Beowulf: The Qualities Of An Epic Hero

There are many ancient poems detailing epic heroes throughout history. There are the heroes Gilgamesh and the Odysseus, to name a few; however, one of the oldest and greatest heroes originates from the Anglo-saxon epic poem Beowulf. The protagonist/hero of the poem, Beowulf, possesses qualities of epic heroes that most people know of today, which includes great strength, incredible pride, and unbreakable courage and determination. Throughout the poem, Beowulf repeatedly exhibits these qualities of a hero, among many more, which sufficiently ends up portraying him as one. One of Beowulf’s greatest and most noticeable heroic characteristics is his amazing strength. In the poem, he repeatedly showcases his superhuman strength. Similar to Hercules and Gilgamesh, Beowulf like most epic heroes
In the face of all dangerous situations that are present within the poem, Beowulf courageously plunges in head first into all of them; whether it was Grendel, his mom, or the dragon, Beowulf, without any hesitation, proclaimed that he was going to defeat them and indeed ended up doing so (with the assistance of Wiglaf for the dragon). In all three predicaments, he fought evil to protect those weaker then him; against Grendel and his mom it was for Hrothgar and the Danes of Herot, while against the dragon, it was to protect the people of his kingdom. In the poem when Beowulf exclaims, “Rise, O realm-warder! Ride we anon, and mark the trail of the mother of Grendel. No harbor shall hide her -- heed my promise!,” this is one of the many quotes throughout it that showcases Beowulf’s courage and bravery. When everyone was reluctant to go face Grendel and his mom in their lair, Beowulf rallied them up, in part, with his courage and determination to go slay the fiends. This and many other scenarios throughout the poem help exhibit the courageous and brave qualities in