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Hercules Has Nothing on This Man Beowulf is a classic representation of an epic hero. His characteristics show that he has super human strength and courage, performs many brave deeds, and is a honorable man. To be considered an epic hero the person must show bravery and strength, have honor, and be willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of all. Beowulf displays all of these attributes and more. A good example of Beowulfs courage and loyalty is when he hears of the tragedy that has befallen Hrothgar and his followers. Beowulf does not hesitate to gather his men and sail across the waters, to help rid the Danes of the unholy monster. Once there, he begs King Hrothgar, Lord and protector of this noble place, a single request! I have come so far, O shelterer of warriors and your peoples loved friend, that this one favor you will not refuse me- That I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall. This statement shows that he is both respectful and brave. He also shows he is honorable when he refuses to use any weapons against an unarmed enemy (I have heard, Too, that the monsters scorn is so great that he needs no weapons and needs none. Nor will I. Beowulf seems to possess super human strength. We see this clearly in his battle with Grendel. When attacked by the monster, Beowulf showed incredible strength by grasping the monsters talons and not letting go. Grendel knew instantly that he had met his match (That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime, knew at once that nowhere on earth had he met a man whose hands were harder). In his battle with Edgetho, Beowulf sinks in the waves for hours. No normal man could do this without some sort of aid. His strength is once again mentioned when he pulls the sword off the

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wall ( Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong and blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons but so massive that no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length . He drew it from its scabbard, broke the chain from its hilt). Beowulfs willingness to even battle Edgerton, believing that he would not survive it, proves that he is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the people. In his final battle with the Dragon, Beowulf shows a great amount of courage. He has grown old, yet he embraces yet another battle (In endless battles, I am old, now, But I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me.) When he stands at the hidden entrance seeing the dragons fire flow down the passageways, he roared out a battle cry. He didnt try to find a way to catch the dragon unawares or to trap the dragon. He called his enemy out to face him head on. Beowulf showed that he was an honorable man in doing this. In conclusion, Beowulf repeatedly shows great courage and strength in his battles. He does perform great deeds, by single handing, ridding the world of the dragon and monsters that terrorized, tortured and killed. Beowulfs willingness to fight for the well-being of others, even when the battle seems to be more hazardous than he can possibly survive, shows that he is a great and honorable warrior. These things are why Beowulf epitomizes the classic epic hero.