Beowulf Epic Hero Essay

What defines an epic hero? First of all, the word epic is defined by Merriam Webster as “a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero.” Additionally, an epic hero is described as “a brave and noble character… admired for great achievements and or affected by grans events.” Odysseus “Son of Laertes and gods of old…master marine and soldier…formidable for guile in peace and war” will forever be remembered as an epic hero for “[his] fame has gone abroad the

Meanwhile, Beowulf was indebted to Hrothgar because Hrothgar once defended Beowulf’s family. Many other instances in Beowulf mirror the poet’s Anglo-Saxon world; after all, the story is immortal because of its fame, just like the character Beowulf. Beowulf was a hero because he believed that the wisdom of good would prevail over evil. Because Beowulf was a hero, he boasted

Beowulf is the hero to his King's son and country, by staying loyal and having honor. Beowulf does eventually become king when Higlac's son is killed. "Beowulf ruled in Geatland, took the throne he refused, once, and held it long and well." Because of Beowulf's well-known reputation, all the Geat's enemies were afraid to fight against the mighty warrior. As Beowulf reigned for years, all was peaceful, until 50 years have gone by and a dragon wakes from his

He is considered to be this because he is a heroic and honorable man that has been through many trials and gotten passed them all alive. He is a well-known hero throughout the world. Odysseus qualifies to be the ideal epic hero in all of the categories. For one he was born of royalty. For two he has a special weapon-his brain.

To them, power is everything and for one person to attain so much power, one must become a hero and perform heroic deeds. An Anglo-Saxon hero is perfectly portrayed by Beowulf who contains values of Anglo-Saxons like bravery, loyalty, honor and the willingness to risk his life for the greater good of his people. The latter is primarily why he gains the trust of his people which is why he claims the title of King and therefore gets hold of power. While Beowulf is the symbol and representation of heroes in Anglo Saxons, we have multiple personalities who we consider as heroes. People who work, people who dream, people who act.

In Anglo- Saxon England, courage and loyalty were valued (Janet, 101). A man with valor and loyalty was expected to be rewarded by their king (Janet, 103). Furthermore, above anything, everyone battled for fame because fame is the only thing that lasts. In Beowulf, Beowulf is a renowned Geatish warrior and hero (Beowulf, 153-156). His

Alexander Hamilton once said, “There is a certain Enthusiasm in liberty that makes Human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” Beowulf is an epic poem in which the main character Beowulf did acts of service, but he fought for those who couldn’t fight. The overall theme of good versus evil in Beowulf had Beowulf dealing with challenges that no ordinary man would be able to handle unless they were a true epic hero. Throughout the poem Beowulf proves to be an epic hero by his strength, bravery, and sacrifice. 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).

Is Beowulf a Hero? The poem Beowulf, tells of great the great undertakings of Beowulf, a man who has defeated many ruthless monsters and seeks fame and glory. If we take Beowulf and compare him to the Anglo-Saxon ideal hero, Beowulf fills all the necessary requirements but, when compared to modern day standards, Beowulf doesn’t quite make the cut. In the modern day, selflessness is the ideal. It is evident from the beginning of the poem that Beowulf is meant to be the hero.

Christopher Reeve (AKA the 1978 superman) said that, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Both Beowulf and Modern day heroes are similar in that way in that they fight for the common good of people. That quote from Christopher Reeves on what a modern day hero is, also applies to the epic hero qualities that Beowulf has. Similarly Beowulf and a modern day hero defeat an evil so that good can prevail. Some examples are, Beowulf Slaying Grendel and Grendel's mother to save the land of the Danes, and soldiers fighting enemies that threaten the lives of a country, and police officers putting criminals behind bars.

This story is a good representation of the Anglo-Saxon Virtues. Beowulf exemplifies these values well. He shows the virtues by being brave, having prowess in battle, and by boasting at the

He was loved, committed, and fearless. It 's a story about being courageous and facing your fear head on even if the outcome was bad. Although, he probably did not expect to go down in history and for people to be hearing about him for thousands of years after what did he expect. The King even loved Beowulf as a son. How many kings really loved their own sons to give them everything they had?

​Odysseus is astute and witty, as well as furiously faithful to his family and home. All through the book, Odysseus was totally centered around having a go at returning home to Ithaka and Penelope. His steadfastness to his family and to his kin is the thing that kept him experiencing the tough times. Nothing is more critical to an epic saint than honor and pride. Odysseus unmistakably demonstrates that he is faithful much of the time.