The heroic tale of Beowulf is an example of one of the oldest known works in the Old English. The poem consists of 3,182 lines and is believed to be over 1,000 years old. The poem’s author remains unknown. This may seem very hard to believe because the poem is an epic tale of a King of what is now known as Scandinavia at a time when monsters and dragons roamed the Earth. The tale is centered around “The Great King Beowulf” and his epic battles. King Beowulf is believed to be great by many, but was he really a so-called “Great King”? Was Beowulf even a Hero? What Makes Beowulf an ideological hero and king?
To answer these questions, one must first know what qualities and traits it takes to be a “great” king and/or a hero. Courage, bravery, and leadership are only a few of the qualities required for heroism, greatness. In the poem Beowulf, the protagonist shows us a glimpse of these traits. Over the course of the poem, Beowulf slays monstrous creatures and even slays a dragon. While Beowulf performs these tasks and and accomplishes these feats, he posses the qualities that truly make a hero and a king great.
The poem begins with Grendel, a terrible demon, that continually terrorizes the Great Mead Hall in King Hrothgar’s Kingdom. …show more content…
The first quality that makes Beowulf a hero is his multiple acts of courage. The author of the poem shows courage in Beowulf when this hero agrees to help King Hrothgar and his Kingdom by destroying the demon,Grendel, as well as Grendel’s mother. The second reason we know Beowulf poses courage is he fights Grendel with his bare hands, no weaponry or armor. The text states, “When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous as Grendel. So it won’t be a cutting edge I’ll wield to mow him down.” Beowulf chose to face Grendel without a sword, and he thus showed us his courage when he defeated Grendel with his bare
To answer these questions, one must first know what qualities and traits it takes to be a “great” king and/or a hero. Courage, bravery, and leadership are only a few of the qualities required for heroism, greatness. In the poem Beowulf, the protagonist shows us a glimpse of these traits. Over the course of the poem, Beowulf slays monstrous creatures and even slays a dragon. While Beowulf performs these tasks and and accomplishes these feats, he posses the qualities that truly make a hero and a king great.
The poem begins with Grendel, a terrible demon, that continually terrorizes the Great Mead Hall in King Hrothgar’s Kingdom. …show more content…
The first quality that makes Beowulf a hero is his multiple acts of courage. The author of the poem shows courage in Beowulf when this hero agrees to help King Hrothgar and his Kingdom by destroying the demon,Grendel, as well as Grendel’s mother. The second reason we know Beowulf poses courage is he fights Grendel with his bare hands, no weaponry or armor. The text states, “When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous as Grendel. So it won’t be a cutting edge I’ll wield to mow him down.” Beowulf chose to face Grendel without a sword, and he thus showed us his courage when he defeated Grendel with his bare