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Beowulf As An Epic Hero Essay

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In the poem Beowulf, by Seamus Heaney, does Beowulf show himself to be a true epic hero? Beowulf, king of the Geats, encounters and fights many different monsters and battles. Beowulf shows himself worthy of being an epic hero through his great battles. Beowulf fights with many creatures such as Brecca, a living sea monster. He shows his worthiness as an epic hero by showing his strength, wisdom and knowledge, and honor in battle. Beowulf puts his wisdom and knowledge as an epic hero to the test when he battles Grendel. When he and his men are fighting Grendel, they realize that no sword can penetrate him. When Heaney writes, “The monster’s whole body was in pain, a tremendous wound appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone lappings burst. Beowulf was granted the glory of winning; Grendel was driven …show more content…

When he is fighting Grendel, Beowulf uses his incredible strength and talent to get him in a tight hold and rip Grendel’s arm off. Heaney describes this incredible act done by Beowulf: The captain of evil discovered himself In a handgrip harder than anything He had ever encountered in any man On the face of the earth. Every bone in his body Quailed and recoiled, but he could not escape. He was desperate to flee to his den and hide With the devil’s litter, for in all his days He had never been clamped or cornered like this. (Heaney 749-56)
His supernatural strength had made Grendel fear him. Beowulf puts his strength and worthiness as an epic hero to the test. Beowulf reveals his true worthiness to be recognized as an epic hero. Through Beowulf’s courageous acts of heroism, he can be classified as an epic hero. When there is a difficult situation, Beowulf shows that he can find a way to create a solution. Throughout this story Beowulf shows that he respectfully follows the honor code. Beowulf proves that he is an epic hero through his honor, wisdom, and

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