His tragic flaw is evident throughout the novel thinking he can win them all. Beowulf defeats the evil monster Grendel and his mother with ease. However, when it is time to battle the dragon, his pride causes him to be defeated. Beowulf is portrayed as a classic epic hero and, like many other heroes of the time, has a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to his demise. Beowulf possesses many of the traits of an archetypal epic hero; he is strong, humble, and willing to fight to death if necessary.
This epic poem illustrates the journey and hardship of one Anglo-Saxon warrior named Beowulf, who because of his journey became known as one of the respected heroes of the Anglo-Saxon times. Throughout his journey, Beowulf stumbled upon endless battles with ferocious monster trying to terrorize his king and kingdom. Beowulf was one to never give up on anything or anyone no matter the circumstances. Beowulf is an authentic hero according to the code of Anglo-Saxon times because he is courageous, loyal, and determined.
Noel Mendez Mendez 1 Mrs. Hinton English 3Period 2 August 31, 2012 Epic Hero Beowulf achieved many quest of tremendous value to himself and society. In the Epic From Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, Beowulf did something that many people aren’t capable of doing. Beowulf proves to be a man of courage, leadership, and power and he can fit the image of an Epic hero in many ways. Beowulf was considered courageous during his lifetime because of everything he accomplished. Beowulf shows bravery in line 158 “… Death was errand.” He states that he will fight to his death.
Every society/culture since the creation of man has created this type of hero to embody the values and mores of that time period. To be thought of as an epic hero the character must be endowed with specific traits. A few of these traits are: having great stature, always larger than life, have traits most valued by that society (i.e. tremendous courage, humility, super human strength.) a quick wit accompanied by extraordinary intelligence and a perspicacity for the journeys he must endure and the adversaries that he will have to thwart.
Wiglaf knows of the many triumphs Beowulf endeavors, and sees it as an encouragement. If Beowulf was able to defeat, why couldn't Wiglaf. Wiglaf is extremely brave to continue the fight Beowulf had started and kill the dragon as his loyalty shines through. Beowulf and Wiglaf are genuinely loyal characters in the epic poem. The two inferior men endeavored many hardships throughout because of their loyalty to others.
Only a giant and a strong-willed person can go through huge mountains and face wraths of the oceans, forest and conquer them all. That is what heroes do in life. They go through struggles and come out very strong. To conclude, Enkidu can be considered as a hero but Gilgamesh’s actions, his works contradicts that of Enkidu’s which makes many writers and readers proclaim Gilgamesh as the true hero in the story. Heroes do extraordinary things on their journeys to be crown as one.
He goes fearlessly into battle when he fights the powerful beast Humbaba, as well as when Ishtar tells Anu to release the mighty bull to trample Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was triumphant in both battles of ridding his city of harm. Another characteristic that made Gilgamesh a hero
One of the best examples that I can think of is when Beowulf fought Grendel and won. He stood bravely infront of the monster Grendel, and fought gallantly to victory. Without that time of terror, Beowulf’s true colors of Heroism would not have shown. To sum up everything that I just said, I think that Emerson would consider Beowulf a hero due to all of the battles that he fought gallantly and won. Not once in the story did Beowulf show a sign of weakness, even without any armor, he still fought bravely and
Wyatt Baker Mr.Williams English 12A 13 September 2011 Beowulf was a warrior who knew his place in life, under only god and king and was respected for it. Above all, Beowulf was a hero. Beowulf was a warrior among men, who gained the respect of those around him by killing beasts and protecting people. His feats were even known across the sea in different kingdoms and villages. He would travel the seas seeking battles against monsters to better the good of the people they tormented.
Beowulf Essay What makes an epic hero? This is a popular question that all civilizations have pondered, and have answered with legends, myths, and epics. One of the greatest epic heroes of all time is found in the epic poem Beowulf, the most famous early Germanic heroic poems. The hero, Beowulf, is a lager than life man who embodies the epitome of courageous aggression mingled with an egotistical nature. Beowulf, the story of an epic hero confronted with various monsters, demonstrates the ultimate aggressiveness and courage it takes to by an hero.