A hero is one who is not only strong, but one who uses his strength to defend others. A hero is humble, charitable, noble and selfless, a humanitarian at best. In the unparalleled epic Beowulf, the tale’s namesake represents every characteristic applying to a hero. He is honest, loyal, and courageous. He portrays these characteristics in the battle against Grendel, the scuffle with Grendel’s mother, and the fight against the dragon that inevitably ended his life.
Beowulf was a man of admirable feats. He had the strength of thirty men in his arms, and would use this strength to help anyone in need. Upon hearing of the dilemma of Grendel and the ill happenings in Hrothgar’s kingdom, Beowulf immediately gathered his followers to help the king and defend He
The last battle that Beowulf participated in was perhaps the most heroic of all. Although the battle ended his life, it proved that of all the men in the story, Beowulf was the only true hero. All of his troops proved to be unpredictable. They abandoned him in a time when they were needed the most. Though his men lived, they lived as cowards, yielding to the dragon apprehended by all the Geats. Never the less, Beowulf’s strength of heart and mind gave him the will to fight the dragon, although only one of his men was there to help him. In this part of the tale, Beowulf was older and his physical strength had dwindled. But despite this, his tremendous heroism remained. He fought the dragon to his death and died with a pride, courage and loyalty that no man at
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