fulfills his obligations to the warrior’s heroic code and then transcends into a King who loyally protects his Kingdom. Beowulf’s transformation is shown through a progression of three increasingly more difficult conflicts he must overcome- first with Grendel, then Grendel’s mother and finally against the mighty dragon. These three events are seen "as the three agons in the hero 's life"(Chickering 64). Through these adverse events Beowulf will change from brave young warrior to noble King. This paper will examine the manifestation of heroism in the poem

Every epic hero possesses certain heroic characteristics. Beowulf, like other epic heroes, possesses the following heroic qualities: epic heroes are superhuman types of beings. They have a noble birth and show great bravery. They display great intelligence and resourcefulness. They have a reverence for G-d and for the values of their society. They are dominant male figures and suffer severe pain, but in the end, they conquer evil (Vivone 9/27/99). In addition to Beowulf’s heroic qualities, he is very strong. Beowulf was said to have “the strength of thirty [men] in his mighty handgrip” (Bloom 11). Early proof of Beowulf’s extraordinary strength is evidenced by his dismemberment of Grendel’s limb, the fight in the cave under water, and the

Beowulf, an epic hero who defeated monsters that plagued the land. He never shied away from a fight and always fought with honor and pride. For over 50 years he ruled facing any challenge that came his way. Beowulf's final obstacle would cause his demise. Beowulf certainly faced many challenges but his battle between the dragon, no doubt was his hardest.

A true hero does not fear death or, but instead risks all that he is for what he believes to be right, moral, and just. Beowulf is an epic and tells the story of a legendary hero, conquering all obstacles as if he was immortal. Up until the end of Beowulf’s life he was constantly looking to be the hero. However, his humanity is exposed by his death. Heroes all share the characteristic of their willingness to die in their effort to accomplish their heroic act, thus making the act in itself heroic. Throughout the epic, Beowulf in many ways exhibited all the qualities and characteristics needed to be a true hero.

Despite its continuous aging, the epic poem Beowulf is still currently discussed in modern day English courses, allowing the reader to unfold and discuss certain literary themes associated throughout the epic poem. One arguable theme associated with the Anglo-Saxon styled poem is that if a great warrior can also be a prominent ruler of their land or not. A warrior is usually associated with being victorious in challenging situations, automatically associating themselves as being a great leader or king of a kingdom. However, heroic actions cannot simply determine a great leader, but rather the character’s traits unique to each great warrior which are needed to produce a great leader. Traits such as: god like strength, courage to

In the heat of the battle, you’re life flashing before your eyes, who would you what to be there to save you? An everyday guy with no strength to be seen or an epic hero with supernatural strength that’s got a list of victories on his hands. The Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf tells the story of the Anglo-Saxon’s values and shows the traits of the perfect epic hero. Beowulf conveys the perfect epic hero because he fights for helpless with nothing but his courage and bare strength.

In the eighth century AD an epic poem called Beowulf was written by an unknown author. It follows the life of a man named Beowulf going off to Denmark to assist them in their troubles. For years Denmar had been haunted by a beast named Grendel that no one man could describe. As the poem progresses, we see Beowulf — who has the strength of 50 men in each arm — defeat not only Grendel, but Grendel’s mother and the Dragon Worm. Each of these fights shows off a different aspect of what it means to be a true hero. IN this paper I will discuss these aspects while telling the story of his life.

An explosive battle cry fills the great Hrothgar’s mead hall, instructing the Anglo-Saxon warriors crowding it to erupt in laughter and joy. The jubilant feast, however, quickly turns deadly when the ghastly Grendel sweeps in and tosses the warriors about as if they were simple trinkets. It is then that the English language’s oldest archetypal hero, Beowulf, rushes in. The epic poem that emblazons his deeds, Beowulf (author unknown), exhibits that he has the quintessential traits of every literary hero: intrepidness, fortitude, loyalty, etc. Yet even in his journey through life, his personality fails to burgeon beyond his box of heroic adjectives. In the epic poem that bears his name, Beowulf can be classified as a static character, for he

     Some literary scholars maintain that Beowulf developed character flaws through the course of the long narrative poem, and that at the time of his death he was a victim of pride, avarice, selfishness and an inordinate craving for glory. The purpose of this essay is to show that he was a tremendous hero from beginning to end.

Waking up out of bed in the morning, going to school, work, or sports practice, or attending an event you otherwise wouldn’t be present at. The question isn’t where are you and where did you go, but the reason your body is moving in that general direction. Many people in the world tend to not have a purpose in their movements anymore, having little to no motivation to accomplish anything in their life. In the stories throughout history there are always multiple reasons why the characters, whether they’re good or bad, do what they do. Dating back all the way to ancient stories one of these studied people is the man known as Beowulf from old English epic poetry. He is an epic hero known for protecting people all around Europe from terrifying, unbeaten, undamaged beasts. He was also part of the period where the anglosaxton culture was built, and he was their main mold for what it meant to be a man and warrior of the culture. Being their spokesperson he had many reasons why he did what he did, and some were seen a little more clearly than others, The motivations of Beowulf are linked to the values in the anglosaxton code, and shown in his three monstrous battles in the epic, being glory, duty, and generosity.

Writings of epic style, had many characteristics in common such as heroes of superhuman strength and ability. These individuals would have been the greatest of all men in ability and intellect, possessed the undaunted love and admiration of those who would have followed him even into death and would have had many adventures of fearless cavalry against otherwise undefeatable foes. The goal of this essay is to expound and support how Beowulf is most certainly a writing of the epic style.

In the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Beowulf, a myriad of virtues define the warrior Beowulf. Coming from his homeland, Geatland, he arrives in the land of the Danes resolute in helping King Hrothgar defeat an evil monster, Grendel. Beowulf is an impressive, strong warrior who will triumphantly defeat Grendel; moreover, he will demonstrate how one must seek glory before death, a legacy. A man’s reputation and his lineage is exceedingly important in the patriarchal society Beowulf lives in. Consequently, through his code of honor, loyalty and pride, he leads in battle and conquers his enemies, acquires fortunes, gains land and all the treasures imaginable. He will encounter three battles that will depict his character and his worth. The rich manner with which the poem describes these events demonstrate Beowulf’s prowess. Beowulf is the epitome of what a hero should aspire to be, a man of honor, loyalty and pride to leave a remarkable legacy.

The most classical epic hero journey is one that was passed down from 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. During this time period, the concept of the epic hero journey was at it’s birth. Joseph campbell however, created a cycle to track the journey, and only a true hero follows it. 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 final reward, which is being honored after he defeats the descendants of Cain. These are the characteristics of an epic hero, that Beowulf embodies.