In the epic, Beowulf also chooses a group of men to accompany him and aid him in his quest; he chose “the mightiest men he could find, the bravest and best of the Geats, fourteen in all” (lines 120-122). In folk epics, it is common for the epic hero to assemble a band of followers to aid him in his quest. As for Beowulf’s quest, Beowulf requests that Hrothgar grant him “this one favor you should not refuse me--that I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall” (lines 259-261). To clarify, Beowulf’s quest as an epic hero involves aiding a neighboring kingdom by defeating a bloodthirsty monster named Grendel who has been terrorizing Hrothgar’s kingdom for the past twelve years. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf then pursues two more quests; they involve traveling to the underwater lair of Grendel’s mother to kill her and, many years later, defeating a dragon that terrorizes the kingdom of the Geats. Epic heroes are also often of noble birth, and Beowulf is a young warrior of high standing whose father was a famous soldier known and remembered by many; furthermore, Beowulf’s uncle was Higlac, king of the
In the epic, Beowulf also chooses a group of men to accompany him and aid him in his quest; he chose “the mightiest men he could find, the bravest and best of the Geats, fourteen in all” (lines 120-122). In folk epics, it is common for the epic hero to assemble a band of followers to aid him in his quest. As for Beowulf’s quest, Beowulf requests that Hrothgar grant him “this one favor you should not refuse me--that I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall” (lines 259-261). To clarify, Beowulf’s quest as an epic hero involves aiding a neighboring kingdom by defeating a bloodthirsty monster named Grendel who has been terrorizing Hrothgar’s kingdom for the past twelve years. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf then pursues two more quests; they involve traveling to the underwater lair of Grendel’s mother to kill her and, many years later, defeating a dragon that terrorizes the kingdom of the Geats. Epic heroes are also often of noble birth, and Beowulf is a young warrior of high standing whose father was a famous soldier known and remembered by many; furthermore, Beowulf’s uncle was Higlac, king of the