I believe that Emerson would indeed consider Beowulf to be an epic hero in this story. Beowulf is a brave, independent, and strong warrior who refused to back down from a fight. His heroism also displays his amazing leadership qualities. He is an honest man who does what he says he is going to do without any complaint or remorse. I think one major thing to point out is that he would not fight Grendel using a weapons (unless you believe his courage and honorability are the only weapons he needs) to ensure that his brawl with Grendel would be on even grounds. However, in a deeper look into the poem you can tell that deep down, Beowulf may just be fighting for the glory of the kill. It appears as if in some sense he knew that he had that fight