Beowulf As Superhuman Like Strength And Valor

Beowulf is an Old English poem that could possibly be the oldest surviving and most important piece of literature from the Old English era. Beowulf was originally a story passed down through generations by word of mouth. It wasn’t until 1000 A.D. that Beowulf was written down by an unknown author in England. It has since then been translated into Modern English by Burton Raffel. Beowulf is an epic poem because it displays 3 elements of epic poetry, such as superhuman like strength/valor, omniscient third person narrator, and multiple settings.

Many times throughout the epic, Beowulf demonstrated his superhuman like strength and valor. An example of Beowulf’s valor is on lines 630-633 “ I’d use no sword, no weapon, if this beast/ Could be

killed without it, crushed to death/ like Grendel, gripped in my hands and torn/ Limb from limb…”. This is an example of Beowulf’s valor because it shows the courage he has by claiming that if this monster were like Grendel, he would kill it with his bare hands. This also shows that he is strong because he was able to kill Grendel, which was a horrific monster that no one else dared to battle.
Beowulf is an epic because it also uses an omniscient third person narrator. This is used throughout the poem. On lines 628-629, it says “Then he said farewell to his followers,/ Each in his turn, for the last time:”. This is omniscient third person because the narrator knows that this was the last farewell Beowulf was going to say.
Finally, Beowulf is an epic poem because it has multiple settings. Beowulf travels between Herot, where Grendel slayed thirty men, the lake where Grendel’s mother lived and her lair, Geatland, and the dragon’s cave. Multiple settings add more depth to the story to help make it longer and more interesting.
Beowulf is an epic poem because it displays three of the crucial elements, such as superhuman like strength/valor, omniscient third person narrator, and multiple settings.