Beowulf Anglo Saxon Hero

Beowulf Essay The epic heroic poem of “Beowulf” is the oldest manuscript that is still being read. This 3183 lines poem has raised the national epic status in England. This story is about an Anglo Saxon hero named Beowulf, a courageous, strong and protagonist of this epic, that has to battle with three different monsters that are: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, in order to defend the people that needed his help. Grendel is depicted as a huge, strong, and horrible monster that everybody is afraid of. Grendel’s mother is characterized as a strong, swamp hag that desires revenge from Beowulf due to the death of her son. Finally the dragon is described as a greedy, huge, fire breathing flying dragon that undergoes with Beowulf his final epic battle. Throughout the story Beowulf is set into various and difficult situations; however he overcomes each one of them demonstrating various characteristics that relates him with the ideal Anglo Saxon hero, such as being strong, courageous and intelligent. To begin with, one of the characteristics that Beowulf portrays and relates him to an Anglo Saxon hero is the courage he has. This characteristic plays an important role on how he acts all throughout the heroic poem. Even though his opponents were sometimes bigger, stronger or could fly and breathe fire he never backs out from any fight. He didn't care that he could die in one of his battles as he once said, “…And if death does take me, send the hammered/ mail of my armor to Higlac, return/ the inheritance I had from Hrethel, and he/ from Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must!” (55 Lines 265-270) This quote can clearly tell how courageous Beowulf is; he knew that at some time his life would be taken away in one of his battles, but that did not impede him from battling with his ferocious adversaries. He had only one objective and that was to defeat his opponents so he could defend the people who were being oppressed by them or die trying. This characteristic is