Beowulf Epic Hero Essay

A hero is a someone who displays courage or self-sacrifice, in the face of danger or from a position of weakness. What makes a character an epic hero is someone who is brave, admired for great achievements, and is faced by grand events, within an epic poem. An epic hero possess many qualities that normal humans usually lack. They are brave beyond compare, endure a desire to reach success, and contain much intelligence. The epic poem, Beowulf, describes one of the most heroic men of the Anglo-Saxon times. Throughout the epic, we gradually understand the significance of Beowulf’s actions and the important key figures in the poem. Beowulf is considered an epic hero because of his endless courage and belief in the greater good. Beowulf eventually becomes a hero to many people, including the Geats. Anglo-Saxon epic heroes are always willing to put others before themselves and even put their own life in danger for the greater good. Beowulf shows this when he accepts the challenge of fighting Grendel. Grendel is a powerful monster that Beowulf goes up against to protect the Geats and to honor his father, who had pledged his allegiance to Hrothgar. This act shows his sense of …show more content…
His enormous amount of bravery and courage is what pushed him to face these monsters and it spread his fame throughout all the lands. Later in his life, he becomes King of the Geats and is now responsible for guiding the whole kingdom. Beowulf rules the Geats for fifty years and during those years he faces his biggest battle yet. When the dragon’s treasure is stolen, the kingdom is attacked. All of the servants and most of the Geats attempt to attack the dragon but cannot defeat him. After a long battle against the mighty dragon, all the Geats retreat for safety, except for Wiglaf and Beowulf. Out of much courage and bravery, they both decide to face the dragon on their