In times of adversity, people stand up, not letting their fate overcome them, but fighting to change it. These people are good reflections of heroism, great courage and valor. While physical traits can be important in heroism, it’s mainly about moral courage and bravery to stand up for what’s right. This concept of heroism is strongly portrayed in the epic poem Beowulf, which tells the tale of a hero, Beowulf, who overcomes challenges in a heroic matter. Beowulf is a great example of what it means to be a hero because while he shows off his tough, strong qualities, he also displays the moral courage that truly makes a hero a hero. In Beowulf, Beowulf is seen as a strong, powerful hero. The audience can witness his physical strength in one of the first …show more content…
While this was an easy fight for Beowulf, Beowulf starts to face greater challenges, yet still steps up to the challenge to protect his people. Beowulf’s final fight was against a giant, fire breathing dragon. After ruling as king for 50 years, Beowulf shows signs of aging and physical decline, yet still has moral courage to do what’s right, even when his life is on the line against something so big as a threat. It says, “.the final day was the first time when Beowulf fought, and fate denied him glory in battle.” While he was successful in defeating the dragon with the help of Wiglaf, it came at a big cost, costing him his life. While this mission had extreme risk, Beowulf not only defeated the dragon, but he also had the moral courage to stand up for what’s right when all odds were stacked against him, proving he is a true hero. These heroic qualities found in Beowulf are qualities common in many stories such as The Outsiders, which the main characters, Ponyboy and Johnny,