The hero of an epic poem normally embodies the ideals
of conduct that are most
valued by the culture which the epic was composed.
In
the epic poem "Beowulf"
Beowulf was the epic hero. He was an epic hero because
of his virtues. Three of his
virtues are true to his word, he made his father
proud, and he was brave.
Beowulf was true to his word by saying "I alone and
the help of my men, may
purge all evil from this hall.
" (260-261) Then later
on in the poem he "The infamous
killer fought for his freedom, wanting no flesh but
retreat, desiring nothing but escape;
his claws had been caught, he was trapped." (337-340)
In those lines it is saying that
Beowulf will go fight the evil, Grendel or "infamous
killer," and then did and killed him,
and had Grendel begging for mercy.
Beowulf was also brave. He was brave by saying "I
alone and the help of my
men, may purge all evil from this hall." (260-261) He
also was brave in a lot of other
ways, for example "When my danger is near, the warm
words we uttered, and if your
enemy should end my life then be," (451-453) that was
when he had to fight Grendel's
mother. When he fought her he was also brave by going
to fight her by himself, only
with swords and armor, "She carried him, armor and
sword and all.
" (479-480) Another
time when Beowulf was brave was when he was going to
fight a dragon, Beowulf says, "I
feel no shame, with shield and sword and armor,
against this monster: when he comes to
me I mean to stand, not run from his shooting flames,
stand till fate decides which one of
us wins." (635-639)
The third virtue Beowulf expressed was that he will
make his father proud. He
made his father proud by following in his fathers
footsteps. His father was very well
known, Beowulf says, "My father was a famous soldier,
known far and wide as a leader
of men. His name was Edegtho.
His life lasted many
winters; wise men all over the
earth surely remember him still." (174-179) He is
following in his fathers footsteps by
becoming a very good leader, by those virtues
mentioned earlier, a good soldier, and a
good fighter.
Beowulf expresses many virtues. He expresses them in
the forms of bravery, true
to his word, and he will make his father proud.
Thus
in the epic poem "Beowulf"
Beowulf is the epic hero.
