ipl-logo

The Epic Of Beowulf

629 Words3 Pages

Fighter of dragons and other magical creatures alike, the story of Beowulf is often, at times, considered to not be an epic by some people. However, there are those who believe that the story is in fact an epic. A story including Prelude and forty-one chapters, the story does follow all of the characteristics of an epic. Beowulf focuses mainly on the exploits of a hero, takes place in a vast setting, and contains superhuman feats including strength and military prowess.

Most epics have focused on the exploits of a hero or, a demi-god. Beowulf, being the hero of this story showed how much this was true. To exploit means “a bold or daring feat” according to the Oxford Dictionaries. Like many protagonists in any story, they are the hero. …show more content…

Every time Beowulf happens to fight with someone it’s with one of the three antagonists of the story; Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the Dragon. When facing Grendel in the mead hall, he shows his strength when they start to wrestle around the hall, Beowulf has a hold of Grendel and makes him want to get away from Beowulf. Beowulf then ripped Grendel’s arm off and hung it high in the hall, while Grendel ran off slowly dying, so everyone would see it in the morning. We also see some more of Beowulf’s strength when he goes to battle Grendel’s mother in her lair. This battle involves losing his sword which he thought would kill the mother, and tossing her to the floor with little to no energy when “anger doubled his strength,” stated in lines 510 and 511 on page 54. When Beowulf finally notices the sword on the wall he, is able to grab it and cut her throat clean through. Through all the years that the story of Beowulf has been told or read, people discuss whether it is an epic or just another story. Some like to argue that it does not follow all the characteristics of an epic and others believe it follows them and even adds more. Beowulf by far follows the characteristics of an epic with the uses of exploiting a hero, taking place in a vast setting, and focuses on the strength and military prowess that can be

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Monomyth In Beowulf

    517 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the poem, Beowulf follows the adventures of the hero described in Campbell's monomyth. In order to be acknowledged as an epic, a story must have many stages, according to the monomyth format. The hero’s journey consists of three main stages. These stages are separation, initiation, and return. And ofcourse, Beowulf encounters each one of these stages

    Read More

  • Loyalty In Beowulf

    672 Words  | 3 Pages

    An epic poem is a long narrative poem with heroic deeds and events that are significant to culture. Beowulf is a story of a Scandinavian hero. Beowulf gains fame and glory when he first kills Grendel, then his mother, and lastly the dragon. Through his journey, he starts of as a young man and by the end, he is the king. Although he did kill the dragon he did not do it alone, after being horribly hurt he wanted to have a tomb as a lighthouse where he wanted people to remember him.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Good Vs Evil Essay

    806 Words  | 4 Pages

    Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/

    Read More

  • Examples Of Diction In Beowulf

    762 Words  | 4 Pages

    Beofwulf’s structure, events, diction, and the story of a complete warrior depict what a true epic poem looks like. The poem shows the reader many events and tragedies that create a long line-filled poem. Beowulf endures many journeys throughout the narrative that solidify as heroic and truly legendary. Many unlikely and superhuman abilities are displayed throughout Beowulf as well. Structure, heroics, and superhuman abilities in the narrative Beowulf, which tells of Beowulf’s journeys, provide a great example of an epic.

    Read More

  • Essay On Good And Evil In Beowulf

    472 Words  | 2 Pages

    He would overcome many obstacles of evil and bring good to the Geats. It was a miracle that Beowulf could fight this evil and actually trounce it. In remembrance of the heroic king and his miraculous triumph, Hrothgar and his men built a tower in Beowulf’s honor. Many elements of good and evil bring the “epic” element to an epic poem. Beowulf became an epic hero because of all of the great achievements he accomplished for his

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Modern Day Heroes

    665 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Webster's definition of a hero is “A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities”, this also happens to be one of the qualifications of being an epic hero. There are many things that can be used to compare and contrast Beowulf as an epic hero and a modern day hero, but you’ll find that the human idea of a hero was primarily the same in 700 CE as it is now although the job descriptions of hero’s have changed. In today’s time a person is usually considered a hero if they help the public good, like a police officer, soldier, firefighter and so on. In Beowulf’s time a person was considered a hero if they were a great warrior. When looking at the characteristics of what makes Beowulf an epic hero and the characteristics

