Gilgamesh was a famous epic hero for various different reasons. Gilgamesh was a strong powerful leader who was two thirds God and one third human. Throughout the Epic of Gilgamesh he shows intelligence, skills, valor and reverence. One reason he was a hero is how he goes fearlessly into battle. 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.
A warrior’s courage and respect is what gives him power with others and in himself during current and pass times. Beowulf is always courageous, “Whether he is fighting sea monsters, Grendel’s mother or humble fire breathing dragons, Beowulf shows that the courage and strength should be an inspiration to all heroes” (Garcia). This quote illustrates the seriously dangerous task and battles Beowulf had to face and how all these achievements may be an inspiration to all warriors of his time and fore after to follow in his footsteps. Therefore, one can conclude that if anyone may follow in the footsteps of Beowulf they may also too be considered a courageous hero. Warriors had to be willing to anything to show their courage, to prove themselves to be able to be seen as a true Anglo-Saxon hero.
Beowulf possesses many of the traits of an archetypal epic hero; he is strong, humble, and willing to fight to death if necessary. One of the most obvious heroic traits of Beowulf’s is his strength, which is a vital feature in Anglo-Saxon heroes. Beowulf had the strength of thirty men and is blessed with strength beyond that of an ordinary man. Although strength is a key characteristic in defining an epic hero, it alone is not enough to define an epic hero (Greenfield 3). Along with strength, one must have other distinguishing traits to be considered an epic hero.
The quote explains the condition of Beowulf before he is about to die in order for a new hero to arrive. “Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons.” (Beo 513-515) This quote is an example of the archetype Magic Weapon, since Beowulf is the only person in the world able to use this weapon to kill Grendel’s
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.
The Anglo-Saxons believed that he had superhuman strength. Having superhuman strength is a major part of Beowulf characteristics for it was what set him apart from others throughout the poem. “Hands that moved thirty men’s strength,” Beowulf was praised for his strength. With his strength Beowulf is able to over come many obstacles that he encounters. Beowulf firsts shows this when he defeats Grendel in Herot, for the ring-giver Hrothgar in behalf of his king Higlac.
A hero in a quest to fight for glory and the greater good of society. Brave deeds to help others to put to an end there nightmare. Beowulf was a mortal but had the strength like no other human; he was a super human with courage and intelligence. Risking his life for the safety of others where his death came upon it. First, Beowulf heard about Dane land being tormented
Beowulf/Hero Essay As we read Beowulf, we see that he is capable of many things regular humans can’t do. He is very tall, can defeat monsters with his bare hands, lift the sword of the giants, and was very brave. Heroes of today have to overcome obstacles in their life, much like Beowulf. A hero I know of is my boyfriend. In comparison to Beowulf, he can overcome many obstacles that come in his life.
As a hero, the Anglo-Saxons made Beowulf have certain hero characteristics. Today we still have heroes that have the same characteristics because authors took the image of Beowulf and created other super-natural heroes. Beowulf was a warrior and a king that showed great courage and he was admired by his own people and King Hrothgar. Epic heroes are social icons and they are imposing in stature, physically and socially. Their style is grand, yet simple, and they have super-human strength and they also face super-natural forces.
It begins with a challenge for the hero, then an adventure for him, followed by a trip into some form of underworld, and ending with the dramatic and heroic death of the hero. Beowulf follows these guidelines perfectly. The story begins with a call for a hero to kill the pestly beast Grendel, which Beowulf responds to and executes perfectly. Then for the trip into the underworld, Beowulf swims to the bottom of the bottomless pit to face Grendel’s mother, the Troll-Wife. He kills the Troll-Wife, and is called to another problem: He must slay a dragon that seeks to kill the stealer of one of his treasures.