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.
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.
Throughout his epic journey, Odysseus is portrayed as a brave hero. If you think about the many myths, legends or movies, there is always a hero who is brave. Odysseus in this case, couldn’t be the exception. In the Odyssey, for example, Odysseus had to go through the Underwold. If you think about it, not many would’ve dared to go.
Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys. The greatest value of Beowulf is his bravery, some may say bravado. There is no doubt that he is a great warrior. Beowulf's heroism belongs to a different time than that of King Arthur or Sir Gawain.
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.
In Beowulf, the hero Beowulf demonstrates all these values and more. Beowulf was someone that was easily identifiable with, a role model. The values previously mentioned can be read throughout the poem, for example when Beowulf defends the soldiers alone. This shows a great amount of courage that should be replicated by each warrior. The description of Beowulf as he was buried; “Grieved for Beowulf, great among kings, / mild in his mien, most gentle of men, / kindest to kinfolk and keenest for fame.” (Anonymous, ll 37-40) is the man every warrior should strive to be.
Both Beowulf and King David had complete faith in God when they fought superior adversaries. Beowulf went unarmed to battle the savage demon Grendel. David went as a young boy with a slingshot to fight the powerful warrior Goliath. Both overcame their disadvantage in battle through their strong faith in God. Both kings were granted Divine kingship by God.After these famous battles, both kings and their newfound kingdoms lived through prolonged eras of peace and prosperity.
For instance, Oedipus became king of Thebes after a long journey and by answering the riddle of the sphinx. Beowulf became known as the greatest warrior of the Geats for his loyalty to his leader and by triumphing over many monsters. Another key similarity between the two is that they are not greater than Gods. This fact is crucial to the stories because it means that they are vulnerable to fate and mere mortals can not overcome fate. And lastly, these two men share many heroic qualities for which they have earned prestige from.
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.
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.