    Read More

  • Beowulf Hero Quotes

    745 Words  | 3 Pages

    Madisyn Ortolano Mr. Richards English IV January 31, 2023 Beowulf Paper Beowulf is an epic hero in many ways. He fights monsters and dragons, but he believes in a fair fight, he is a demi-god, he has to fight alone, he has a magical weapon, and he is introduced in the middle of turmoil. Beowulf possesses all the characteristics and more which makes him an epic hero. Now let's dive into reason one.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Values

    512 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though the author has remained nameless for over a thousand years, Beowulf remains a famously popular story to this day. Since the first tale, epics have often reflected the values of the society at that time. Beowulf was a strong warrior fighting evil (though sadly we don't know what his original story was, as its original was an oral story passed down by people) and in that time era, that's what the people wanted. Beowulf fits the traditional box of an epic for a multitude of reasons, most notably: The story includes a vast setting of real and unreal locations and the values of the society at the time of the story is reflected well in this Viking-age story.

    Read More

  • Characteristics Of Beowulf A Representation Of Anglo Saxon Literature

    792 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the fight with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf was out of his element entirely. He fought at the bottom of a lake, in an ancient hall, against the mother of the previous monster. Grendel’s mother was immune to most sword attacks, but Beowulf managed to subdue her with his bare hands, and then finish her off using a gigantic sword that he found in the hall. This once again testifies to his strength. Along with these two

    Read More

  • Beowulf: The Archetypal Hero

    1332 Words  | 6 Pages

    Beowulf is centered around Beowulf and the epic deeds he accomplished. Beowulf follows the role of the archetypal hero and fulfills it by going on epic quests to help and save kingdoms. But being the hero ultimately killed Beowulf. Although Beowulf dies, it shows how honorable he was to die for his kingdom. This is just one of the many characteristics

    Read More

  • Good Vs. Evil In Beowulf Is An Epic Hero

    570 Words  | 3 Pages

    The story of Beowulf isn’t just any ordinary story, but a story that has been told for centuries. A story of a hero who’s legacy has been told for so long. Beowulf’s life shows the characteristics of a true epic hero. He showed bravery, he used his strength against his enemies and in the end gave the ultimate sacrifice for his people.

    Read More

  • Is Beowulf An Epic Hero Or A Fool Essay

    486 Words  | 2 Pages

    I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me” (2511-2515). In conclusion, Beowulf is an epic hero. Although he made risky decisions, he did them for his people. He possessed the qualities of a hero; bravery, loyalty and fearlessness.

    Read More

  • Why Is Beowulf An Epic Hero

    703 Words  | 3 Pages

    Given this evidence, it is clear that Beowulf deserves to be labeled as an epic hero. He consistently and evidently displayed multiple characteristics of an epic hero. Beowulf was always on a quest, continously risked his life for glory and the greater good of society, and had superior intelligence, strength, and courage which were the three most crucial reasons that created him to be

    Read More

  • Epic Examples In Beowulf

    186 Words  | 1 Pages

    Beowulf, an Epic Example The story Beowulf is an epic, It features many different examples that prove that it is an epic. Beowulf himself is an epic hero, He supports the values of the people who wrote the story, he is courageous,smart and considered the best warrior in the world, nearly undefeatable. This story has examples on an epic story such as: superhuman feats, supernatural beings, catalogs, and kennings. this story also features a universal theme (good vs evil),and weather Beowulf succeeds or not will affect the fate of the kingdom. Beowulf is superhumanly strong and defeats Grendel with his bare hands, Grendel and his mother are supernatural or mythical beings,Beowulf (the good ) must defeat Grendel and his mother ( the evil).

    Read More

  • Beowulf Archetypal Analysis

    1363 Words  | 6 Pages

    Very little is known about the epic poem Beowulf besides that the story was told during the Anglo-Saxon period, specifically between the years 500-1100. The author is unknown, due to the fact that the story was originally told verbally and not documented until much later. Like many stories told throughout the ages, Beowulf consists of many archetypes. An archetype is a recurring symbol found in literature, such as the Hero archetype. In this epic poem, the hero, Beowulf, travels from his homeland to Denmark to save a kingdom from an awful beast that has been attacking men late at night for over twelve years.

    Read More

More about The Epic Of Beowulf

Open Document