Examines the epic story of Beowulf. Discusses whether or not Beowulf's character a hero. Questions if he is important to the poem and if his actions support his description of himself.
Beowulf describes himself in lines 407-455. Looking closely at this description, and at another scene of your choice, write about Beowulf as a character in the poem. Is he a hero? How do you know? Do his actions support his description of himself? Why is he important in the poem"
In order to determine whether Beowulf is a hero, we need to look at how a hero is viewed in the poem's time. Within the tale of "Beowulf" four character traits can be found which define the Anglo Saxon Hero. The first trait is loyalty, as can be seen by the warrior's relationship with their lords. A proof to that can be seen by the way Beowulf is introduced: not by his name, but by "Hygelac's thane" (line 194). The second characteristic is strength. Upon Beowulf's arrival.....
