How Beowulf Is A Hero

In the epic poem Beowulf told by the Anglo- Saxons, the main character Beowulf shares some of the qualities that traditional heroes have. He shows bravery, fairness, responsibilities, and ambition. Throughout the whole poem, Beowulf’s actions characterize him as a hero. He puts himself in harm's way to protect his people and the people of Herot from the wicked monster Grendel. Beowulf never once ran from his battles against the monsters he faced. This shows the reader that he is truly a heroic figure. To begin with, Beowulf feels that he has a responsibility. He hears about Grendel and how he is terrorizing the citizens of Herot. He thinks that it is his responsibility to help the people and the king also. This is proven to be true in
Beowulf refuses to be remembered as a coward who fought an unarmed person or, in this case, monster. This can be seen in the line, “That I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall. I have heard that the monster’s scorn of men is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I” (260-261). This shows how he is being portrayed as fair. He believes that if his opponent fights unarmed, then he should too. As he battles Grendel, he uses no weapon. This is important because despite Grendel being bigger than him, Beowulf still battles him without using his
As an old man, Beowulf is up against a dragon. Although he is old, he still tries to take on the dragon. His loyal followers abandon him fearing for their lives. Instead of following them, Beowulf stays behind and tries to fight the dragon himself, along with only one of his followers who stayed behind. Beowulf demonstrating ambition is shown in the line, “In endless battles. I am old, now, But I will fight again, seek fame still, If the dragon hiding in his tower dares To face me” (625-628). This line is important because Beowulf is determined to defeat this dragon despite his age. Another example is shown in the line as Beowulf states, “I’d use no sword, no weapon if this beast could be killed without it, crushed to death…. I mean to stand, not run from his shooting Flames, stand till fate decides which of us wins” (630-639). This line is important because Beowulf is saying that he will stay until the one of them is dead, meaning he will fight to the