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Beowulf The Epic Hero - College Essays

Beowulf The Epic Hero

What does it mean to be a hero? Like anything else in this world, the definition of the word hero can be argued. Some may say that a hero can be passive, that is if he or she refrains from doing a certain action it makes them heroic. Others would argue that to be truly heroic the character must never turn tail and always face the obstacle head on even though he or she may die in the process. So is Beowulf a hero? Yes, Beowulf is a great epic hero, but his greatness comes only from his sword and not from his mind.
In order to be a hero in an epic poem there were certain qualities you had to possess. First of all you had to be a male. It is rare to see any woman in epic poems taking ...

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was not named too, which in my mind would indicate that women had little more status than slaves or property during the times of the Vikings. Fittingly enough, Beowulf’s sword even got a name, for it is by his sword that he earns his eternal fame and glory. However, besides the fact that Beowulf was of noble lineage and that he was a great warrior, he has some other noble qualities.
On the plus side for Beowulf we can say that he was a pious warrior. Although he was from being a modest warrior, for he was anything but modest when it came to his great deeds of valor on the battlefield, he did credit Jesus for every success he has come across. This is not really a revolutionary idea for epic heroes, as we see the heroes of the
Iliad, Odyssey, and the Aenied constantly praying to the gods for glory on the battlefield. The main difference is that they are pagans, and Beowulf is a Christian, which does not even really make sense because he was a Viking warrior and the ...

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fact face Grendel and rips his arm clean off his body, but not before one of his men are devoured by the creature. Shortly thereafter, Grendel’s mother comes to Hrothgar’s kingdom in search of revenge. After celebrating his first victory, the king asks for his help once again. Being the glory hungry hero that he is he accepts the challenge and goes to the foul swap in search of Grendel’s vile mother.
Once again we see that because Beowulf is such a great hero and beloved of Jesus, he can do the impossible and dive into the swamp and practically swim like a fish. He has no need for air he is a hero. However, he does come across some trouble in the form of ...

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Added: 5/20/2006 06:12:10 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1325
Pages: 5

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