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Beowulf: The Perfect Hero

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The Perfect Hero In every heroic tale, there lies a theme of balance in values. Every hero is said to possess a fatal flaw; whether they overcome this flaw or let it define who they are is up to them. In the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, it is not particularly hard for the reader to point out their perceived flaws of our hero: arrogance, pride, egotism. Yet, Beowulf stands tall in the poem as the perfect hero, adored and praised by all. Why is it that the modern day reader can so easily decide what makes a hero imperfect? Can a hero ever be perfect at all? Well, the difference is in the time period and the cultures. While it can be argued that Beowulf is perfect, or that Beowulf is flawed, the matter remains subjective depending …show more content…

Every culture, every time period, will find a flaw in every hero: Beowulf is no exception. To an Anglo-Saxon of the time period, Beowulf is the perfect hero, without a doubt. He is a shining example for his people to live by. A life lead by ambition and driven by the desire to protect, Beowulf?s story is one to be acknowledged. In terms of subjectivity, Beowulf has human flaws that can be said to have led to his downfall, but he is also the perfect hero who exhibits only the proper values of an Anglo-Saxon warrior. The scop who wrote this story depicted Beowulf in only a positive intended light, as this epic is meant to be the warrior?s story retold, highlighting their great feats and accomplishments. This being said, a hero to the Anglo-Saxons only had faults if they were unfaithful to their people or greedy, and Beowulf displays none of these qualities. Beowulf only acts in accordance to what he feels would be best for his people, his altruism exceeding those before him, and setting a precedent that no other could reach. While it is possible to interpret Beowulf as a hero with faults, he was not originally meant to be depicted that way. Beowulf is the exception to the idea that all humans have their

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The tale of Beowulf is one of the most established cases of what society sees as a hero. In spite of the fact that the story was composed in Anglo-Saxon circumstances, the accreditations one would require so to be considered by society a legend continue as before. The Anglo-Saxons believed that a hero was brave and bold, however modest and kind also. They likewise trusted that a legend was astute and noble, in which he would battle until death with a specific end goal to guard his people. Beowulf is portrayed as minding, humane, honorable, and understanding, which makes him appear as though he had each attribute of a genuine

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Beowulf instead praises up for God and regrets about missing Grendel’s death (Beowulf 471-484). Beowulf’s loyalty makes him humble and being a real hero of Dane. This Beowulf’s trait also fits adequately to Anglo-Saxon’s hero archetype as

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The Anglo-Saxon idea of what a hero is includes characteristics such as robustness, courage, and honorability. Over time, these characteristics--along with others--have developed into the archetypal hero as seen in myths and stories across the globe. In the epic poem Beowulf, written by an unknown author, the two characters Beowulf and Unferth display several of these qualities; however, they do not exhibit all of them or they demonstrate them in a less conventional way. The main character of the poem is Beowulf, an already established hero when the reader is introduced to him. He goes on a journey to aid a neighboring kingdom in a fight against a horrible monster.

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The hero in the epic poem Beowulf is the main character, Beowulf. He demonstrates heroic qualities as soon as the readers are introduced to his character. Beowulf proves himself to be courageous and brave by voluntarily fighting the “undefeatable” monster, Grendel. He is greatly admired by both the Danes and Geats for his courageous acts. Although his motivation is altered to only benefit himself with the title of the greatest warrior, his plan to save the Danes is greatly appreciated by all in the land.

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