Beowulf Heroic Traits

In the story Beowulf, Beowulf portrays himself as someone who illustrates the characteristics of an epic hero. No one wishes to take on the heroic deeds that Beowulf accomplished, which made him someone to look up to. Beowulf’s accomplishments in defeating monsters made him known far and wide, making him the man for the job. A hero like Beowulf would need an exceptional amount of strength and shows this when he rips off Grendel’s entire arm. “He twisted in pain,/And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder/Snapped, muscle and bone split/And broke” (Beowulf. 337-339).

An Epic Hero A multitude of years ago, Beowulf, a soldier from Geatland, set out on adventures too vigorous and highly impractical for an average soldier. From slaying mighty monsters such as Grendel and his mother, to his numerous other far-fetched battles, Beowulf has proven to be close to immortal. The character Beowulf is a truly “larger-than-life” epic hero in the poem Beowulf. To begin, the epic hero, a “larger-than-life” character who goes on a journey, overcomes obstacles and embodies a cultures values, slays a mighty swamp monster named Grendel.

Beowulf: The heroic traits development It is proven that people look up to others as heroes because it is in the human nature, but what makes a hero? The qualities of a hero consist of excellence and courage used for the greater good. In the story of Beowulf, that took place in the Anglo-Saxon Culture, Beowulf uses these heroic traits to save the Danes from a beast named Grendel, as it had been bothering the Danes for a long time.

“Beowulf” is an epic poem about the person who gave all heroes a foundation. Beowulf exhibits that he is courageous and loyal; he has a lot of great characteristics. Beowulf is a hero who saved people he cared about by killing two evil people and he kept every person safe no matter who it was. My definition of heroism is when a person goes out of their way to help someone no matter who they are, they are exceptionally kind, courageous, and they stay loyal to the people they are helping they do not abandon them they follow through. Beowulf is a heroic man who is courageous and loyal for/to everyone.

Heroism is bravery, honor, courage, and daring. People who are believed to be a heroe usually serve as someone who defeated or made an impact on someone or something. Throughout the epic, Beowulf shows heroism by going to willingly defeat Grendel. This was Beowulf's choice to go, "there was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on eart, highborn and powerful" (196-198).

In Anglo-Saxon culture to be a hero was to be a warrior and a noble leader for his people. Warriors had to be willing to face any odds put against him any willing to die. He was born of a noble birth by being born the prince of the Geats. Beowulf character traits by carrying out brave deeds, being a kind and generous leader, and his willingness to put his life on the line for the greater good of his people. Beowulf’s courageous acts include not making his men do anything he wouldn’t do himself.

According to dictionary.com, a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage and noble qualities”. After analyzing the three sources, Malala, Beowulf, and Roberto Clemente, it is obvious how they are all examples of heroes. Out of all the three sources analysed, Beowulf best represents the definition of a hero due to the fact of his courage and noble qualities, which through the use of imagery, and diction the author is able to illustrate Beowulf’s characteristics. (Transition) Firstly, Beowulf had the courage to stand up for what is right despite the opposition.

Based on the Scandinavian culture portrayed in Beowulf to be a good hero and leader you need to be strong, courageous and confident. These traits were shown in Beowulf multiple times, mostly having to do with his fight with the monster Grendel. He was strong enough to stand up to Grendel and claim his victory against his opponent. He was also very courageous by fighting Grendel. He knew how strong Grendel was, attacking the Heorot for 12 winter straights but he still went to help the Danes.

What characteristics do heroes have? A great representation of a hero is Beowulf written by Burton Raffel. The story of, Beowulf is a hero that goes to kingdoms while they are in distress and helps them by facing hideous monsters. Heroes are people who meet certain characteristics and are willing to help people for good. A hero is supposed to make people feel safe, and have hope that there will be help.

Why do people do the things they do? In almost every situation, people are inspired or encouraged before they react. In general, people don’t have a habit of doing anything without reason. Furthermore, stories of heroes have been around about as long as stories themselves, they give us something to believe or someone to root for. Sometimes, the hero is the underdog, but in other cases the hero is someone who's already known by all for being incredibly strong or brave.