Beowulf: The Archetypal Hero

Beowulf told “Hrothgar to salute him and show Grendel’s head and carried that terrible trophy by the hair.” (lines 853-855) This explains beowulf’s evidence to show his victory against Grendel. This also happens when he is talking to Herot beowulf arrives with his geats to show herot his trophy which was grendel's head to prove that he overcame that challenge. This is an example of courage because he knows that he will win the victory no matter what

Beowulf had done the unthinkable—he had killed a demon that no warrior of Denmark could have done. This opened several new doors for Beowulf, including one that promised of honor, glory, and riches. Beowulf had achieved his goal of fame, a goal which had created a poem of a hero that birthed and shaped a story to be told even years later. Furthermore, Beowulf’s fame was set in stone by Hrothgar, the king who owed Beowulf his everything, including his thanks. After giving Beowulf the speech to further glorify his prominence, Hrothgar declares, “Glory is now yours/

Beloved Beowulf…” Pg81, King Hrothgar to Beowulf These two quotes are essential to the story of Beowulf, as it describes Beowulf’s sincere character, his valor and loyalty to those he meets. The quotes above carry themselves throughout the story, as our protagonist proves again and again that his good nature, and incorruptible character is faithful to the end. Beowulf retained that personality, while still remaining a noble warrior in the battlefield, slaying hundreds upon hundreds of those who threaten his homeland. And when the dragon awoke from his slumber among riches, and terrorized people of Beowulf’s land with torrents of dragon fire, Beowulf took it upon himself to end the dragon where it stood, instead of having further

After Beowulf wins the battle he passes on the treasure realizing his death is near. His legacy lives on after he asks for a tower so people can tell his story and remember

For being a king, Loving, Beowulf is a great warrior, his very confident to fight to the monster, but his weaknesses when he see the beautiful girl under the sea, the girl pretend for being a innocent, in an evil side, Beowulf begged, and in loved her, and also when she came to the island, under the king hrothgar, his concern for the people live there. And when he is already a king, she love for the queen, and the other girl, so that when the dragon, came over the village, Beowulf do their best, to secure the queen, his wife, and the village in safe,. Brave and Good warrior, we recover much of what happens during his gap and therefore are able to see how Beowulf comforts himself as both as a warrior and a king, when the final episode, by encountering the dragon, we seen as the responsibilities of a king, who must act for the good of the people, and not just his own glory, he serve and give his life to put away his wife and queen to the dangers. Differ from those of the heroic warrior, his attitudes and characters as a warrior still…

Although Beowulf is overwhelmed with grief, he also understands his responsibility to protect his people from danger. In accepting the task of fighting the dragon, he also accepts his death, saying that “after many trials,/ he was destined to face the end of his days,/ in this mortal world, as was the dragon,” (2341-2343). Although he knew that facing the dragon would be fatal, Beowulf accepts this and chooses to fight anyway. He protects his men by choosing to fight alone. He tells his men to “remain here on the barrow,/ safe in your armor...

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.

Normally, a hero is humble and refuses to admit how great and impactful he/she has been in his/her life, but not Beowulf. Beowulf has been striving since he was young to build his legacy and glory. Another way in which Beowulf stays constant in his quest to build his name is the fact that Beowulf fights Grendel without any weapons in order to show off to his companions and Hrothgar’s king. When it says, “fastened those claws/ In his fist till they cracked” shows, not only Beowulf’s incredible strength, but also his desire to flaunt to others and to Grendel (Lines 283-284).

“And so it turned out. Each of us swam holding a sword, A naked, hard-proofed blade for protection Against the whale-beasts”(Heaney 540). In this excerpt Beowulf describes his one on one competition with a good friend to see who was the better swimmer. In this competition, even though Beowulf technically lost the competition, he swam for five days with a sword and armor, and in these five days fought off sea monsters. This shows that Beowulf has the epic hero’s trait of supernatural strength, and along with his virtuous, humble personality.

When people talked of Beowulf they would say, Young prince show them a might battle grip, hands that moved with thirty men’s strength. (Beowulf, Lines 379-380). He was known throughout the lands for his strength. He would obtain such strength that would allow him to kill sea monster, Grendel (with his bare hands), and Grendel’s mother with assistance from God. This come to light when he battled Grendel, bare

Beowulf, the epic tale of a Danish society plagued by evil beasts, reveals many thought-provoking and admirable character traits of the main character and hero, Beowulf. Firstly, he shows chivalry through his interactions and actions towards the king of Heorot, showing him the respect and honor he deserved. Secondly, he demonstrates bravery in all battles above and beyond the standard of the times and the standard of his fellow fighters. He owes his bravery in part to his seemingly immeasurable strength, having more power in each fist than that of thirty men. Lastly, he demonstrates a trait that applies to people for his time and ours, pride.

In the beginning, Beowulf was introduced as a young and powerful warrior whose heroism is defined by his great strength.

Beowulf has a tendency to show off how essential and valuable he is to those around him by boasting in his past triumphs such as when he says, “They had seen me bolstered in the blood of enemies when I battled and bound five beasts, raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea slaughtered sea-brutes” (Beowulf 419-422). Beowulf gives accounts of his heroic exploits to the

Near the end of his life as a king, Beowulf found that his citizens were being terrorized by a dragon. Although he was old and grizzled, the king took it on in battle. He showed tremendous courage even when knowing the odds were not in his favor. Previously, during his time in Denmark, Beowulf killed Grendel’s mother with the sword made for a giant. This showed his superhuman strength because as an ordinary human being Beowulf was able to handle and control the giant’s sword.

Beowulf was also unfortunate to have to meet some of the greatest outcasts during his time. The motives that make Beowulf the hero he developed into in the poem would be his burning passion to live up to his peers highest expectations, and to look past the difficulty of any task to take on the challenges thrown his way. Beowulf’s first challenge is the battle against Grendel. Then, he defends his honor by taking on a fight with Grendel’s mother.