What is an epic hero? An epic hero is the main character of an epic, a long, narrative poem that relates the deeds of a superhuman hero (the epic hero) who embodies the values of a particular society. The Anglo-Saxon idea of an epic hero can be seen in the story of Beowulf. Beowulf possesses many of the traditional qualities of an epic hero. Beowulf tells of one of his deeds while talking to Unferth, “Lucky or not, nine was the number of sea-huge monsters I killed” (Beowulf 307-308).
Beowulf exhibits qualities of an Anglo-Saxon epic hero in the areas of superhuman power, honor, and the embodiment of the values of the time.
Superhuman powers are not necessarily laser beams coming from a hero’s fingertips or x-ray vision. Beowulf possesses a superhuman power in the form of brute strength. This is noticeable by the fact that Beowulf is able to kill Grendel, a devilishly evil creature of the night who kills dozens of trained soldiers before Beowulf gets his shot at him:
The battle was over, Beowulf
Had been granted new glory: Grendel escaped,
But wounded as he was could flee to his den…
Only to die, to wait for the end
Of all his days.
(Beowulf 499-504)
Not only was Beowulf able to dispatch Grendel, but he then swam to the depths of the lake and battled Grendel’s mother to the death, “Her body fell to the floor, lifeless” (Beowulf 643-644).
The Essay on Beowulf An Epic Grendel Poem Boasts
Beowulf: An Epic Numerous characteristics of this poem validate claims that it is an epic. Obviously indicative of this poem s epic nature are its boasts and battles. Beowulf s boasts begin as soon as he arrives on the Danish shore when he justifies his presence there by giving evidence of his worthiness to fight Grendel. Beowulf describes his youth as glorious. Then, he boasts about his victories ...
Beowulf is not a typical hero, but rather a more mundane hero, who’s only power is strength, and is bound by mortality.
Honor is a quality not easily achieved. Beowulf, however, has easily attained this trait, as he is respected for his great feats all over the lands described in the epic. King Hrothgar tells us that Beowulf has been victorious in many battles, “Beowulf, a banquet in your honor: let us toast your victories, and talk of the future” (Beowulf 223-224).
Beowulf’s honor is also exhibited when he still fights the dragon, even after all but one of his comrades has fled “Quickly the dragon came at him…his brave and noble followers; they ran for their lives” (Beowulf 742-748).
Honor is gained by repeated noble acts, and should not be sought after. Nor should the person talk it about who has it. Beowulf does not actually talk of his honor, but rather talks of his deeds when he was honorable.
Values of the Anglo-Saxons were hard to come by. The people of this era valued such things as courage, faith in God, and belief in one’s self. Beowulf shows his courage when he takes on monsters that he has never even seen before without showing any fear or uncertainty. Beowulf believed that God had a plan for him. So if it were God’s word that he would be able to kill Grendel, it would be so. The same was true for Grendel killing Beowulf, “God must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip” (Beowulf 174-175).
Beowulf then decides that if he is to be able to kill Grendel, then he should be able to do so with his bare hands, “My hands alone shall fight for me” (Beowulf 172-173)
Beowulf was indeed an unparalleled example of an epic hero. His deeds throughout the land made him known to many and adored by most of who he met. Even though Beowulf did what he did mostly for the money, he was still able to keep the character traits of an epic hero alive within him. Unlike many epic heroes though, Beowulf died at the end of the story, at which point his lifelong mission of slaying monsters was rewarded with a tower constructed in his honor. This does, however, relate to other epic heroes because at the end of the story he was still looked upon as a noteworthy role model. Beowulf will always be a celebrated classic thanks to the author’s superb writing techniques and ability to interlace the values of his time period into the story.
The Essay on Beowulf as an Epic Hero in Burton Raffel’s Translation of the Story Beowulf
He continuously portrays features that no ordinary human being could acquire including eternal fame, extraordinary skill, and heroic courage. It is interesting to read about all his extraordinary hero qualities. In Anglo-Saxon culture, immortality was believed to be attainable through the gain of fame and glory by the act of doing noble deeds (HubPages). It was also possible by spreading one’s ...
Bibliography:
Beowulf. Trans. Burton Raffel. Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Austin, 1997
