Beowulf Hero Traits
A couple is enjoying a lovely ride through the cornfields on a summer day. Suddenly a small, shiny spacecraft crash lands next to the couple. They run to the craft and inspect it, they open the lid to reveal a baby. The couple adopts the baby and he grows to become the greatest superhero of all time, Superman. The same type of story happened thousands of years prior, this time we travel to the land of the Danes. Beowulf arrives on a ship, requesting the presence of the king. He is here to save Hrothgar’s people and slay Grendel. Beowulf was the first real superhero and his story is legendary.
Strength is one of the most important characteristics of a hero and Beowulf definitely exhibits this characteristic. When he landed on the Dane’s land he boasted to the King about his strength. He speaks of killing huge sea serpents and even mentions wanting to kill Grendel with his bare hands, for example, “He might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid behind some broad shield: my hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster.” (265-269). …show more content…
His strength is unworldly, meaning it is superhuman. Beowulf can do things no other man can do and that is a huge factor in being a superhero.
Another huge characteristic of superheroes is courage. Courage is a trait that modern and mature heroes alike possess. In Anglo-Saxon literature this was also a very important characteristic. In fact, in the poem, after Beowulf had just defeated Grendel, he takes the severed limb as a trophy. “The victory, for the proof, hanging high From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster’s Arm, claw and shoulder and all.” (408-410). This is evidence of Beowulf’s strength because it takes so much power to remove a limb in general, imagine having to do it with bare
Strength is one of the most important characteristics of a hero and Beowulf definitely exhibits this characteristic. When he landed on the Dane’s land he boasted to the King about his strength. He speaks of killing huge sea serpents and even mentions wanting to kill Grendel with his bare hands, for example, “He might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid behind some broad shield: my hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster.” (265-269). …show more content…
His strength is unworldly, meaning it is superhuman. Beowulf can do things no other man can do and that is a huge factor in being a superhero.
Another huge characteristic of superheroes is courage. Courage is a trait that modern and mature heroes alike possess. In Anglo-Saxon literature this was also a very important characteristic. In fact, in the poem, after Beowulf had just defeated Grendel, he takes the severed limb as a trophy. “The victory, for the proof, hanging high From the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster’s Arm, claw and shoulder and all.” (408-410). This is evidence of Beowulf’s strength because it takes so much power to remove a limb in general, imagine having to do it with bare