Beowulf Is A Hero Essay

Beowulf does this for "for the glory of winning" (2514). This shows that Beowulf was so powerful in battle that he doesn't have to struggle and enjoys his glory in winning. And he accomplishes this once again proving his strength in battle. In conclusion Beowulf is so powerful that he can enjoy his glory. This quote also show another trait of an epic hero which is the “fatal flaw.” In his confidence in combat he failed to recognize that he was wounded by the dragon, with a poisoness bite.

He aided his king, never caused danger to other, and bravely fought. He never doubted his calling to defeat Grendel because he believed it was in the hands of God. An epic hero is someone who leaves a mark on earth for what good they did, and Beowulf surpassed the normal typical hero. He demolished Grendel with nothing but his hands and asked of nothing in return. But with every victory, there comes a prize.

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.

He claims that Beowulf has lost the swimming competition between him and Breca. This affects Beowulf because his reputation is vital to him. Beowulf fires back with a reminder that Unferth killed his own kin. “[...] and the forthright Unferth, admired by all for his mind and courage, although under a cloud for killing his brothers, reclined near the king” (1164-1167). To prove himself, Beowulf informs the King Hrothgar of his new expedition, killing Grendel.

He does not want to appear weak by hiding behind a shield or sword that will protect him. He displays his physical power as he battles the three monsters. Beowulf is a character that ordinary people aspire to resemble, and he is the ultimate example of an epic

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).

This is why he has Macduff’s family killed, but what Macbeth hadn’t realized was now Macduff had nothing to lose and every reason to destroy him. Macduff states as much when he declares “…front to front bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; within my sword’s length set him…” (Act IV, scn iii, ln 233-234) This conflict, that has long been anticipated, arrives when they encounter one another during the invasion of Malcolm’s forces, there to liberate Scotland from its tyrannous leader. Their duel represents the ultimate conflict of good vs. evil. The malicious Macbeth vs the fearless Macduff, who, unfortunately for Macbeth is being driven by revenge and the need to save Scotland. His determination and Macbeth’s own recklessness is what ultimately ended Macbeth’s path of

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.

An example of honor is when he chooses t fight Grendel with no armor. “unarmed he shall face me, if face me he dares.” (685-685). This proves to the reader and to Beowulf’s men that he is a truly honorable warrior. He has gone above and beyond to make the fight equitable and make sure that he is at no advantage. The last trait that Beowulf shows is bravery.

Well known heroes do not kill people with no sympathy or mercy. So is Odysseus really a hero? There is a lot of reasonings to both sides, he could be a hero because he was loyal to his homeland and men. He was also clever and dedicated to all his plans and ideas to conquer creatures and return home. On the other hand, he does not seem much like a hero because he was unloyal by having affairs on Penelope.

A hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. Unlike a super hero, Beowulf was not granted with special powers to shoot webs or have a fair amount of wealth; however, he does have characteristics that make him fall under the category hero. The character Beowulf is the epitome of the native English hero. Beowulf has the characteristics of bravery, strength, and loyalty. These characteristics make Beowulf a hero.