Beowulf exhibited many character traits that proved himself as an epic hero. He first began to travel the trail of epic heroism by battling a supernatural foe, Grendel. Most epic heroes battle a supernatural enemy which makes their actions epic; they fight something mere mortals cannot battle. In his battle with the evil and monstrous Grendel, Beowulf shows great courage and strength by choosing to battle Grendel without the assistance of anyone and by choosing to use only his hands as a weapon. Not only did he battle a supernatural being with his bare hands, he was successful in doing so and the magnitude of his success goes well above and beyond what the commoner does.
Beowulf continues to display characteristics of an epic hero in his second battle with a supernatural foe, Grendel’s mother. Once again, Beowulf shows great courage and strength by battling the …show more content…
For his final battle, Beowulf once again shows great courage and strength by battling the dragon even though his comrades deserted him because of their lack of courage. Although he was unsuccessful in his battle with the dragon and lost his life, he showed great loyalty to his people and showed the characteristics and responsibilities that a king must possess in order to rule his kingdom properly. He proved his loyalty to his people by sacrificing his life attempting to slay the dragon although he was older, hadn’t been in a battle in years and had a slim chance of succeeding in the battle. He showed the responsibilities of being a king, that a king must act for the good of the people and not just for his own glory. Not only was Beowulf an excellent warrior, he was a noble king who was admired by many people and his legacy continued on when his people built a tower in remembrance of