Essay On Beowulf Is A Hero

Throughout the course of history, there have been many heroes and stories about said heroes. Beowulf is one that is included among these heroes as he exhibits many qualities of a hero, such as honor, bravery, and strength. These qualities are all shown several times throughout the story of the hero Beowulf.
Throughout his story, Beowulf show his honor on many different occasions. One such time is when he arrives in Denmark, on no other terms than to slay the monster that had plagued the land for 12 long years. He arrives and speaks with King Hrothgar, and asks for only one favor, to purge all evil from the halls of Herot: Lines 257-261 “I have come so far,/O shelterer of warriors and your people’s loved friend,/That I, alone and with the help

of my men,/May purge all evil from this hall.” He requires no payment, save for the glory he will win in battle. Then, not much later in the story, Beowulf decides to fight against Grendel honorably; by not using his hands. Beowulf, being the epic hero that he is, fights the monster in hand to hand combat, exhibiting his great strength, as well as his will to fight honorably, as Grendel does not use any weapons save for the claws on his hands.
Beowulf along with his unusually large amount of strength makes him a very fierce warrior in battle, which is proven by his deeds accomplished in his story. When he is fighting the monster in the halls of Herot, the monster is completely overwhelmed by his strength, and in the end loses a limb, eventually leading to his death: Lines 385-392 “Grendel/ Saw that his strength was deserting him, his claws/Bound fast, Higlac’s brave follower tearing at/ His hands. The monster’s hatred rose higher,/And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder/Snapped, muscle and bone split/And broke.” Beowulf defeated Grendel, the monstrous fiend who had tormented the land of the Danes for 12 years, and sent him back to his lair to die a slow and painful death.
Beowulf is also very brave throughout the course of his story.

When he first heard about a fiendish monster terrorizing the Danes, he decided that he must journey to slay this beast. He did not have any fears when traveling to the land of the Danes, and decided that if he shall die in the course of battle with that monster, he would accept his fate without remorse. He did not fear death, but rather welcomed it should it be his fate. This is also true when Beowulf learns of another fiendish monster that had intruded upon his territory. When he hears this news, he decides at once he must slay the dragon before it terrorizes his people and destroys even more of his land. When Beowulf is fighting the dragon, he is overwhelmed by the monsters might and fierce flames, but yet he still does not give in, and continues to fight. Thanks to the help of a loyal follower, Beowulf slays the dragon, but at a very costly price: his life. Though dying, Beowulf is not afraid, but rather seems fulfilled, and passes on his throne to his loyal follower.
In conclusion, Beowulf’s honor, strength, and bravery all prove on many occasions that he is most definitely worthy of the title of “Epic Hero”. He exhibits all characteristics of a hero, even if they aren’t apparent at first. Proven throughout his story, he truly

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