Beowulf: The True Characteristics Of An Epic Hero

Beowulf battles the dragon alongside one of his faithful warriors. He and the warrior fight hard, but in the end Beowulf dies. He defeats the dragon, yet is slain in the process, leaving his people without a king. This appears horrible at first glance, but is a good thing because the only way Beowulf could obtain the treasure and save his people was by dying. The treasures made his people wealthy and he also killed the dragon.

Beowulf the heroic poem and movie were both about a warrior. The warrior name was Beowulf, a strong and brave man, who killed demonic things. During the film and text he goes to a city to kill a demon named Grendel not knowing the creature that created him is still living; Grendel’s mother comes back for revenge. In the text Beowulf kills her, but in the movie it is very different; Beowulf and Grendel’s mother create something very evil and stronger than Grendel. The city starts to feel safe again not knowing another demon is among them.

He showed bravery, he used his strength against his enemies and in the end gave the ultimate sacrifice for his people. He strangled Grendel with his bare hands. He fought Grendel’s mother by himself with no hesitation and fought the dragon to the death but in doing so Beowulf gave his life for those he vowed to protect. Beowulf’s life story is a true epic hero that will be spoken for

Each night he kills more and more of Hrothgar 's men. The news then eventually reaches Beowulf and he travels with his men and comes to ask permission to fight the monster Grendel and end the bloodbath of the kingdom of Heorot. Hrothgar allows Grendel to attempt to kill Grendel but warns him of the many men that have tried and failed. So when Grendel first attacks the mead hall Beowulf wounds Grendel enough to know that he will not survive his injuries but grendel gets away before Beowulf can give the head of grendel to the king. Thesis:The revenge in Beowulf plays a vital role throughout the story when Grendel 's mother attacks Heorot, when Beowulf takes revenge on grendel 's mother and when a dragon takes revenge on Beowulf 's people because a servant stole one of his magnificent treasures.

The sleeping dragon was awoken by a slave who stole a beautiful cup because he was trying to repay his debt of freedom. Valor is shown through the fighting that Beowulf and the dragon do. This causes destruction and chaos throughout the whole town. This scene in the book greatly shows the valor of Beowulf. Beowulf fights the dragon so that the people he rules can be safe and he is willing to risk his life.

This is a flaw because when he is fighting the dragon, he does not have a sword that can help him so it is harder for Beowulf to slaw the dragon. Another one of Beowulf’s tragic flaws is his pride. He didn’t know when to stop fighting off monsters even when he was getting older. The narrator explains when Beowulf was getting ready to fight Grendel’s mother how he, “donned his war-gear, indifferent to death” (Heaney 11441). He is so prideful and boastful that he thought that he was basically immortal to death or anything that can potentially kill him.

But, while giving Grendel advice about the humans he tells him that the humans need him to ameliorate themselves. The dragon ends up giving Grendel a power that makes him immortal and inevitable to humans and their weapons. Although Grendel is frightened of the dragon, the humans are also afraid of Grendel. Grendel is not ready to commit to the rivalry between him and the humans but the dragon coaxes him to continue his feud with the

He gives up on a useless weapon and attacks the terrifying monster with his bare hands. He uses his inner physical strength to defeat the dragon, with his own hands being his only aid in battle. His physical strength is described in the passage “My lord Higlac might think less of me as I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid behind some broad linen shield. My hands alone shall fight for me.” (248-252). Beowulf, like other heroes, wants to prove his strength and toughness.

“Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/and we went under the crag. No coward path” (Beowulf 2539 - 2541). In this scene of Beowulf, Beowulf is going to kill the dragon in his lair and everyone but one person runs off once they see the dragon. This shows his courageous deeds because even though all of his allies but on left him to die, Beowulf wasn’t leaving until

For example, when a dragon begins to terrorize his kingdom, Beowulf 's first thought is not to protect his people. Instead, he says, "I 've never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me." (52) To Beowulf, even as an older and supposedly wiser man, his main reason for fighting monsters continues to be to gain more fame. Other heroes, like Gilgamesh and Odysseus, usually do heroic deeds to help their kingdoms and men.

Then, Beowulf gathers up enough strength to inflict a deadly stab to the dragon’s stomach. The text dictates: “They had killed the enemy, courage quelled his life; / that pair of kinsmen, partners in nobility, / had destroyed the foe. So every man should act, / be at hand when needed; but now, for the king, / this would be the last of many labors / and triumphs in the world” (2706-2711). With this statement in mind, it is indisputable that the symbolization of this onslaught consists of how no one can ever gain immortality; even the finest people must meet their end. To reemphasize, it is clear to see that Beowulf’s last and final dispute holds the utmost preponderance due to the fact that the dragon is able to kill him at

During the war, hiccup finally had a chance to see Drago. Even though his mother and father told him not persuade Drago, because he is a dangerous person, he still went up to him anyway. Hiccup didn’t understand that Drago’s plan was take over the world with his dragon army and he was willing to do anything in order for that to happen. On the bloody battle field while everything was going on, Hiccup stopped in front of Drago for a discussion, and he soon realized that he could not do anything to stop him. On top of that, not only was Drago not persuaded at all, in the matter of facts Hiccup even lost control of his dragon Toothless to Drago’s command.

Though the dragon managed to kill Beowulf in time from a bite that was poisonous, one his most loyal knights slayed the dragon and after retrieving the treasure he kept it hidden. Beowulf tells Wiglaf to build him barrow where people will remember him by. He was one of the bravest knights putting himself in danger over people he didn 't know, and later honoring his word to the king. In each battle he fought he made things as equal for his opponent as himself. He was the true meaning of a chivalric Knight.

This epic shows us different heroes who are good, evil villains and demons, and how the two battle each other constantly. Beowulf has a couple of different heroes that vary in what they do. Beowulf is always described as a selfless hero who fights for justice. “Thus Beowulf bore himself with valour; he was formidable in battle yet behaved with honour and took no advantage” (Beowulf 149). When the warriors