Is Beowulf An Epic Hero Or A Fool Essay

Not just through characteristics, but through Beowulf's struggle and endeavors throughout the story, it resembles that of an epic hero. J.R.R Tolkien suggested the theme that a ‘man alien in a hostile world, engaged in a struggle which he cannot win’ states that Beowulf struggled in the hostile world, and in something he could not win; though he may have won battles through struggle, he never fully won. Being larger than life, going on a quest, and dying a symbolic death are the characteristics of an epic hero shown by Beowulf. In the theme of the story, the man alien was in a hostile world.

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.

In the epic poem “Beowulf” the character Beowulf is the foundation for all of our modern heroes, but was he really a great hero? A hero is classified as a person who is admired for their bravery, achievements, or nobility. Although Beowulf displays all these qualities, there are several reasons he is not a hero, mainly him being egotistical and arrogant. This is why Beowulf is not a heroic person. Beowulf is often caught bragging about himself and his great accomplishments.

The Webster's definition of a hero is “A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities”, this also happens to be one of the qualifications of being an epic hero. There are many things that can be used to compare and contrast Beowulf as an epic hero and a modern day hero, but you’ll find that the human idea of a hero was primarily the same in 700 CE as it is now although the job descriptions of hero’s have changed. In today’s time a person is usually considered a hero if they help the public good, like a police officer, soldier, firefighter and so on. In Beowulf’s time a person was considered a hero if they were a great warrior. When looking at the characteristics of what makes Beowulf an epic hero and the characteristics

Beowulf, is a fictional figure, he is an example of Emerson heroism. The same bravery and physical strength that make Beowulf a great warrior also make him a great epic hero, as does his willingness to die for

Madisyn Ortolano Mr. Richards English IV January 31, 2023 Beowulf Paper Beowulf is an epic hero in many ways. He fights monsters and dragons, but he believes in a fair fight, he is a demi-god, he has to fight alone, he has a magical weapon, and he is introduced in the middle of turmoil. Beowulf possesses all the characteristics and more which makes him an epic hero. Now let's dive into reason one.

In today’s society, anybody can be considered a hero. A hero is a selfless person who is admired for their courageous achievements. A mother, celebrity, or even a mailman can be a hero to someone. In Beowulf, the epic poem translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf is recognized as a hero who craves too much glory. In today’s world, Beowulf is viewed as an irrelevant hero since he displays poor qualities of arrogance and selfishness.

But I will fight again, seek fame still,/ If the dragon hiding in his tower dares/ To face me,” (Lines 607-609). Even as an old and frail man, Beowulf would still fight in any battle, even if he is doomed to lose, to build his legacy even further. Also in that quote, Beowulf even admits that throughout his whole life, from young to old, he has only cared about fighting in battles, seeking fame, and defeating his enemies.

Beowulf is a perfect example of an epic hero. What is an epic hero, you may ask? An epic hero is one who is determined to show their strength, bravery, and honor by heroic and dangerous actions. In the epic, Beowulf, the main character himself shows many qualities that defines him as an epic hero. Beowulf’s many battles are examples of how he is an epic hero.

Beowulf is telling us that he doesn’t value the lives of his citizen, but instead values glory and is willing to fight for it. In the end, Beowulf slays the dragon but paid his life as the price. In conclusion, Beowulf would be considered a great warrior, but not a hero. Although Beowulf accomplished many heroic deeds he never did any of them for the right reasons. Therefore, Beowulf is not a hero, but only a warrior who values renown and rewards.

A hero does not fight for fame and glory but for the greater good. A hero is someone who goes through adversity to help others in desperate times. A hero fights evil, and defends people. Beowulf should be considered a hero because he is a strong, brave warrior who defended his people and slayed evil monsters. Beowulf proves himself to be a strong, brave warrior by killing Grendel the monster.

Alexander Hamilton once said, “There is a certain Enthusiasm in liberty that makes Human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” Beowulf is an epic poem in which the main character Beowulf did acts of service, but he fought for those who couldn’t fight. The overall theme of good versus evil in Beowulf had Beowulf dealing with challenges that no ordinary man would be able to handle unless they were a true epic hero. Throughout the poem Beowulf proves to be an epic hero by his strength, bravery, and sacrifice.

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

Epic heroes have been written about in literature for as long as there was writing. An epic hero must have superhuman qualities to enhance their character. Epic heroes usually show some relations towards a god or gods in their story. Epic heroes comes across many temptations and embark on a trip into the underworld. Epic heroes follow a certain archetype in literature that follows their adventures and Beowulf is no exception.

Beowulf from the epic poem Beowulf signifies an epic hero in many diverse ways. Beowulf holds many characteristics of an epic hero. For example, the hero is a demi-god and had a magical weapon, went through a long journey, went go on journeys by himself, had most of the highly applauded qualities of his people, and would battle in fair fights. From these characteristics and different excerpts from the poem it is easy to see Beowulf was a great and true epic hero.