Boldness In Beowulf

The epic poem Beowulf was composed in the Anglo-Saxon period. The poem contains a confident and strong her who helps Hrothgar, King of the Danes, and his people defeat Grendel, a beast who kills at night. This hero also kills Grendel’s mother when she seeks revenge for the harm done to her son. This poem highlights all the characteristics of an epic hero for Beowulf, but the few that stand out are that he is bold and confident, would rather die than be thought of as a coward, and is the greatest and strongest of all men. These three characteristics show that Beowulf is the epitome of an epic hero.

The most stand out characteristic is that Beowulf is bold and confident. Throughout the poem, he boasts about his successful and epic journey and how no man can compare to him. In lines 265-267, Beowulf shows confidence by stating, “But the truth/ Is simple: No man swims in the sea/ As I can, no strength is a match for mine,” (30). As the story continues, he proves his words to be true. Every man and kingdom knows and praises Beowulf for his boldness to fight the most dangerous and ruthless of monsters. Due to this extreme boldness, his confidence level escalates with every success. Both his boldness and confidence show in lines

308-312, which says, “What man,/ Anywhere under Heaven’s high arch, has fought/ In such darkness, endured more misery, ore been harder/ pressed,” (31-32). This epic hero’s character shows nothing of a coward but of a great legacy.
The next most show characteristic is him being the greatest and strongest of all men. He displays this by not just boasting but by his actions in the poem. During Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother, he shows he is the strongest. The poem states, “… a heavy/ Sword…so massive that no ordinary could lift… lifts high over his head,” (633-640, 30). This quote is simply saying that Beowulf could lift a sword that no other regular man could. This quote could also support evidence for another characteristic of an epic hero, being that he has supernatural strength. These two characteristics could somewhat play hand in hand, showing his non-questionable strength. The beginning of the poem states itself how Beowulf is, “…- greater/ And stronger than anyone in the world-…” (110-111, 26). Beowulf, throughout the poem, proves this to be true, along with his many other characteristics.
The third and final striking characteristic is how he would rather die than be thought of as a coward.

When Beowulf arrives at the land of the Danes, he tell Hrothgar,” Fate will unwind as it must,” (189, 28). This quote is showing that Beowulf is not afraid to die in battle, as long as he dies trying. The poem states many times that Beowulf will let God or fate determine his life. For example, when Beowulf goes on his last journey to slay the dragon, he says,”… what occurs on the wall/ Between the two of us will turn out as fat,/ Overseer of men, decides,” (675-677, 44). Some of his characteristics play a big part in this one aspect. Without being bold and confident, he would be a coward, and he wouldn’t be known as the greatest or

strongest.
This epic poem tells and proves that Beowulf is the epitome of an epic hero. He exhibits every characteristic of an epic hero, though some of them shine more than the others. He has made his life story a legacy through all of his journeys and accomplishments which have been told and written all throughout history. The real author is unknown, but the known authors of the rewritten versions of Beowulf have done justice for his story.