Beowulf Embodies The Characteristics Of A Hero

Throughout all the battles he is fighting, and the outcomes of them. Beowulf shows he is courageous, has strength, and is honorable. Beowulf demonstrates these characteristics of an archetypal epic hero, In the epic poem “Beowulf”.

When I think of a hero I picture the impossible. For most people a hero may be someone they admirer, but it is much more than that. A hero is someone who is willing to take a step outside of the box and do the unexpected, someone who is willing to take the extra steps. Beowulf is a hero because he did everything voluntarily and kept good morals and ethics while doing it.

Beowulf had always been known as an intrepid hero in the city of New York. He had previously portrayed himself as fierce and poised in his battles against the fiends of the city. He prided himself in protecting the people of NYC and saving their tall skyscrapers many times. His performances fighting against the villains of the city were always showstoppers and the citizens loved taking photos and videos of him. He fought the frightful foes fearlessly. The city had never fallen into the wrong hands with Beowulf watching over it. He was known to be the “silver fox” of individuals and had fought the mightiest of enemies. However, there was one villain that Beowulf had longed to fight since the first day he became a hero.

Achilles, Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Samson and Heracles can all be characterized as heroes. However, each of these characters embodies different attributes that earn them the heroic distinction. This paper will seek to show that Beowulf is the "most" heroic figure based on his adherence to the heroic ethos. Also, the character of Gilgamesh will be used as a means of comparison to further showcase the heroic nature of Beowulf.

Beowulf story is the poems that possess many good qualities that made him different from other epic saga. His Bravery was above the compare because his phenomenal intelligence and strength drove him to find success that other did not reach. When we compare Beowulf to other heroes, his story reflects us with many success and victory more than any other heroes. Beowulf heroic qualities that made him great were self-courage, his loyalty and physical strength toward his enemy.

A true hero is someone who protects people from evil and is admired or idolized for courage. In Beowulf, Beowulf himself would be a hero. He is a hero because he battles the evil people such as Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. He was also admired by everyone in Herot for his heroic actions. The people of Herot admired him so much that they built a monument after he died and sealed it with his ashes and the treasures that him and Wiglaf gained from the battles.

One Quality that Beowulf posses is unnatural strength; his unnatural strength is one of the features that allowed him to kill the monster called Grendal. From the text, we see how Beowulf killed Grendal with bare hands. “...he met a man whose hands were harder; his mind was flooded with fear- but nothing could take his talons and himself from that tight hard grip.” (51) “He twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke.” (53)

From this we are able to see that Beowulf clearly possess extremely powerful strength because Grendel had never been gripped harder than anyone else, until he fights Beowulf. Beowulf tears off Grendel's arm as he begins to runaway, this feat was accomplished by no one else except him. Having extremely powerful human strength makes a Beowulf a one of a kind and the archetype of an Anglo-Saxon hero because no one else possess this quality.

“Hero”, What do you think of when someone say’s these words? Well for me I think of four very specific characteristics: Bravery,reputation,strength,intelligence. Most likely these are characteristics that you would say a Hero also has. To me, these are the most important four qualities a Hero should have. To easily explain why…. It’s because without these qualities they could not be such a legendary Hero in the first place.

In many traditional stories with a heroic journey, the epic hero or main hero who may also be connected with gods or higher power poses many qualities that were similar in beowulf like, wisdom, courage, and physical strength.The epic hero Beowulf depicts the most chivalrous man of the Anglo-Saxon times. Beowulf is the hero. He demonstrates that he is an extraordinary man by continually putting different things previously his own needs. He is imperative and required by his kin and is referred to by numerous as a solid, bold and a supportive individual. He demonstrates the greater part of the qualities and attributes that a genuine legend has.

If Beowulf were really a hero who was strong and smart he would have never let Grendel’s mother capture him. If Beowulf were a true hero he would have the strength to escape never even getting captured by Grendel’s mother. On line 1520 I was the battle with Grendel’s mother and Beowulf where he used his sword to try and defeat her. Unfortunately the power of his sword failed to do any damage. When thinking of a hero you would think his weapon would be powerful

To know whether someone is a hero or not the first thing you need to know is; what is a hero? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a hero as someone who is a mythological or legendary figure often divine in descent endowed with great strength. Beowulf is embodied as a hero who fought for his people and defeated evil with his immortal powers that he used to bring peace and justice. He constantly showed virtues admirable of any man especially during the Anglo-Saxon time period; he was wise, noble, and brave and was a true hero. Following the ways of comitataus, Beowulf often has to suppress his internal natural human fears and live up to what was expected of an Anglo-Saxon warrior. Beowulf is constantly dealing with a dual ordeal from external battles with supernatural demons and pressure from those around him to internal battles caused by natural human tendencies of pride, greed, cowardice, betrayal, and self-concern, throughout his life. Beowulf was a very important hero of the time who accomplished many impressive feats and was revered.

As long as evil is present in the world, the human race will need a savior. This person has to demonstrate courage, strength, honor, and reflect the values of their society. This person I am describing is a hero. They often are recognized as a hero after combatting some tough circumstance or battling some giant monster. But who was that person before the fight ? And who were they after all the chaos had calmed? Beowulf portrays the true characteristics of a hero not only before the fight, and during the fight, but after; just like my father did. Heros are more than just the battle they are in. They continually demonstrate courage, strength, honor, and reflect the values of their society.

Even though a hero is one who laughs in the presence of evil. One who is brave, confident, and always is there for his people in there time of need. Beowulf, in my opinion, displayed a few of the characteristics of a hero. True he was brave and adventurous, however, he was selfish because he did all of his heroic events in order to show his greatness. For example, in the battle against Grendel, he was willing to risk his life by fighting without weapons to show his might. A real hero would not foolishly unarm himself only to prove his strength. Beowulf, however, did show great bravery and good judgment during his battle against the dragon, even though it was there that he met his demise.

Heroes have been known widely for their non-violent ways, their act of kindness, and helping people because it’s the right thing to do (and not for fame). A modern day hero usually shows these types of acts. However, an Anglo-Saxon hero shows some of the opposite traits, including violence. Beowulf is one of a good example of an Anglo-Saxon hero. However, Beowulf shouldn’t be considered as a modern day hero today because he had different super abilities that a normal person doesn’t have, he uses the acts of violence, and he’s really boastful about himself.