Beowulf Sets The Curve For Epic Heroes

Beowulf Sets the Curve for Epic Heroes

Since Beowulf is one of the first epic stories of our time, the protagonist Beowulf has the pressure of setting the precedent for all heroes after him. He does just that as many moments from Beowulf have inspired famous books, movies, and video games. Notable examples include The Lord of the Rings series and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Some of the characteristics that epic heroes possess include appearance, supernatural strength, pride, a tragic flaw, and a resurrection. Beowulf exemplifies all of these characteristics in an easily followed way. He fights monsters, boasts about his achievements, and, like all heroes, has a flaw that is the death of himself.

The characteristics of an epic hero can be split

To begin with, Beowulf’s deeds start with his journey from Geatland to Denmark, which was a rather long journey. The fact that Beowulf sailed from his home to fight for another country shows Beowulf’s unselfishness and his goal to help others in need. The reason of his journey, a quest. All epic heroes go on quests to achieve goals and to build their fame, and that is what Beowulf does with his journey. Beowulf’s goal is to defeat Grendel and save the Danes from his wrath. He boasts of his intentions at the feast at Heorot, and responds to Unferth with the following promise: “I had a fixed purpose when I put to sea. / As I sat in the boat with my band of men, / I meant to perform to the uttermost/ what your people wanted or perish in the attempt, / in the fiend’s clutches. And I shall fulfil that purpose, / prove myself with a proud deed/ or meet my death here in the mead-hall” (632-638). In short, Beowulf travels a vast setting to complete a heroic quest, which is every hero after him does on their adventures. The next characteristic Beowulf shows in Beowulf is a resurrection. The strongest example is when Beowulf fights the dragon in its barrow, and after Beowulf has his neck bit by the dragon, it seems like his end is near. But

These characteristics are supernatural strength, facing supernatural foes, and receiving supernatural help. To start, Beowulf is extremely strong, strong enough to kill Grendel with his bare hands. Beowulf also swims in full plate armor, which is shown in his journey to the bottom of the Lake of Monsters, “After these words, the prince of the Weather-Geats/ was impatient to be away and plunged suddenly:/ without more ado, he dived into the heaving/ depths of the lake” (1492-1496). Clearly, the evidence shows that Beowulf has supernatural strength; no ordinary man is and never will be that strong. Another supernatural characteristic Beowulf has is his battles with supernatural foes. These foes include but are not limited to Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the fire-breathing dragon. These enemies can only be defeated by someone as epic as Beowulf, which is why few others are able to stand up to these supernatural threats. The strongest example of this is the battle with the dragon, and all but one of Beowulf’s band flee in terror, “No help or backing was to be had then/ from his high-born comrades; that hand-picked troop/ broke ranks and ran for their lives” (2596-2598). The last supernatural characteristic is the reception of supernatural aid. For example, Beowulf finds a magic sword in the lair of Grendel’s mother, and he uses it to decapitate her. Despite