Beowulf: An Epic Hero?

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Beowulf: An Epic Hero Is Beowulf heroic or monsterous? In numerous point of views, Beowulf is potrayed as a very heroic, strong and clever leader. Therefore, I believe that Beowulf is an epic hero. Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heany, and the novel, Grendel, by John Gardner, the character Beowulf is portrayed as an epic hero, because he sees Grendel as a monster, risks his life to protect others, while going by his Anglo-Saxon beliefs. In Beowulf, Beowulf is potrayed as a courageous and heroic figure who does anything to protect others. Beowulf’s courage is brought to light when he pronounces, “hand to hand is how it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend.” He is going to fight Grendel without any protection. In addition, Beowulf prepares to fight to the death in order to save Heoret from “the monster” that “scorns in his reckless way.” While Beowulf shows great courage, he can also be very boastful. Another reason he wants to fight Grendel is to “heighten Hyglac’s fame and gladden his heart” (Beowulf…show more content…
Beowulf traveled all the way to Heroet, because he heard people were suffering. When Beowulf arrives in Heoret, Ecgtheow proclaims: “Time and time again, when the goblets passed and seasoned fighters got flushed with beer they would pledge themselves to protect Heoret and wait for Grendel with whetted swords. But when dawn broke and day crept in over each empty, blood splattered bench, the floor of the meadhall where they had feasted would be slick with slaughter” (Beowulf 33). Grendel was taking many lives and Beowulf wanted to end the bloodshed. Beowulf did not see any reasoning for Grendel to be killing all these innocent people. He viewed Grendel as a monster taking innocent lives; therefore, Beowulf was not being evil when he attacked Grendel. It is difficult not to veiw Beowulf as an epic hero when he puts his life on the line to prevent the deaths of innocent

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