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How Is Beowulf An Epic Hero

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I woke drenched in sweat, shaking uncontrollably. Every person gets at least one nightmare a week. Imagine if all the monsters from your dreams were real. Well in the book Beowulf: A New Telling they are. A hero is needed, but not any hero an epic hero. Beowulf shows that he is a epic hero in three ways. His characteristics confirm that he: has superior strength and intelligence, bravery, And his willingness to die for the greater good. To begin, the first characteristic describes that beowulf has superior strength and intelligence. “Where is your sword” “My sword? Oh, I left it in the sun somewhere. I need no sword,”(Nye 33). He had the strength to fight Grendel without a weapon. He had the strength to fight grendel with bare hands. “Listen, Wiglaf. When I was young I’d have thought it was dishonorable, or something. Well, the dragon lies dead, and the treasure is there for the good of our people,”(Nye 101). He was breaking tradition so they didn’t repeat the past. He killed the dragon using bees and armor that was too heavy for him. Furthermore, not only does beowulf have superior intelligence, but he is also very brave …show more content…

“Beowulf left his men behind when he went to fight “She”,”(Nye 65). Beowulf fought she, (Grendel's mother) who is ten times stronger than her son. He left his men behind so they didn’t get hurt and so he did not see anymore of his men die. Beowulf went to go fight the Firedrake(a dragon) even at old age (Nye 101). Even at old age he put his life on the line for his people. Not only was he old but his armor was too big and heavy for him. Beowulf is does not only have superhuman strength and intelligence and bravery but, he risks death for the greater

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The reason as he said to his men, “I will strive against this fiend weaponless. With no armour, since he wears none…,” eventually, Beowulf won in this fight. That Beowulf can kill the fierce Grendel successfully is beyond others’ expectation. Because many warriors tried to kill the monster, but all of them failed. Faced with other people’s doubts, Beowulf called up all his courage to fight against Grendel, even with no weapons.

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Sadly, Beowulf died in the firefight against the dragon. The true warrior who stood by Beowulf’s side rebuked all the soldiers who left, “Then a stern rebuke was bound to come from the young warrior to the ones who had been cowards. Wiglaf, son of Weohstan, spoke disdainfully and in disappointment: ‘Anyone ready to admit the truth will surely realize that the lord of men who showered you with gifts and gave you the armour you standing in-when he would distribute helmets and mail-shirts to men on mead-benches, a prince treating his thanes in hall to the best he could find, far or near-was throwing

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Beowulf is an epic hero because of his strength. His strength isn’t the same as an ordinary man, “He twisted in pain and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped muscle and on split and broke” (lines 337-340). No ordinary man would be

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He embodies all of the characteristics of an epic hero because of his bravery, honor, self-assurance and his acceptance of knowing that he could be killed at any point. He thrives as a hero by taking down a dragon, a vicious monster named Grendel and also Grendel’s mother. His masculinity and loyalty further develops the theme of Beowulf being an epic hero. He showed his honor and helped the Danes when no one else could by traveling from his homeland to battle the vicious monster Grendel, who terrorized the Danes.

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He loses his sword, but then sees a giant sword on the wall. It was Hrunting a famous old sword that hung on the walls of the cave. Beowulf said “, I shall shape the glory with Hrunting, or death will hurry me from this earth!” pg. 53 Grendel’s mother dies and then Beowulf discovers the head of Grendel about the cave, and takes it back to Hrothgar to show

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Have you ever heard about a story of an epic hero? Beowulf is a poem written by Burton Raffel, which narrates the story of how Beowulf becomes a hero in every human being’s heart. Beowulf is a powerful people with strong muscle. In order to protect the village, which is plundered by the monster Grendel. Many warriors followed Beowulf to the village and began to fight with Grendel.

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Essential Characteristics of an Epic Hero Beowulf embodies all of the characteristics of an epic hero. An epic hero possesses traits that help guide them to defeat evil and to become a leader in their society. These qualities come from the valued traits of a society. Beowulf displays the valued qualities within the Anglo-Saxon community that allow him to be a natural leader and a hero to his people.

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Beowulf fought with great bravery and courage to protect others. He believed that the only way to immortality was to become historic. “But you have made yourself immortal by your glorious action." (Beowulf 246). Beowulf’s actions of killing Grendel and fighting his mother were events that will leave an everlasting impression.

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In his battles, Beowulf exemplifies the heroic characteristics of selflessness, hope, and bravery to protect people First of all Beowulf exemplifies his characteristics like being a modern day hero by his selflessness. Selflessness

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Beowulf heroically defeats Grendel. Of force in fight no feebler I count me, in grim war-deeds, than

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This shows how even though he was old and weak, he still doesn’t back down and is still dedicated to fight monsters. Beowulf’s dedication is so great that he goes in knowing that the odds are against him but he would rather die fighting than cowering out. Secondly, when fighting Grendel’s mother Beowulf “discovered that no sword could slice her evil skin” yet after his weapon fails him he continues using his resources until finding a weapon and “ striking her with all (the) strength he had left, caught her in the neck and cut it through...her body fell”(Raffel 1521-1522 1565-1567). During Beowulf’s battle with

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Given this evidence, it is clear that Beowulf deserves to be labeled as an epic hero. He consistently and evidently displayed multiple characteristics of an epic hero. Beowulf was always on a quest, continously risked his life for glory and the greater good of society, and had superior intelligence, strength, and courage which were the three most crucial reasons that created him to be

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In lines 432-438, “That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime, knew at once that nowhere on earth had he met a man whose hands were harder; his mind was flooded with fear-but nothing could take his talons and himself from that tight hard grip. Grendel’s one thought was to run from Beowulf, flee

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This proves that he is strong and brave because no one else could kill Grendel let alone face him. Beowulf kills Grendel with his bare hands and without armor on. Other warriors could not even kill him with a sword and armor. “Beowulf’s intention to fight Grendel with only his strength proves that he carries the characteristics of a true hero”(Hailey).

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As has been noted, many of Beowulf 's characteristics are also shared by traditional epic heroes. He 's brave and never "cowers", defeats previously unbeatable monsters, comes from nobility, and has incredible superhuman strength. Beowulf can be compared to any other epic hero, and the similarities found between them will be never ending. However, there are other characteristics that the king of the Geats possesses which make him be very different from most epic heroes. First, there is the issue with Beowulf 's lack of a moral compass.

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