Ryan Morris
Mrs. Francis and Mr. Chimento
CP English 3
12/2/10
The Epic Hero Beowulf
The epic poem of Beowulf is based on a noble warrior by the name of Beowulf.
The character of Beowulf is called upon a mission to defeat the unruly Grendel who
haunts the country of Denmark. He faces no problem in doing so and also goes on to
defeat Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Beowulf is the most brave and courageous man in
all of Geatland and will take on every challenge that faces him. He is also a very giving
person and will do what it takes to save his friends and allies from evil. Furthermore, he
possesses immense strength and intelligence and puts it to great use during battle. In the
epic poem of Beowulf, there are many acts of unselfish, strong, and courageous
characteristics portrayed by Beowulf. Such traits of a person are what constitute a heroic
character.
Beowulf hears the news that Grendel, a ferocious and bloodthirsty creature who
destroys innocent soldiers is tormenting Denmark, and he immediately sets sail to go
there. No man has ever been so brave as to battle the viscous Grendel, but Beowulf is
motivated to slaughter him without the use of a sword or shield. His courage is so mighty
that he will fight creatures of any size or power to create tranquility for that land. An
example of his courage is shown before the battle with the dragon when he states, “I
mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames, stand till fate decides which one of us
wins (Lines 675-677).” Even while staring death in the face, Beowulf will fight with all
of his might although fate is against him. Throughout all of Beowulf’s battles, he stands
brave, bold, and strongly willed to defeat whatever steps foot in his path.
What makes Beowulf such an epic hero is how he is morally correct and
unselfish. Any hero or villain can be strong, brave and intelligent, but these
characteristics are what distinguish a hero from a villain. For example, when Beowulf is
in Herot, he is extremely passionate about the upcoming battle between Grendel and
himself. He is willing to give his life in order to remove the evil from the country of
Denmark, which is an amazingly generous offer. Not only is Beowulf a noble warrior,
but also he has a great set of morals and believes that God’s fate will lead his battles to
victory. As Hrothgar, the king of Denmark, talks about how appreciative he is for
Beowulf’s arrival, he makes a toast: “Beowulf, a banquet in your honor: let us toast your
victories, and talk of the future” (Lines 223-224). While Hrothgar speaks of future
victory, he expresses how grateful he is for having Beowulf give his life in order to save
their land. Beowulf uses his brute strength and courage to perform good deeds for his
allies and not just for himself. His generosity serves a great purpose and brings an
enormous amount of joy and hope to the good people of Denmark. In conclusion,
Beowulf’s generosity and morals are what make him an epic hero instead of a villain.
Along with being brave and giving, Beowulf is also extremely strong and
intelligent. To be strong and intelligent are mandatory characteristics that someone must
have in order to be an epic hero. The strength that Beowulf has is not just physical, but
also intellectual. Examples of his strength is shown as Beowulf tears Grendel’s arm out
of his socket, decapitates Grendel’s Mother while using a sword for giants, and pierces
the dragon’s scaly stomach with his sword. As Beowulf manhandles Grendel inside of
Herot, the poem states that, “the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle
and bone split and broke” (Lines 497-499). Beowulf shows great strength by being able
to sever a limb from the massive monster. His intelligence is illustrated during all of the
strategies he uses during his battles. His strategies show that not only is Beowulf strong
but he is extremely smart and steady when he fights. Overall, in order for a character to
be heroic they must be wise and strong, which Beowulf clearly portrays.
In all of the quests and battles that Beowulf has faced, he shows at least one type
of heroic trait in each of them. His courage is shown as he is the only one who dares to
fight Grendel and remove him from Denmark. In addition his bravery will never allow
him to refuse a battle. Other great traits he shows are being unselfish and having good
morals, such as when he goes to save Denmark during the desperate need of a hero.
Beowulf also possesses great strength and intelligence. In the epic poem of Beowulf, the
character Beowulf portrays courageous, unselfish, and strong characteristics. All of these
qualities demonstrated create the conclusion that Beowulf is absolutely a heroic
character.